The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-06-30
Chicago Herald Contains Fine Pict-
ure Of Dam, Power House and
Locks in Public Utilities
Section.
TALKS OF TRANSMISSION
Some Difficulties In This Work
sketchsd -commendatio Of
Stone q Webster Part
Of Story.

Today's Chicago Herald contains 8
Public. Utilities number, and on the
front page of this is picture OF the
keokuk dam, power plant and govern
ment lock and dry dock in construc
ton. The cut covers six columns and
occupies the Top OF the page. It If
a comprehensive picture of the bic
work here, and can be taken in at q
glance
The remainder OF the page is de-
voted to articles on public utilities
and on several of the remaining pages
Of the supplement are stories Of the
development Of The utilities and some
of the companies which have been at
work. In this connection Stone &
Webster get a share OF the notices
and there is short sketch of the
transmission work done here.
The prediction of Franklin K. Lane,
secretary of the interior, that water
power, within generation, will be one
OF the richest assets of the United
States is given prominent place. 1t
Is said that while the hydro-electriC
plants are progressing rapidly, sill
the possibilities In water power going
to waste are enormous. With all the
tanning Of the rivers, only one-fourth
OF the water power In the United
States Is harnsssed
About Local plant.
Concerning the Keokuk plant de-
velopment the Herald says:
A year ago the great engineering
feat was accomplished Of Harvesting
the Mississippi at Keokuk. Two main
transmission lines have been built.
the first, south to st. Louis, distance
of 143 miles; The second, north to
Burlington, distance OF 81 miles.
From the st. Louis line connecting
line is miles long supplies the local
light and power company in Quincy.
ILL.,; a second line, % miles long, sup.
plies the public utility companies OF
Alton and East st. Louis, III. The
Burlington line supplies the public
utilities Of Burlington, Iowa. and Nau-
VOC, ILL.,, and will later supply the
utilities OF Fort Madison, Iowa.
Difficulties Overcome.
Among the engineering difficulties
presented In the construction Of the
Keokuk transmission lines was that OF
greater stresses and spans than ex-
perienced in any other similar enter
prise. Where the line crosses the Mis-
sissippi and Missouri rivers the
cables, suspended between towers as
high as twenty-story buildings, clear
more than half mile in each span.
The German experiment In 1901 sent
100 horse power 100 miles, giving IL
miles Of line per horse power. The de-
velopment of the science Of electric
transmission is seen in the Keokuk-
St. Louis line, with its 10000 horse
power for 143 miles of length, or $50
horse power per mile.
Managing Company.
OF the rapid growth OF managing
companies and of Stone & Webster in
particular the Herald says:
Among the recent developments in
the field of public utilities has been
the rapid growth of the managing
company. UP to comparatively re-
cent years the need for expert engi-
neering and commercial skill in the
operation and management of public
service enterprise was not generally
recognized. Local business men who
knew little about the gas or the cleo
trical or the street railway business
were usually not only the owners but
the. active managers Of the plants.
Stone q Webster Example.
Nowadays the tendency is to place
the operation of utility industries in
the hands of highly trained experts.
Managing companies, which are some
thing quite different from holding COM
panies, are expanding with great
rapidity. They are organizations of
specialists who take charge OF utility
projects from start to finish, design
ing the plans, doing the construction
work and then directing and managing
the properties.
Tho firm, ~ Stone &, wehster Poa.