The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-16
WIND TURBINES.
TOBE TRIED
FOR POWER
Radical New Method Will Be
Tested by Inventors Atop
Mountain in Utah.
BY international News Service:

SALT LAKE CITY, May 16.--
Shrouded in all possible secrecy
from the time work was started, the
first bits Of meager information are
beginning to leak out regarding the
most unusual mechanical expert
ment ever attempted in this State:
It is wind turbine. or series OF
wind turbines, erected on top or 9
mountain with the expectation OF
developing electrical energy TO
maximum Of 10000 horsepower.
So far. az known, all that has
been made public voluntarily in con-
nection with the unique project is
"a picture of the working model OF
the turbine. Virtually all else IN
with the experiment, al
though 1t is not regarded as an
by a Los Angeles cor
Yporation backing the venture, Is
largely guesswork, or meager IN
formation obtained from workmen
who have been employed In maxi
ing preliminary preparations Tor
the installation.
Weighs 246 Tons.
The turbine Is said to weigh 246
tons in its full size and completely
equipped. Large metal vanes. held
in a framework In such a way as
to move somewhat like ships
sails and gather maximum Of the
winds force, cause the whole upper
works of the turbine to revolve
turntable fashion. This revolving
motion Is communicated to the
electrical generator. Up to the
present time the name Of the in
ventor has not been made public.
The aerial electrical plant is be-
ing installed at the top Of Sugar
loaf Mountain, a lone, sentinel-like
peak in desert valley about twelve
miles south Of Delta, a town in
Southwestern Utah. The peak,
which has long been celebrated for
the rather stiff breeze which almost
constantly fans its summit, has a
flat top well adapted to a project
Of this character.
There is a single steep trail
leading up a canyon to the top of
the mountain. without advance
notice Of any kind, engineers APP
peared In the locality several months
ago and opened extensive construc-
ton work on the flat peak, hiring
able distance from Delta, although
most Of the construction material.
such as cement and lumber, is said
nearest town.
At the present time It is declared
that approximately $4,000 must
have been spent on the preliminary
construction work alone, which Is
said to consist almost entirely Of
broad concrete works, such as
might be expected to support the
turntable portion Of the turbines.
Men who have worked on the pro-
ject indicate that apparently the
erection of several Of the air tur-
bines is contemplated. The total
height Of each turbine above the
concrete platform on which it Is to
rest is said to be 105 feet.
Virtually all of the piecemeal in
formation obtained to date regard
ing the unique project has been
gathered by engineers and officials
of hydro-electric companies serving
the district with power, which is
used largely for pumping water
for irrigation.
While ready to condemn the ex-
pertinent to utter failure, these same
engineers have shown an unusual
interest in the whole mystery. Dur
ing the early portion of the con-
struction work atop the mountain
the single trail was carefully guard
ed to keep inQuisitive persons from
reaching the scene Of operations.
Shotgun Effective.
One engineer, more inQuisitive
than the others, Is said to have
evolved the bright idea of making
a dash up the trail in a high-pow.
cred automobile ostensibly to test
out his motor. The plan worked
until his car stalled a few hundred
feet from the summit, after which
he was told by man with shot
gun resting across his saddlehorn
that 1t would be safer to turn
around and go back down the trail,
according to a story related in
Delta. The engineer never reached
the summit Of the mountain.
An important feature Of the pro-
posed electrical development in
which engineers Of the local COM
panies are especially interested in
picking flaws is a new type storage
battery in connection with the air
turbines, by which it Is proposed to
store 5000 horsepower Of energy for
use when the wind fails. Engineers
OF the hydro-electric companies con-
tend that no battery with a capacity
or this size has ever been con-
structed.
So far the only name mentioned
which would give a clue to the back