The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-25
GIANT SOVIET
POWER PLANT
is DEDICATED
Dnieper River Project to
Change Vast Area Into
Industrial Utopia.
By Science Service

By Science Service
KICHKAS, u. S. S. r., Aug. IS.
Dneprostroy was dedicated today.
This hydro electric power project
that far exceeds similar undertake
ings in size and difficulty of accom-
plishment is being completed on the
Dnieper river here, in the heart Of
a region which electricity from this
and smaller plants is expected TO
change into an industrial Utopia.
From an installed capacity of
756, 000-horse power, abundant cleo
tricity will be available to smeit
iron and other metals and to oper-
ate chemical industries. Water is
to be pumped to irrigate hundreds
of thousands Of hectares of rich, but
drought-affected, steppes.
Steamers from the Black sea, 200
miles down the Dnieper, will be able
to penetrate hundreds of miles far
Their inland because Of the dam, and
locks built with it overcome OBJ
structing rapids.
Cost Is S11O,O0O,OOO
Cost of the dam, power plant, locks
and necessary bridges is approx
mately 22O,0O0,00O rubles, or $110,-
100000. Three and one-half mil
lion dollars was spent for construc-
ton equipment alone. 1t is esti-
mated that an additional 100000
600 rubles will be consumed in de-
veloping the industries that will de-
pend on the new source of power.
The dam is the largest masonry
structure ever built to impound wa
ter, and was finished six months
ahead of schedule.
This tremendous project was a
victory for American methods, be-
cause both American and European
engineers submitted plans and ac-
tually tested them before final con-
tracts were let. The Europeans in
tended to use the most highly devel-
oped automatic construction ma
chinery, while the American esti-
mate contemplated employing ordi-
nary steam shovels, concrete mixers
and railways built to Soviet stand
ards.
Foundation work on the dam was
begun on one side of the river by
the Europeans working as they pre-
ferred, and on the other side by the
Americans employing their methods.
1t took only few months for the
Soviet officials to decide in favor
of the Americans, Colonel Hugh l..
Cooper and his organization, and
give them the remainder of the
work. The rural Soviet laborers
worked more successfully with the
simpler American machinery.
Labor Turnover Heavy
Yet, there was a labor problem
in the Soviet Union, just as there
might have been in America. Con-
trary to widespread belief, the gov
eminent did not make the workers
stick to the job. They constantly
migrated between farm and indus
try, and often several hundred
would leave at one time to go where
they heard they could make more
money.
Thus, the turnover was unusually
high, being about go per cent an
nually. To reduce this figure the
workers we're given houses and COM
forts superior to those found in most
American construction camps. At
times as many as $4,000 were en-
ployed on the project.
Women worked, too, and were ex-
ceptionally efficient. They used
surveying instruments and were
machine operators, locomotive fire.
men, and concrete placers, as we'll
as common laborers. They often
would work half an hour after the
whistle to perfect a task.
The dam is 1850 feet long, in
GLIDING the frontage of the power
plant, and 14O feet high to the crest
of the spillway, above which water
will rise as much as thirty feet dur
ing floods.
ImpOunds Huge Flow
This structure impounds a flow
varying from $500 cubic feet a sec
ond during severe droughtS to 1885,
600 cubic feet at times of large
freshets. The latter figure represents
the greatest flow ever encountered
by structure of this type, and the
dam stood this test in 1881 before
it finally was completed
Six of the plants nine power
units, the largest ever built, are
now being installed. The turbines,
rated at 84,000-horse power normal
capacity and 100,000-horse power
under a maximum head of water,
were made in this country. Five of
the generators were built in the
United States and the remainder are
being constructed in the Soviet