HUGE POWER DAM.

Manawatu Standard, 2 October 1913, Page 8

HUGE POWER DAM.

AN ENGINEERING WONDER. SAN FRANGJ&OO, Aug-. 28. Spoken of somewhat grandiloquently iis "ono of the (mgineering wonders of the world," and, in > -fact, un undertaking of magnitude and importance, a great dam across the Mississippi River, by means of which 300,000 horse-power of electricity is generated, lias just boon dedicated ' for use. The dam spans the river Keokuk, in the State of lowa, and Hamilton, in Illinois, joining lliose two towns. It will supply power for manufacturing and lighting purposes to towns within a radius of several hundred miles, ministering particularly to the inhabitants of lowa, Illinois and Missouri. With the one exception of the irrigation structure across the Nile at Assouan it is the longest bank-to-bank dam in the world. Its length is 4563 feet. The dam represent* the labour of three years and an expenditure of slightly-over £5,000.000. It is built of solid concrete. The width is 19ft at the top and 42ft at the base, and the total height, is 53ft. Power generated at the dam will be sent over transmission wires to scores of cities within its range, transmission lines are already operating from the dam to St. Louis, a distance of 157 miles south. The prospect of cheap pmv< r is expected to work an industrial revolution in the adjacent States. Sine." the project was taken up the growth of cities and towns in this section of the Mississippi Valley has been marked. Scores of manufacturers have sought and obtained sites where they can be certain of a cheap and never-failing power to run their machines. Hundreds of miles of electric railway have been built to be operated with power from the dam, and even the smallest villages along the rivetnow have ih ur electric light companies. The power house is a gigantic affair, 2000 i '! long and as high as rite ordinary twelvestory building. It contains thirty speciallydesigned turbines, each of 10,000 hor.se- . power. A siiinping lock 110'r wide, with a lift of 40ft. i.s another feature of the pro- | jecf. The lock gates are 1,000,0001b steel [trusses, operated by pneumatic machinery. The dam was constructed by private capital, but the shipping luck is a free gift to the Government and people of lowa b\ the comiiaitv.