﻿20 
  WATER-POWER 
  DEVELOPMENT 
  IN 
  THE 
  MISSISSIPPI. 
  

  

  concentrated 
  at 
  this 
  place. 
  Some 
  simple 
  experimentation 
  is 
  worth 
  

   while, 
  if 
  only 
  for 
  guidance 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  future 
  constructions. 
  Were 
  there 
  

   installed 
  a 
  floating 
  boom 
  directed 
  from 
  the 
  lower 
  offshore 
  angle 
  of 
  the 
  

   lock 
  structure 
  downward 
  and 
  outward 
  across 
  the 
  main 
  flow 
  from 
  the 
  

   power 
  house, 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  practicable 
  for 
  experimental 
  purposes 
  to 
  

   supplement 
  this 
  by 
  suspending 
  a 
  weir 
  of 
  coarse-meshed 
  wire 
  netting 
  

   below 
  the 
  boom. 
  The 
  object 
  would 
  be 
  to 
  determine 
  whether 
  fish 
  in 
  

   large 
  numbers 
  could 
  be 
  deflected 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  lock. 
  The 
  

   possibility 
  of 
  a 
  fishway 
  near 
  the 
  Illinois 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  dam, 
  which, 
  as 
  has 
  

   been 
  brought 
  out, 
  is 
  the 
  point 
  farthest 
  upstream, 
  is 
  also 
  worthy 
  of 
  

   consideration; 
  although 
  the 
  difficulties 
  are 
  here 
  greater, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  

   the 
  exposure 
  to 
  ffoating 
  ice 
  and 
  other 
  drift, 
  and 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  changes 
  

   of 
  flow 
  from 
  one 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  dam 
  to 
  another. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that, 
  after 
  

   the 
  period 
  of 
  construction 
  is 
  entirely 
  passed, 
  it 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  make 
  entire 
  changes 
  of 
  flow 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  active 
  migration 
  of 
  

   the 
  fishes. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  tremen- 
  

   dous 
  disturbance 
  resulting 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  spillways, 
  most 
  fish 
  

   will 
  find 
  their 
  direct 
  approach 
  checked 
  at 
  several 
  hundred 
  feet 
  from 
  

   the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  dam, 
  although 
  they 
  may, 
  and 
  do, 
  pass 
  around 
  the 
  

   region 
  of 
  disturbance 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  very 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  dam. 
  Accordingly 
  

   a 
  fishway 
  having 
  its 
  foot 
  at 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  dam 
  might 
  be 
  

   in 
  position 
  to 
  receive 
  the 
  fish 
  at 
  the 
  uppermost 
  point 
  of 
  direct 
  

   approach. 
  

  

  Reverting 
  again 
  to 
  the 
  tailrace 
  as 
  a 
  region 
  of 
  unceasing 
  current^ 
  

   one 
  may 
  look 
  down 
  from 
  the 
  platform 
  along 
  the 
  outside 
  wall 
  of 
  the 
  

   power 
  house 
  upon 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  tailrace, 
  where 
  the 
  big 
  draft 
  

   tubes 
  are 
  discharging 
  columns 
  of 
  water 
  25 
  by 
  40 
  feet, 
  directed 
  with 
  

   great 
  force 
  against 
  the 
  opposite 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  tail-bay 
  some 
  75 
  feet 
  from 
  

   the 
  power 
  house. 
  Meeting 
  this 
  obstruction, 
  the 
  waters 
  are 
  thrown 
  

   into 
  terrific 
  conunotion 
  before 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  turned 
  downstream 
  to 
  

   follow 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  excavated 
  raceway. 
  In 
  this 
  raging, 
  whirl- 
  

   ing, 
  ebullient 
  current, 
  no 
  fish 
  could 
  find 
  a 
  rest 
  or 
  pursue 
  a 
  definite 
  

   course. 
  But 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  always 
  overflowing 
  now 
  between 
  the 
  piers 
  

   of 
  the 
  abandoned 
  cofferdam 
  flanking 
  the 
  tail-bay, 
  and 
  will, 
  after 
  the 
  

   cofferdam 
  is 
  entirely 
  removed, 
  overflow 
  in 
  a 
  continuous 
  sheet 
  toward 
  

   the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  This 
  is 
  of 
  interest 
  as 
  a 
  tolerably 
  fixed 
  condi- 
  

   tion, 
  as 
  opposed 
  to 
  the 
  variable 
  conditions 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  spill- 
  

   way 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  dam.*^ 
  It 
  appears 
  plausible 
  that 
  fish 
  will 
  work 
  up 
  

   along 
  this 
  line 
  of 
  overflow, 
  finding 
  ultimately 
  a 
  terminus 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  

   of 
  the 
  dam. 
  If 
  it 
  be 
  possible 
  to 
  provide 
  a 
  fishway 
  on 
  the 
  dam 
  at 
  a 
  

   point 
  near 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  tail-race, 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  oppor- 
  

   tunity 
  for 
  concentration 
  of 
  fish 
  would 
  be 
  more 
  uniform 
  here 
  than 
  at 
  

   any 
  other 
  point 
  on 
  the 
  dam 
  proper, 
  and 
  likewise 
  that 
  the 
  problem 
  of 
  

   preventing 
  damage 
  from 
  floating 
  ice 
  and 
  drift 
  would 
  bo 
  simplified 
  

  

  a 
  Note 
  the 
  later 
  observations 
  Inserted 
  on 
  page 
  25. 
  

  

  