The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-10-23
FLOODING VALLEY TO
. MAKE ELECTRIC POWER
First Unit of Huge Youghio-
gheny Project Is Nearing
Completion

A staff correspondent of the Balti-
more Sun of Sunday last, writing I'M
der an Oakland date line, contributed
the following article relative to the
hydro-electric power project being
built in this county:
Hundreds of men are building a
lake right on the top of Maryland.
More are lifting the State road high
er up the mountains beyond the reach
of the water that will before the first
of the year begin to fill the immense
basin being created between the
peaks and ridges of Garrett county.
Steam shovels are moving a noun
tain from this side to that, bridge
builders are erecting a steel and con-
crete bridge over dry bottoms, and
wherever the eye is cast there is seen
the activity that accompanies great
enterprises.
Very little has been told of the
1oughiogheny river hydro-electric
project, yet it is one of the great
events in the history of water-power
developments. The first unit is near
ing completion, so near that by JAN
uary first the lake to be made by the
closing of the Deep Greek Valley will
have the water turned into it and
ready to impound the rain and melt
ing snow.
Early next summer it is hoped that
the turbines of the power plant on
the Youghiogheny, locally called the
"Yough" river, will be ready to trans
form the latent water power of a
drop of Ais feet into electricity.
Oakland is $500 feet above sea
level. Negro Mountain is 1900 feet
above. Midway between these points
is the great dam. Crossing the noun
tains from Cumberland to Oakland
the new work is met at Thayerville,
on the west slope of Negro Mountain.
With the rising of the water the pres
ent State road from the hamlet of
McHenry, distance of eight miles,
will be submerged. For this distance
an entirely new road is being COM
pleted and bridge nearly 100 feet
high and 600 feet long is under con-
struction.
The picture of the basin today is
that of once prosperous farm land
deserted. Homes have been picked
up and carried up the mountains be-
yond the assured flooding, school
!. houses and churches have gone the
same road, so that all that remains
is the timber cut and trimmed await
ing to be fioated out when the water
comes. Farmers and their families
have gone. For their homes and their
farms they have received their own
price and have gone to other loca-
tons.
1t is an immense lake being built
Thirteen miles long, it will spread in
to the creeks and low places, so that
its perimiter will measure ~ miles
and its average depth will be So feet
When filled next season its content
will be figured in trillions of gallons,
at least 200 times larger than Lock
Raven, near Baltimore. Deep Creek
empties into the Yough River be-
tween two mountains. Just above the
mouth of the creek an earth dam
closing the entire water shed. The
power-developing plant is on the far
side of one of the mountains beside
the Yough River.
To bring the water of Deep Greek
to the plant a tunnel carrying ten
lot diameter pipe has been driven.
The pipe is one and a-half miles long
and has drop of Ais feet The awful
force of water when it reaches the
turbines will make Niagara appear
amateurish. There have been INSTALL
ed two turbines of 12,000-horse power
and they will turn $50 times min
ute. Soon the second unit of the i'm
mense scheme will be begun upon the
Youghiogheny River and the story of
Deep Creek will be repeated.
Garrett county is the top of Mary
land. In its autumn robe it is mag
nificent in colors. 1t is not hard to
conceive the wondrous view that one
year hence will meet the State road
traveller who passes down the west
side of Negro Mountain and dives
beside and over this man-made sea of
the mountains.