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THE most unimpressive of us,
when beholding the Mississip
pi, can not but visualize the
power abundant la the flow of this
mass of water.
Beginning as a streamlet in the hills
of Minnesota it picks up in volume
rapidly and, as river after river pour
in their contents, it soon becomes a
broad expanse of water.
Lazily, tranquilly, but irresistibly it
sweeps on until its mouth is reached
in the delta lands of Louisiana.
Then, suddenly seized with omnipo
tent energy, it hurls its waters into
the Gulf of Mexico with a rush that
can be felt for miles out.
Think, if you will, of the terrific
pow>er contained in the flow of this
river.
Picture the ready-made force wasted
in the river's mad rush to the sea. The
building of concrete banks along the
shores of the Mississippi in Louisiana
has made the outlet of the river a
demon of energy, which formerly was
a lethargic mass of water, slow mov
ing and shallow. Instead of sand bars
and other obstructions characteristic
to a slowly-moving stream it has now
a clean-swept floor deep enough for
the greatest ocean liner to come for
many miles into its mouth.
This is considered a masterpiece of
engineering construction. Science has
harnessed the Father of Waters.
Will Furnish Power
To All the Middle West. *
Now comes before the engineering
world a new idea whereby the forces
of the Mississippi can be utilized for
an altogether different purpose.
Why not harness the Mississippi so
that it will furnish electricity for the
countless uses for those persons
dwelling throughout the Central, South
and Southwestern parts of our coun
try?
The task is monstrous, but when we
recall the Niagara river being har
nessed in such a manner and that
thousands are daily furnished with
light, heat and power, it appears that
It might be possible.
Now-a-days we say nothing is im
possible, and well we might. The
Panama Canal, the Brooklyn Bridge,
the Keokuk Dam and countless other
wonders have been performed which
not long ago would have been sneered
at as engineering fallacies. Where the
poet takes up his pen and the artist
bis brush, the engineer, while duly
appreciative of the natural beauty of
the object, takes his pick and shovel
and converts scenic wonder into a
scientific glory.
But at Niagara Falls It is different.
The scenic grandeur of the falls is la
no way marred. But for a few Inches
from the 20-foot depth of the river as it
rushes over the edge of the precipice
there Is not the slightest change since
part of the water has been diverted
to flow into the turbines of the power
company. Those who visit Niagara
still have the same feeling of awe
that has always been the case when
first Is seen this orgy of nature. Ono
does not realize that within a short
distanco gigantic motors are grinding
cut power that is carried for miles to
run the machinery of many factories
and light and heat the homes of the
masses.
Lord Kelvin Prophesies
Great Engineering Fete.
Lord Kelvin, the great engineer, said
when he saw Niagara that he looked
forward to the time when the whole
water from Lake Erie will find Its
way to the lower level of Lake Onta
rio through machinery, doing more
good than the great benefit we now
possess in the contemplation of the
scenic grandeur of the waterfalls of
Niagara.
The idea of using the force of the
Niagara river and not In any way
deteriorate the magnificence of the
falU was long a matter of thoughi,
although so much opposition was
brought against It by famous engineers
that It looked as if the matter might
stop at the wish. As we know now
it did not, Lord Kelvin's expression
gave hint to a plan that struck a group
of men very favorably. Why not de
tract part of the water above the falls?
The force would be all that was neces
bary and the falls themselves would in
no way bo harmed.
This group of men did not stop at
the desire to see the power utilized.
Rather, they proceeded to work with
great vim. The greatest of American
and foreign engineers were assigned
to the task. These experts decided
that part of the water of the Niagara
river could be taken and detracted
from Its course into a ditch which in
turn would lead to a pit deep enough
for the flow to have nearly the power
of that of the'falls. It Is this same
scheme, diverting part of the water
Into a steel supported concrete ditch,
that will result in the harnessing of
the great Mississippi.
The rest ot the story of the harness
ing of Niagara is a matter of history.
How whole t cities are lighted and
hrated from electricity generated by
the fall of water from a comparatively
small ditch Is now an open book to
the Inquisitive. What is not so gen
erally known Is that there have been
several manufacturing plants that
have changed their location to have
the advantage of cheap power.
With power so abundant it is also
cheap. Is It then any wonder that In
dustry controllers of America leave
cities where coal is energy and move
to cheaper power?
We have, then, the motive for the
undertaking of such a thing in the Mis
sissippi Valley. Power, cheap, con
stant and which will supply all en
ergy required for any Industry will bo
the outcome of this project The great
est opposition to harnessing the Mls
sisslpl is the Initial expense thereof.
But why worry about the outlay if the
returns Justify the means, which have
been proven by the Niagara company's
success. Power must be had. There
Is always either a shortage of coal or
& threatened shortage. With the ada
mant power of the Mississippi utilized
there should be no uneasiness over a
shortage of coal. Tennyson said about
the brook that "Men may come and
men may go, but I go on forever."
Water la like the poor. We shall have
it with us always. Then why not use
it?
Water Diverted
Into Converted Channel.
The plan that will In all likelihood
be followed has for Its foundation the
same principle as that used at Niagara.
Water will be diverted Into a channel
along the river. This will make
necessary the building of a concrete
wall to extend for several hundred feet
at an angle of about 30 degrees out
Into the river. But this dam will not
interfere with traffic. The opposition
that arose to converting the flow of the
Niagara Into power by the New York
Legislature and Canadian government
was that It would detract from the
beauty of the falls. Unless It could be
proved that diverting part of the Mis
sissippi would in no way hinder traf
fic and water supply the government
would not permit taking from the Mis
sissippi the amount of water required
to run turbine engines.
The water thus diverted by the wall
into the channel, a concrete one,
would not be sufficient to interfere
with the water supply and the wall
would not etxend far enough into the
river to obstruct traffic. Briefly sum
ming up the plan before going Into de
tails, the water will be run Into thi3
steel-supported concrete ditch and
thus Into turbine engines, which will
In turn be connected with powerful
generators.
But the complete plan Is this. The
average slope of the floor of the Mis
sissippi Is about eight feet to the mile.
In some places It Is more and some
less. It is planned to build a concrete
channel or ditch supported by a steel
frame, alongside the river with a slope
of only one foot to the mile. Thus in
five miles would be afforded a drop of
35 feet from the altitude of the con
structed channel to that of the river.
The channel would, be built 40 feet
wide and the sides two feet high at
the begnning and Increase two feet to
the mile as It progresses. Thus, at
the end of Ave miles the walls of the
concrete ditch will have reached a
height of 10 feet. As water seeks Its
own level the depth of water in the
channel can be readily determined.
The concrete channel will not pro
ceed In a direct course alongside the
river but will slope back a trifle. This
will permit a ditch to carry the sur
plus water back Into the river. Profit
able power dams have a fall of about
12 feet The fall of that from the con
crete channel will be 35 feet, and the
power will be greater in proportion.
This Plan to Solve
Coal and Power Problem.
That is the plan and one which gives
promise of tearing the power problem
asunder. If one of these plants is con
structed, what Is to hinder the con
structing of many of them, and using
the same water over and over by hav
ing succeeding plants all along the
river.
Who would worry about the short
age of coal if these plans were car
ried out. Railroads would be free to
use their cars for other purposes. The
idea of a universal trolley system
could come to pass and if the mono
rail train, which Is being talked of so
much at present, is ever perfected,
the power problem which has caused
a great deal of dissension, would be
Bolved.
A chain of these plants constructed
along the Mississippi would mean
more than can be pictured at the first
glance. Towns no more would be har
rassed by a continual smoke that Is
the curse of so many of them. The
country would no longer have to de
pend on lamps for lighting purposes,
or If fortunate enough at present to
have electricity, would not have to de
pend on an intermittent source of en
ergy such as is furnished by numbers
of tiny plants situated throughout the
country.
Electricity, the wizard of the twen
tieth century, would be at our beck
and call. It is but in itß Infancy and
with plenty of it available greater uses
for it could be planned. The current
manufactured by the generators can
be used locally or for a distance. If
locally it must pass through trans
formers; for a distance it must be
stepped up. Other systems have
proven that current can be carried far
and will fit in when the Mississippi is
harnessed.
• 0 ;
One American concern is now turn
ing out indigo at the rate of a ton a
day, and will be in position to continue
to manufacture it after the war, in the
face of German competition.