The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-28
THE DAILY GATE CITY

into one room where they were wrap
ping the generators for the big tur-
bines and DR.. Barr told US that 1t was
a special favor to the editors as that
room had been guarded as closely as
a bank vault and visitors had not been
admitted to see their work. 1t gave us
a better insight as to how electricity
| is generated than full course in a
correspondence school and we appre-
ciated the favor.
With Give" switchboards and dyna-
mos all about us it was somewhat
dangerous going about the building,
but the employees and guides kept a
sharp lookout and saw that no one
came in contact with live" wire and
got killed.
The present building is more than
three city blocks long and only one
half of the building has been built. I
could give you a lot more information
about the power house, but something
about the big lock may be OF more In
! terest
The last generous favor Of the Keo-
i kuk Industrial Association was to
charter the excursion steamer, the
Black Hawk, and take US up through
| the lock, a trip over Lake Cooper and
back through the lock. This trip was
made late in the evening, leaving the
| dock at $3.50. The big craft nosed In
| from the lower side Of the dam and in
to the big stall with its forty feet high
walls on both sides and the two head
gates above. After 1t had entered the
lock two massive gates closed behind
US, joining at the center. A minute Ia
| ter and the water was rushing in from
the numerous flood gates In the under
ground tunnels below and the sight OF
At and the sensation is something won
derful. 1t reminds you of boiling
pot of water and the large boat lifted
upward like the half shell of walnut
Within very few minutes this forty
feet deep vessel had been filled and
the boat. had been raised to the level
OF the water above the dam. Then
/ our attention was directed to the head
/ gates which had held the water above.
There Is two of them, exactly alike, al
though one of them is strong enough
to hold the weight of water. They
are made of steel and are wide enough
i for standard gauge railroad to run
over them, in fact 1t is probable rail
road bridge will run across them in
time. You would suppose that these
gates would open. They do not They
4 just drop down out OF sight and the
boats go over them Although they
weigh SO much that the figures are
unbelievable, they are handled as cas-
lily as you could open and close your
yard gate. After the boat passes out
of the lock they reappear and help to
hold the millions of tons of water
above the dam.
This lock is the biggest in the
world and is considered one of the
greatest engineering feats of the age.
! l do not believe that the people o.
this part of Iowa are able to appreciate
1 and comprehend the wonderful
! achievements of Hugh L. Cooper AMI
: his force Of engineers and workmen a
e Keokuk. also do not believe that tn,
people of Keokuk. especially the bust
{ ness and financial interests, or tn,
I men connected with them appreciat,
the opportunity they have of maxim.
g Keckuk one of the most prominen
s business and financial centers of tn,
world The younger generation SEEM
~ 1n 81 Il, Co. 4.
!. people are employing some Of tn,
' worlds brainiest business men to car
!. ry out their plans of making perma
! ment demand for their product close Il
! home. They will succeed. The com
y pany is being organized on a basis tina
is going to be popular with the public
/ They hope to make 1t corporation
that will need no laws to compel |
to do justice to its patrons and its al
u fairs are not going to be secreted unde
bushel. They are immensely popr
' lar with the business interests whic
y have had business dealings with then
9 They may be ahead of their time bu
y they will succeed.
u 1t is worth the time and expense t
= to go to Keokuk and see the dam an
D if you can go with party of friend
. who can get DR.. Barr to take you owe
e the works you will be able to see an
!. learn more than you will be able to Sc
Il and learn more than you could obtai
70 in a three months post-graduat
u course at your favorite college. 1t
. well worth all 1t costs just to go an
Is see it from the outside.
y
m
~ The Tango" is Dead.