Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-05-11
SILVER LAKE PROJECT READY
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days, which would be the coming We'd

days, which would be the coming We'd
nesday
Owing to the prolonged cold and
disagreeable weather, there was prac-
tically no activity at the lake last Sat
urday except the carpenters hammer
and riveter's noise on the eastern
mountain, The hotel and cottage
owners, usually getting things in readi-
ness in early May, were not yet on the
ground, But the Silver Lake project is
interesting enough to make a trip to
the lake worth while even this early
Those who have not been there since
last seasons close will be surprised to
find so much work accomplished.
The brick power house, modern and
substantial structure, is complete, the
water wheel and dynamo, and huge
switches are installed, and all is in a
finished state except the final cleanup
Of the grounds Already water has
been let down the penstocks from Silver
Lake to test it for leaks, and on Satur-
day number of men were climbing
inside the penstock to caulk the few
leaks that had been discovered. From
the surge tanks down to the power
house this penstock is of iron, three
feet in diameter, while from Silver
Lake to the surge tanks the water is
conducted by large wooden-penstock,
ten feet in diameter. Looking up the
mountain side from the power house
the black iron penstock, all above
ground, may be plainly seen, taking
several turns and some sharp dips,
Some sections come down at an angle
Of over 45 degrees. Every fifty or
twenty-five feet the penstock is
anchored-tr imbeded at its joints in a
large block of concrete and is supported
elsewhere by many concrete cradles
The whole resembles nothing more than
a huge black snake.
The Falls of Lana, through which the
waters of Sucker Brook take such a
picturesque tumble, may be seen to fine
advantage now but few yards from
the penstock, and on Saturday, despite
the disagreeabe weather, there were a
couple Of parties of college men and
girls picknicking on the damp lodges.
This spring may be the last time that
the falls will have all Of their beauty.
The Silver Lake project is also to take
water from Sucker brook, probably
leaving scant fall for tourists to visit.
At the junction of Sucker brook and
button brook, quite bit up the noun
tain from the falls, dam is being
built, and penstock. to divert the
brook water to Silver Lake and give the
power plant still more volume.
Stretching from the power house are
the heavy bright new copper wires,
crossing Addison County farms to the
East to the Bridport shore of Lake Cham
plain, and thence from towers 1870 feet
high, they stretch across the lake to
Crown Point and then across Bulwagga
Bay to Port Henry, N, Y, and to Mine
vile, an air line distance of over % miles
from the power station at Lake Dun
more. Other lines run south through
Leicester to Brandon to connect with
the Brandon Heat, Light and Power
plant, and thence to
Rutland Current will be sent over
these lines next week, Strengthening
the Brandon and Rutland plants, and
the lines to Port Henry will be in opera
ton as soon as two gaps in the line are
filled, one of which is the crossing of
the railroad and another the crossing of
the Vermont Marble Company's cleo
trio transmission wires, which probably
will be within month.
At Salisbury the Hortonia company
is also at work on another development,
making use of the waters of Leicester
River, one of the outlets of Lake
Dunmore, and as soon as the Silver
Lake project is in operation the work
at Salisbury will be rushed to compile
ton.
Another development has been under
aiken by the Hortona Power company
IN the New Haven river The purchase
Was completed recently of two farms
IN the New Haven river in the town of
Bristol. The newly acquired property,
Known as the Earl Kelton and Edward
Iathrop farms, is located above the
present dam near the Lincoln town line,
which provides $50 horsepower, and
With the proposed additional equipment
his plant will produce 1000 horsepower.
The Hortonia company proposes to
extend the penstock at the Bristol
'Iant up stream about 1000 feet, in
,reasing the static or feet head, I'M
Ter which the water is used, from lis
o 250 feet. AS soon as material can
,e secured it is planned to install a
lew water wheel and generator in the