River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-06-15
City Light and Power
To Be Turned OFF
River Falls Will Be Without
Electric Service for
Several Days
Commencing Sun, June rs
Fiume tc be cut and New Steel
Gates Installed to Replace Temper
AIRY Gates Now in Use

Patrons of the River Falls munich
pal electric light and power service
are hereby warned that on Sunday,
June rs, and for an indefinite period
of several days thereafter, there
will be no service Furnished. During
that period the new steel gates will
be installed to replace the temporary
wooden gates and the flume will be
cut from the old dam to the new one.
This will cause a great deal OF in
convenience, and the City, without
light or power, will appear in its old
prirnative state, but there is no
feasible alternative and this is a
most opportune time for the work.
With good luck, the job should be fin
ished in five or six days.
Because so much protest has been
raised it might be well to go into de-
tail regarding the matter.
First there is the urgency OF getting
the work done. When the new dam
was completed two years ago, the
steel gates which had been ordered
months ahead, had not arrived, and
it was necessary to put in temper
ery wooden ones These are getting
into such condition as to be haz-
ard, and if retained through the
winter, might give way under the ice
which would Fut the plant out OF
commission for weeks or possibly
several months.
The company from which the new
gates were ordered cancelled their
contract and refused to make deliv-
very until Engineer Wolf forced them
into it. The gates arrived in the
late fall, when the days were short
and lights were used during longer
hours.
If the gates had been here when
the new dam was completed it would
have been necessary then.4asA noMaAto
close down the service for several
DAYS to install them, but by using
the old flume head and Temporary
gates no shutdown was necessary
then.
Some have suggested to cut in on
the Wisconsin Minnesota Power Cos.
line at Prescott or Ellsworth until the
new gates have been installed. TINS
it has been found, would cost be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000, and unless
made permanent, would hardly be
worth the price.
Others have suggested using trac-
ton engines or gasoline power to
turn the generators. Stop and con-
s:der the aggregate power of motors
used in this City, not to mention the
power needed for lighting, and the
absurdity of that proposition will be
clear.
1t takes the steady combined power
of both upper and lower plants tc
supply the demand now, so that the
lower plant can be put in use during
this emergency only to run the water
pumps and it is essential that the
water service be continued SO thai
the city may be insured fire protection
at all times. The lower plant vii
also furnish power to operate the
machinery used in installing the new
gates.
The lighting load without the mo.
tors is around 150 X. W., while the
capacity of the lower plant is but 81
X. w.
The pumping plant on N. MAR
Street, has not sufficient capacity t.
keep the water supply up to the de
mand, and at least one of the new
pumps must be kept running to in
sure fire protection and plenty Of
water for patrons. The City may
congratulate itself ON having the
power for this purpose.
The two new steel gates cost about
$500, together with the protecting
racks. About twenty feet of the
flume-from the old dam to the new
will have to be cut off. The flume
tube is six feet in diameter.
The facts to keep in mind during
the interruption of service can be
summarized as follows:
The work must be done.
This is the most convenient time
of the year to do it.
No temporary arrangement fol-
adequate ligii. and power is feasable
The City will have its full water
service and fle protection through
out.
The work will be completed in the
very shortest time possible.