The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1923-05-11
POWER COMPANY
TO IMPROVE PLANT
To Add a 2,5OO-HOrse Power Unit to
the Power Plant Located at the
Similkameen Falls,

Mention was made In the last issue
Iof the Gazette that extensive improve
ments were to be carried on this SUM-
mer at the Similkameen river dam
owned by the Washington Water
Power company, and that a new unit
would be installed. That addition to
| the power production at the dam Is
going in much sooner than was expect
led. although speedy action Is no sur
prise. for when corporation of the
size and Importance Of the Washington
Water Power company decides upon
any plan of action the carrying out
of that plan is not protractedly delay
ed by procrastination. IL an additional
unit at the Similkameen falls would
add to the efficiency of the service as
provided by the company That unit
would be supplied. The following ar
ticle announcing the letting Of the
contract and giving general informa-
tion of the accomplishment Of the
company is taken from the Spokesman
Review of Sunday, May 6
| Award of contract for the Installa-
]
trie- generating unit in the power plant
on the Similkameen river, three and
a nalf miles northwest of Oroville,
was announced yesterday by Presi-
dent d. l.. Huntington of the WASH
ington Water Power company.
"The Similkameen plant is a part
Iof the property of the Okanogan VAL
ley Power company acquired by the
Washington Water Power company
the first of the year. The power sta
ton was originally built for the in
lstallatiOn of a second unit.
"The contract for building the
wheel was awarded to the PeltOn
Water Wheel company Of San Fran
cisco and the General Electric COM
Ipany will built the generator. The
American Pipe company Of Tacoma
will supply the wooden penstock,
seven feet in diamater and 745 feet
4 long to- carry the water to the wheel.
Transformers will also be installed
to step up the current from its gene
rator voltage to the $4,000 carried on
the main transmission lines In the dis
trict which at this southern end at
Brewster connects with 10000 volt
feeder from the main system OF the
Washington Water Power company.
Several months will be required
to complete the equipment so that ac-
tual construction will not begin until
the middle of the summer and will
be completed by December I. The
construction of the new unit will be
carried on by the engineering depart.
ment of the Washington Water Power
, company.
The Oroville power plant was shu'
down yesterday to have its wheels in
lspected Power was supplied to the en-
tire Okanogan valley system from tnt
Washington Water Power company's
, Iplant at Little Falls. nearly 200 miles
away. The test was satisfactory II
levery way and the supply OF power fo
levery purpose was ample.
The new line to the Okanogan coun
d, try starts at Coulee City and run
northwest to the Columbia river owe
a rugged country, in which line mel
in places had to be lowered with rope
over the sides of the cliffs to get
place to hang the wires.
e ''The extension to the OkanOgan dis
S trict, Lake Caelan and 81 miles o
y lateral line built in Grant count
d from Nepple to Quincy made 11S mile
s of line built this spring in S8 days o
), working time. In addition to tn
It sizes of line heretofore mentioned !
y miles of 33 900 volt line from Bridge
IS port to Brewster were rebuilt, ais
d one mile of $4,000 volt line at Brew
# ster and a mile of 1900 volt distribu
y ton lines in the town of Brewster"