White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-11-23
ASKS FOR LICENSE TO
BUILD PRIEST RAPIDS DAM
Seattle Tim,es)

Washington, Tuesday, Nov.
20.-The federal power commits
sion yesterday announced it had
received from the Washington
Irrigation & Development Com
pany an application for a Ii
cense for the installation of the
lower dam of the Priest Rapids
power project, near White Bluffs.
on the Columbia River, in the
state of Washington, which in
itial step will entail an expendi-
ture Of approximately $28,000,-
600. at'i
The application was referred
to the chief Of engineers, United
States Army, for investigation
and that Office has, in turn,
called upon Col. w. j. Borden,
district engineer at Seattle, for
complete report.
Federal power commission Of
ficials said the request appears
to be satisfactory and offers no
apparent government problem.
In the ordinary procedure at
tending such matters final ac-
ton on the application will
come within two or three
months.
The company proposes to
make installation Of a $4,000
primary horsepower plant and
to develop, at high stages Of
the river 100000 horsepower,
which would make it the largest
project of it's kind in the world,
that at Niagara Falls having a
capacity of 100000 horsepower.
The completed Priest Rapids
project will represent an in
vestment of about $90,000,000.
H.. j. Pierce Of New York,
president of the corporation, has
assured the commission, it was
said, that work will be started
as soon as the license is issued.
Establishment at the proposed
plant of large chemical and cleo
tro-metallurgical processes is
contemplated, government Of
ficials declared, which will alb
sorb sufficient power from the
first unit to justify it's construc-
tion.
GREAT INDUSTRIAL CITY TO
BE BUILT AT PRIEST
4 "a RAPIDS
Is Following announcement that plans
of interests represented by the Gen.
cral Electric Company of Schenec-
tady, NJ Y, to harness Priest Rapids
on the Columbia River about $50
miles east OF Seattle at a cost of
nearly $o0,000000 and to establish
there one of the greatest industrial
cities in the United States, are ap-
preaching frution, electrical engin-
GERS said commencement of the work
would mark new industrial era
in the Pacific Northwest.
For several years engineers of tho
General Electric Company have oren
studying in this country and in Eur
opc the latest achievements in the
electro-chemical industries with a
view to duplicating them in the
city at Priest Rapids will be the
scene Of this effort.
The General Electric Company re-
"A L. 4
nearly 5000 acres as site and
would spend, in addition to the
reduirdd to harness the
rapids. $l20O0000 in building an
industrial city which would have a
payroll of at least $4,000 workers.
and would have population of
about $4,000.
Second Largest Plant
The Priest Rapids power plant
will be the largest hydro-electric
in tho United States,
outside of Nigara Falls, according
to the electric company's engineers.
Its ultimate. capacity will be 650-
900 horsepower. of which 100000
Of primary horsepower will be avail
able evcry day in the year regard
less of the stage of the water. The
other 250.0C0 horsepower will be
available from May to September.
To develop this enormous power,
the General Electric Company in
tercsts will build at an estimated |
cost of $28.0O0.000 the largest power
dam in the world, 1t will be two
miles long and ninety fect high and
will be half again as large as the
Jam in the Mississippi River at
keokuk, La.
After the dam is built the Cen
,ral Electric Company interests will
spend SAL 100000 moro in installing
electrical machinery to develop the
power and $2O.00O,0O0 more in build
ng factories and shops to use the
greater part of the primary power
Then about $l2,000000 will be spent |
n city building, making the total in
vestment about $l00O00,000.
Incidental to the development OF /
the hydroelectric power. the builders
plan to provide by pumping during
the peak power season IN the sum-
mcr water for the reclamation of |
100000 acres of the Columbia Basin,
where government experts have re-
ported that some of the most fertile |
land in the world, needing only
water to make it productive, is
found.
The land reclaimed will support a
farming population Of many thou-