A Niagara-Scale Power Play Comes to Newport

PLAN BIG WATER POWER New Light and Power Company Has Big Project Starting on Local Improvements H. H. Jones, of Sandpoint, general manager for the Northern Idaho & Montana Electric Light Co., was in town the first of the week, looking after the interests of the company. They have assumed the management of the Northern Electric Co. of this city, and are having a plat of the lines made in order to ascertain the improvements necessary to give the town the service required. Several extensions are planned and one on the South Side has been started. It is the intention of the company to give the best service possible at an early date without awaiting the development of water power. The gentlemen representing the proposition are proceeding in a businesslike way to place their plans before the public. Their application for a franchise was read before the council Tuesday night, and was referred to the proper committee. At the next regular session the matter will be up for discussion. In writing of the new electric power proposition the Sandpoint Review has the following: The company has not fully determined upon the source of its power supply, but it is pretty well determined that the Cabinet gorge of the Clark's Fork river will be utilized for that purpose. If such shall be the case the company will harness the greatest water power in the United States outside of Niagara Falls and at a great outlay. The company had its engineers make soundings in the gorge, and complete reports showing the amount of power to be secured there have been made to the company. The engineers reported there were 10,000 cubic feet a second going through the gorge at the point where the power would be harnessed and that there was available 75,000 horse power, which leaves Niagara its only competitor in the United States for the amount of power to be generated from a single stream. When the soundings were taken last fall for the Byllesby company by Engineers Nichols and Lane, of their staff, a wire was stretched across the gorge from bank to bank and a batteau was held in the seething waters below. A heavy weight was attached to piano wire and the soundings taken. A depth of 120 feet was found. The engineers had a precarious job, and once or twice the batteau came near overturning with them. As before stated by the Review the location of the big concern here for the development of power for all this country means an awakening of life which nothing else could mean. It is the intention of the company to furnish power for this whole region at a price which will do away with steam entirely for the work of its mills and bring into it factories of all kinds, which will utilize the wealth of this favored section.