Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-06-12

gauge railroad; 20 miles of sewers; 16 miles of
domestic and fire water supply; 60OO0,0OO-gallon
reservoir with pumping plant and filter, and an ice
plant
Gorgas Steam Power Plant-In order to obtain
power for construction work and for operation Of
the nitrate plant while its main power supply was
still unavailable a 4OOO0-horsepower generating
plant was erected on the property Of the Alabama
Power company at Gorgas, Ala, 88 miles away,
and connected with Muscle Shoals by long trans
mission line. This plant is not integral portion
of the Muscle Shoals development. It was, there
fore, sold to the Alabama Power company under
an agreement made with that company at the time
It was erected
Largest Dam in the World.
The Illustration given herewith suggests out
standing features of Wilson Dam. The inserted
map shows the relative positions Of the three DAMS
The navigation part Of the Muscle Shoals project
Is too extensive and complicated to be described
In detail here In general it may be said that the
tennessee river rises In northeastern Tennessee,
flows southwest, makes an east to west loop
through northern Alabama and then flows north
through Tennessee and Kentucky, joining the Ohio
near its juncture with the Mississippi at Cairo ILL.,
The Tennessee Is 652 miles long from Knoxville,
Tenn, to Paducah, KY. At Muscle Shoals, in north
ern Alabama, the river falls 1874 feet in 81 miles
Here is the main obstruction to the through navi
cation Of the river. With the three dams and the
supplemental locks in operation the Muscle Shoals
obstacle would be removed.
The Wilson Dam, as the illustration suggests, is
an impressive structure and pleasing to the eye
There are longer dams and dams that are higher
but none that is larger. Ministerial golfers in mo-
ments of stress requiring adequate expression will
soon be expected to change over from Gatun or
Assuan to Wilson, or at least to cap the climax
with Wilson. IL should be remembered that the
stream here runs from east to west and that in the
illustration the north bank is at the left Of the
picture.
Wilson Dam was built primarily for the purpose
of furnishing electric power, but the navigation
phase had to be considered This accounts for the
lock on the north bank. Then comes the main dam
and next che power house extending from the main
dam to the south shore. The switch and control
buildings will be located on the bluff the south
shore. II drydock Is needed in the future it will
be located upstream from the lock. Hugh L.
Cooper, designing and supervising engineer of the
Wilson Dam, says the entire structure will contain
36,500,000 solid cubic feet of masonry and cover
20 acres of ground He visualizes this mass OF
masonry by saying it is equivalent to concrete
road from New York to Chicago Is feet wide and
six inches thick The project is being constructed
by the War department, corps Of engineers, u. S.
A., under Maj Gen. Lansing FL. Beach, chief of
engineers, and Brig Gen. Harry Taylor assistant
chief, Immediately in charge. The construction
forces are under the direction Of Lieut. Col George
r. Spalding. Mr.. Cooper says of the dam proper:
The dam proper rises to height of 1877 feet above
foundations. and backs up the water to a depth Of
SO feet from the bedrock to the water surface.
The spil1way section of the dam is of the OVERALL
gravity type of Normal pool level above the
dam is at elevation 501 normal tailwater is at
elevation 400, thus making the normal avail
able go feet The crest of the spillway is at eleva
ton 483 and each spillway opening is 38 feet wide
in the clear, with 8-foot pier between Sup
/ ported these piers and archng e.ch spill
opening is an arch bridge, serving oper-
ating deck for the spilIway control gates and pro-
vidng double track bridge and roadway across
the river. In ALL there So spillway openings,
each with control gate of structural steel feet
high and 40 feet long
"The last five sections of the dam, adjoining and
connecting to the power house forebay structure
are nos spillway sections says Mr. Cooper. I'm
these five sections there are located thirteen
suices. Each suice is simply 9foot diameter
conduit extending through the dam, protected .at
the upstream end by massive concrete screen,
and controlled at the downstream or discharge by
lO0-inch butterfly valve. These valves are OPP
Grated by small compressed air engine, mounted
on car which travels on a track above valves.
When one of the sluices is opened under full head
it discharges stream eight feet or more in di-
ameter at a velocity at about As feet per second
thirty miles hour.
Enormous Power to Be Generated.
'"The power house structure can be divided into
two parts: the forebay structure and the power
house building The forebay structure is that por-
ton of the structure which retains the water and
serves as part Of the water barrier. 1t is de-
signed to withstand the entire water pressure with
out the aid Of the power house building The arch
bridge and roadway continue without change Of
grade over the forebay structure the south shore
The power house is approximately 1850 feet long,
100 feet wide and 1874 feet high and when com
pleted will contain eighteen main units two aux