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Show rjjvSlJ '- ' ' - " "Kl Niagara Exceeded r- M By Man-Made Falls I I . ;i White River, Arkansas, Hydro-Electric Proj- I H ect to Have 190 Foot Dam, 2,000 Feet -'j' I Wide, Making- 75 Mile Lake i' , WHEN" the huge dam stretching across the 12,000-root gap between the Tiecipitous blurts (bat line the While b'iver banks is completed and the waters begin (o pour over its side, the middle mid-dle West will have been given one of the largest hydro-electric generating plants in the world and a waterfall that for grandeur grand-eur and height will not be exceeded on Ibis continent. An initial output of 100.000 horse-power will be developed and the potentiality oT a great lake more than 75 miles long, lying in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, will be drawn upon from lime lo time ns the need and market for more power beconic available. Nature created on'3 one such spot in the world, and wilb a multiplicity of other advantages gave il lo Arkansas. For here lies land that' all (he world's engineering skill and artifice could not better have fitted for the purpose lo which it is lo be adoplcd than now. The recent completion of the final survey sur-vey for a gigantic hydro-electric plant lo be constructed by the Dixie Power Company in ihe While River at Cotter, Ark., completes com-pletes the field work on the project. The field notes of Jhe survey arc now in the hands of Henry J. Allen of Chicago, who has charge of the engineering work, and (he contour maps' will soon be completed. .1. II. Reynolds, a St. Louis railroad contractor, con-tractor, who constructed a large part of Ihe While River division, and will be identified with the construction of the plant, has been in Colter for several weeks studying construction con-struction problems. The site selected for the dam is a mile and a quarlei above (he Missouri Pacific bridge and joins the lown of Cotter. The dam will create a lake 75 miles long in While River, with numerous inlets and bars which arc now (he mouths of small streams emptying into the river. It is estimated that the entire cost of Ihe project will be irlo.000.0n0, and that the initial plant will develop 100.000 horse-power. The power generated will all be sold in Arkansas (o further (he development of the Slate's resources re-sources and operale ils industrial plants. Dam ISO Feet High, 2,000 Wide. After careful investigation of the different differ-ent types of dams used iu the development of hydro-electric power, the company lias settled on the solid type dam. The dniu ilself will be a gigantic structure. 100 feet high and 2.000 feet wide at the crest, reaching reach-ing from bluff lo blulT on cither side of the narrow river valley. A rough estimate of (.lie cost of (he dam alone is placed at "r7.000.000. The damage accruing from the inundation of land and the cost of I lie transmission lines and other appurtenances is Placed at SS.000,000. .1. TI. Reynolds, who will be identified with the const ruction, stales that no difficult diffi-cult problems will be encountered. Tn fact "dieral conditions have been found ideal. The bluffs on both sides of the river to which (he dam will be anchored and Ihe bottom of the river arc solid roclc jTho dam will be constructed from concrete. A.I I of the material except the cement is on the around. There are immense sand bars nnd gravel beds right at the site and numerous numer-ous places where quarries can be opened at a nominal expense. What material it will be ncccssarv to ship in and the machinery will be handled over a spur which will be constructed, running from the main line of the White River division of th Missouri Pacific Railroad to Ihe dam site, the build-vig build-vig of which presents no difficulties. The bisr lake which will be created in the While River by the construction, of the dam will be seventy-five miles long, reach '. : IH ing lo the Arkansas-Missouri Stale line.'' and will be the largest clear water lake j? r IH west of the Rockic3. From a scenic point IH of view it will rival many of the Rocky 'J HH Mountain lakes, for it will lie in the very VS heart of the rugged Ozark Mountains. For fjT r HbI miles high, grotesque, rocky palisades ' f ' iP lower hundreds of feet above the river, their 't bsl?) bare picturesque points clad by overhang- $ Hi ing cedar, pine and oak, and' back from j II Ihe river tier upon tier of green clad j& r mountains rise from the undulating ridges & t .1 that spread from the plateaus like gi- - gantic spider Jcgs & ; '! Great Playground for Middle The upper White River, which meanders " through the Missouri nnd Arkansas Ozarks,: W lo-day has the reputation of being the best bass fishing stream in this country, and ?' when the lake is created, with its iure-. as, . jw' rri angling ground, with ils rugged motin- ' tain scenery, its multitude of beauty spots, '-'' and the opporlunily it will offer for boat-:?' 'MH ing and other aquatic sports, it is certain'"' ! to become the playground and breathing : , spot for Ihe South and middle West. jl . Resides the value it will have as n picas- . lire ground it will -ivc a large section which - B t.ow is without transportation which lies " HK belwccn the While River division of the ' Missouri Pacific and (he Frisco line water ' J VB Iranspnrlalion (he year around. This sec- . lion i? rich in undeveloped mineral resources, Ihe principal ores beinrr 7.1,, c;u ni( 'H iron. There arc also large bodies of hard- wood and pine timber and thousands upon ' ; H (housands of acres of farm land vet un- 'H claimed for (he ploucrh. With (he cheap . ' ' tl - iniiiajjui union wnicn me dam iH will furnish (he development oe these re- llH sources will be greatly hastened. r'' ''' JH Tl is estimated (hat 50.000 1ercs of land ' will be inundated when Ihe bijr b'nsin i3 ;."V-V Hi filled. Probably not more lhan 10 per cent. " ; Hf of this aereajre i: under cullivalion- 'Hl The White River rises in northwest '.' IR Arkansas, flows north inlo Missouri and IHl back poulh again into Arkansas in its v ' snakehke meandcrings. Its Avalei-shed above Cotter contains approximately 6.000 squaro ' , UHnl miles- Wilh the exception of the narrow s - bottom farms (here are no towns, railroad ,t, r J ';'BB (racks or other things earrving higher val- ' jH lies (hat will be covered. " f ' IBn The value or 100.000 hoT-so-power to tho V. IBi industries of (he State is hardly conceiv- Hi able unless a comparison is made'with coal. ' HjH (On a basis op seven pounds per hour horse- HBI power coal consumed (wentv-four hours-. daily, against 100.000 horse-power created by this dam. (here will be saved the mining . HH transportation nnd firing of 3.000,000 Inns of coal each year. Wafer does ils work IHI cheerfully, without strikes, wilhout effort, IHi ifficiently. stead ilv and surelv. The least (rouble of (lie whole proiect is HH Ihe marketing of (he power in the State. IHl Alreadv (he compnny is besieged with of- ' Hi fers of consumption. The rice growers of"" ' AB eastem Arkansas are anxious for it for HB pumping purposes. With it (he rice grow- BB :ng section of (he Slate can reach its max- ' 'IB imum development. The larger cities. (00, 1 IHl are watching the progress of development- I'tB closely nnd local industry expects to -ain ' s great benefit Tn fact Ihe people of the , upper White Vnllev expect it (0 be the one ' Ng factor in (he development of (he re- ! ' LfiK sources of Hint section. : To Open Vast Mineral Field. t That territory lying along the Whita ! ?' River from Newport to. (he Missouri line ' )) ' is rich in mineral resources. There are practically incxhnuslible deposits of man- Hi ganrsc. iron, glass sand, marble, limestone,' ' . Mil fcinc and lead, the development of which' " IHfl has beer, greatly retarded on account of" B 1 he section having no fuel. With elec-. tricily. a force which is nnvwr i.i .- ' , H? " "cat, 111. IH cue, their development will be rapid and . HL the valley will hum wilh induslrv As power- H? electricity will drive (he machinerv in min- ' Hl ing and quarrying, and as heat will be used Hl in (ho reduction of the minerals. ?, The unlimited cheap power will also offer B wonderful opportunities for the establish-' B mcnt of manufacturing enterprises. The EH valley produces from 50.000 (0 75.000 bales - y k BB cf cotton each year, which will make (he cs- ? BB labHshment of cotton mills attractive lo Hb capital. BB The project is not a new one. Thc'' Dixie Power Company was organized in IB 1911, and an effort was made in 1912 to -V get a special bill through Congress per'- milting the construction of the dam. This Hfl was necessary because While River ' is Vfll classed as a navigable stream. The bill Et9 passed both houses, but was vetoed by Prc3- rJlB idcnl Taft. Since that time the company. has worked tirelessly, as have several hun- BlB dred other companies of the same kind, to get Congress to enact legislation allowing IR the development of hydro-elect ric power on ' nangablc streams. The present water power bill before Congress promises the. jB necessary relief. jB Walter V. Powell of Little Rock is pres- ' ident; E. J. Loop of Colter, secretary and . B (reasurcr, and Charles Lloyd of Yel'lvillc, ex-Congressman, vice-president and eouu-'. H sel. TTenry A. Allen of Chicago, a former ID member of the Panama Canal Commission, ilK is a director in the company and is handling f ' the engineering side of the project. . B - . jti. 3 1 |