USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Holyoke > Holyoke daily transcript > Part 19
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The library has developed some special departments of late years. One in a separate room for the use of the medical pro- fession and nurses was inaugur- ated by a gift of $250 from the Holyoke Medical Association. Another is a special collection of several thousand volumes for circulation through and nse m the public school grades. The library is also building up its foreign language department in order that those residents of the city who are not fluent renders of English may none the less have a fair share in the educa- tional and other advantages of an institution which, perhaps be- yond all others, is competent and should strive to benefit all the people without regard to age, sect, race, class, or other dis- tinction.
Story telling was introduced by Miss Soplna Eastinin of Somth Hadley some years ago, This has proved of such value that it has heen continued since. Mrs. James Alleu and others have recounted many tales to enger listeners. the usual hour chosen being on Saturday forunoons,
From time to time photographs from a loan organiz.1- tion, illustrating the most interesting and picturesque part- of the globe, are shown
Keeping patrons informed as to matters of current in- terest is considered to be one of the functions of the mod- ern library. So on occasion of great news interest, as an earthquake in the tropics, revolution in China, etc., thu library quickly puts out bulletins of books in stock that bear on the subject matter at interest, and the quick response from those who use the library is a source of munch gratifi- cation.
Timely books of the non-fiction chess are displayed on special shelves and a tahle or so uf hooks of miormation for the hour is always well filled and well patronized.
The reference library at one wing of the building and the reading room in the other are used by an increasing number of citizens each year ; and the co-operation of the library with ille school system is in nself a commentary on the efficacy and ability of the librarian, Frank G Willcox and his corps of trained assistants.
A lecture hall in the library building affords a place for meeting already of several organizations. For a time university extension lectures were held here; but inter- est waning for no apparent good reason they were given up. Some beginning has also been made towards a his- torical collection ; perhaps the city needs a little more of growth before the importance of a local historical assn- ciation is realized ; hut the historical data in this issue, and the cuts of carly lholyoke and early Holyokers show what could be developed along this Ime by a properly organized medinni.
Surely no better location for historical papers and ar- ticles conld be found in the heginnings than in this li- brary building. And as time goes on aml the value and convenience of this beautiful public building come to be more keeuly appreciated, there will no doubt he housed here the beginnings of more than one hne civic enterprise; and it become to be more widely known as a community cen- ter from which shall arise and go forth the influences that shall broaden and better its citizenship and make the city of Holyoke a sweeter and saller place in which to work and dwell and fulfil the duties of the present hife as well as prepare for that which is to conte.
FRANK G WILLCOX.
THE HOLYOKE WATER POWER CO.
CHARLES E. GROSS
The history of the city of Holyoke began in reality when the railroad came to be accepted as the leading incans of transportation, and the places in the interior became by reason of it accessible to the markets of the country, Thus we find that those carly interested in the development of the water power at Holyoke were men interested in the development of the Boston and Alhanty and other rail- roads, and equally interested in the securing of the business for those roads that the development of manufacturing towns and cities would insure. Men like James Good- win of Hartford, and Chester W. Chapin of Springfield. who had been concerned in other means of transportation saw the shadow of coming railroad domination in the transportation field and turned their eyes towards the rail- road interests.
Previons to this time, the history of Holyoke had been the usual history of a farming community sparsely settled, and with its center far away from the city that was to be. The beginnings eame in 1847, when the river channel was measured and surveys taken, which indicated that prop- erly harnessed, some thirty thousand horse power could be utilized.
In the minds of the early promoters of this water priv- ilege, cotton manufacture had first place. Paper making, which Inter was to make Holyoke known in every civil- ized land, was then in its infancy. The Ameses, John and David, had brought ont carlier in the century paper mak- mag machines, and at this time also paper making by ma- chinery and by hand was being carried on in Lee and in many other places.
The first steps in negotiating for the property on which is located a large part of the city of Holyoke began late in 1846. George C. Ewing, of the firm of Fairbanks & Co., of New York, had charge of them. The transfer of the first lot of property, comprising about thirty-seven acres. was made in March of the following year. The home of Mr. Ewing, it may be said in passing, is now the rectory of the lloly Cross Church, There were other changes in personnel and management of those carly days, which principally may be noted in the paragraphs following :
The first company incorporated included Fairbanks & Co., of which Mr. Ewing was a member, together with a number of Hartford and Boston capitalists. Its capital was fixed at $4,000,000, and Mr. Ewing was selected as land agent. J. K. Mills, of Boston, was elected treasurer. and the engineers were John Chase, of Chicopee, and Phil- ander Anderson, a graduate of West Point.
The Fairbanks firm with- drew from the enterprise in Jau- nary. 1848, C. B. Rising succeed- ing Mr. Ewing as land agent. This same year, the property passed into the hands of Thomas H4. Perkins, George W. Lyman, and Edmund Dwight, who were incorporated as the Hadley Falls Company. Men at this time were looking towards the railroads to solve the trans- portation problems, so it is re- freshting to note that incorpora- tion papers stated that the com- pany was organized "for the purpose of constructing and maintaining a damm across the Connecticut river, and one or more loeks ard canals, and of erenting a water power, to he used, etc."
The dam that was construet- ud was provided with canals and locks, one on the South Hadley side being opened for the pass- age of boats for many years.
One of the first inoves of the newly incorporated company was to purchase no less than 1,100 acres of land, and the work of building the dam was prompt- ly entered upon. The first dam was completed November 19, 1848. When the gates were closed, the penned waters began to rise rapidly. About two o'clock in the afternoon, with the water nearly to the top of the dam, the costly structure gave way in the center, and with a mighty roar, swept down stream to the astonishment and aların of many hundreds of people who had gathered to view the new dam,
Nothing dannted, the promoters at once began a new dam, which was successfully completed October 22, 1849, According to engineers who have studied the matter, the cause of the disaster of the first dam was the under-estimating of the pressure of the water, which crushed the structure and thus allowed the waters to burst through. The description of the dam and water power as exist- ing in the early 70's is given by the late J. B. Buckland, as fol- low's :
"This great structure, about one-fifth of a mile in length, is flanked by abutments of massive masonry, and may be described m detail as the dam and the apron which now appears in front of it. The former has a base of ninety feet, and rises thirty feet above the original level of the river. It contains four million feet of sawed tim- ber of large dimensions, all of which is sulumerged, and so in- sured against decay. A mass of concrete and gravel protects the foot of the dam and the upper portion is covered to the thick- ness of eighteen inches with solid timber, while the erest is protected its entire length with sheets of heavy boiler iron. The dam was completed October 22, 1849, and as the river ceased its How over the rapids and rose ng.must the ponderous barrier, thousands watched the gathering flood with enger interest; and when the slowly rising waters reached the erest, and fell in one broad sheet to the rocky bed be-
low, n was a umie of genume triumph for the engineers who planned the successful structure, and the capitalists who built it.
"In 1868 the gradual wearing away of the rocky bed below the dam by the constant action of the falling sheet of water decided the Holyoke Water Power Company, which had meanwhile succeeded to all the rights and prop- erty of the Hadley Falls Company, to commence the con- struction of the apron which now forms the front of the original work,-au undertaking, second only to the build- ing of the great dam itself in magnitude and cost. The new portion was even more massive in character than the old, and was built into the latter so as to form with it onte solid structure of timber and stone, The work was completed in 1870, at a cost of $203,000, and by rendering the further wearing of the foundations impossible, es- tablishes the durability and permanence of the dam beyond all future question. All the masonry of the abutments. bulkhead, and the waste-weir munediately below is of heavy ashlar work, luult on the solid ledge, and massive enough to withstand the great pressure to which it is sub- jeeted. The hulkhead, one hundred and forty feet long and forty-six feet wide, is surmounted hy the extensive gate- honse.
"The system of canals is laid out on a grand scale. rommensurate with the volume of water to be distributed. Twelve huge gates, each fifteen feet long by nine feet wide, and weighing more than four tons, and two others of half that with, and cleven feet in length, all operated by a water-wheel in the abutment which aetuates the powerful gate-machinery, admit the water to the upper level caval. This main artery of the system, starting with a width of one Iundred and forty feet, and a water depth of twenty-two feet, extends eastwird past the great water- weir about one thansand feet, and then sweeps sonthward in a right line for a distance of more than one mile to sup- pły the upper tier of mills, the width gradually lessening at the rate of one foot in every hundred.
"To trace the still longer course of the level canal, we begin at its southerly end opposite the terminus of the grand reach of an upper level and follow it northerly for a mile and more, parallel with the first-described canal, and four hundred feet casterly from it, this portion serv- ing as a raceway for the upper level, and also as a canal for the supply of mills helow; and thence we follow it casterly and southerly for a mile and a quarter more, at a distance of about four hundred feet from the river, this
R. C WINCHESTER.
THE HOLYOKE WATER POWER CO.
ALFRED SMITH.
marginal portion of the second level affording mill-sites along its whole length, from which the water nsed passes directly into the river. For two thousand feet this canal has a width of one hundred and forty feet, and thence the sides gradually converge to a width of one hundred feet. which is continned to either end, the average depth of water being fifteen feet. These two canals, extending in broad parallel waterconrses through the central portion of the city, and spanned by iron bridges, from any one of which the eye takes in the whole long stretch of water, make a unique and pleasant feature of the place.
"The third level canal, one hundred feet wide and ten feet deep, is also a marginal canal, with mill-sites along its entire length, and heginning at the sontherly end of the sveond level extends thirty-five hundred and fifty feet to the other termins of the same eanal, thus making with the latter a line of marginal eanals around and near the whole water front of the city. The mills on the upper level have a head and fall of twenty feet, and the difference between the second and third levels is twelve feet, while that he- tween the marginal canals and the river varies from twen- ty-three to twenty-eight feet. The upper level canal. throughout its entire length, and large portions of the others, are walled with substantial stonework to the height of three feet above water-level.
"'Three overfalls of ent granne, with suitable waste- gates, allow the water to pass directly from each canal to the next lower, independently of the supply derived from the mills alove To maintain a mmiorm head in each of these canal& watchmen are constantly on duty, whose sole business it is to regulate the inflow from the river, and the mitflow of the several waste-weirs and overfalls; and 50 thoroughly is the system carried out, that the height of water in either canal is not, alhøyed during the day or night to vary one inch from the established water-level at any moment in the year. Whether the mulls are rimming or idle, the long lines of canal are always full to the pre- scribed gange mark ; a constant quantity in time of winter foils and Ammer drongin- alike, making a pleasing and profitahle emnrasi in the experience of the manufacturers who have removed hither from the water powers which (neluate hetween abundance and scarcity."
While the cost of the dam and canals of Holyoke was large, the mulier of mill powers obtained was still larger proportionately, thus reducing the cost of a single mill power far below the cost of obtaining any single amount of power by dam and eanal on a smaller stream, In the nnit of measurement, a mill power is practically sixty-five horse power, and the early sales of these mill powers were
by indenture, a perpetual lease, the form of which never failed. In the ilveds of the Water Power Company. the mill power was thus deserihed :
"Each mill power at the respective falls is declared to be the right, during Sixteen hours a day, to draw from the nearest canal or watercourse of the grantors, and through the lamb to be granteil, thirty-eight enhe feet vi water per secoml at the upper fall. when the head and fall there is twenty feet, or a quantity inversely propor- uonate to the height at the other falls " The annual rental per mill power mi the earher days was fixed at 260 ounces of silver of the standard fineness ot the chinage of 1859, or ahont $30 ; year. Later years when gold appre- vatel in valne aml silver depreciated, these rentals hecame almost nominal. am! it is imiderstood that adjmsiment was made, making the rental paul more tynitable for both parties.
In 1857, the Hadley Falls Company failed. The entire property, consisting of 1,t00 acres, the land alrendy men- tioned, the reservoir, which had heen built for the citizens, and which ocen- pied a large part of the territory un which now stands the big Dillon block, at the corner of Maple and Lyman streets, the gas works on the river hank, and the Hadley Falls Machine Shop, were bought by the late Alfred Smith of Hartford, Com. for $325,000.
The Holyoke Water Power Com- pany, which has existed until the pres- ent day, was incorporated January. 1850, with a capital of $350,000. Alfred Smith was elected president and Benjamin Day, treasurer.
Recently there has come into the possession of Treas- nrer Renben C. Winchester, of the Holyoke Water Power Company, interesting memoranda which threw much light upon the earlier history of the company in general, and the connection of Alfred Smith with it in particular. One enrions matter was his will, which left a portion of shares in the Holyoke Water Power Company to his grandchildren to be held in trust. Upon their death this holding was to be divided among the great-grandchildren per capita. This division has only within a year or two been accomplished. Very little seems to be known here of Alfred Smith's early hfc. His venture in purchasing the property at Holyoke was considered by himself as in a degree speculative ; yet In evidently had confidence in the ulterior ontcome of the investment. Memoranda written hy him show that he put all the money he conld ohtain personally in the venture. and that men of menns were indneed to subscribe to the shares, and that for a time it even appeared doubtful that he enuld make good his purchase. Some time after the property had been acquired, we find him writing to a friend to the effect that while he helieved that in time the prop- erty would hecome extremely valable, yet up to the pres-
W. A CHASE.
ent time it had been a sourre of loss rather than gain to Immošelí.
So far as records show Mr. Smith died without knowl- elge (although with confidence in the ultimate vahle of his investment ), of the immense possibilities and values em- braced by his purchase.
One of the most fanns departments of the Holyoke Water Power Company, and which has made it known to engineers throughout the comtry, is the Holyoke Testing Flime, the largest and pioneer testing fiume in the workl. When the city began to grow and mannfactures increased. it was the day of early turbines-water wheel construction. and the cruder over-shot and imder-shot water wheels were being discarded for iron turbines of many designs as to horse-power development and quantity of the water nsed. The testing of water wheels was originally done to ohtain data principally as to amount of water nsed at dif- ferent gates and different beads. The economy and effi- cieney of the water wheel was only incident to the testing. so far as the Water Power Company was concerned. Yet wentnally as the data obtained obviously determined the factors of efficiency and economy, these tests gradually as- «mmmmel more aml more anthority on water wheel value and came at last to be a standard of judgment in regard to the performance of the varimis types of water wheels.
In addition they at length permitted the Holyoke Water Power Company to determine, from facts in its possession, the amount of water consumed of almost any water wheel mider almost any head and at almost any gate.
The first testing flume was located near the Whiting Paper Company, aml the tests were first nder the direction
FIRST HOLYOKE DAMI.
COD
THE HOLYOKE WATER POWER CO.
GEOXLE C. EWING ..
of James Emerson of Willmansett. In the carly 80's Clemens Herschel assumed charge, and a combined car- penter shop and testing Amne was Imilt in 1881-82.
As a result of a vote of the City of Holyoke to acquire gas and electric lighting plants of the Water Power Com- pany these plants were in dne time taken over. Meantime, electrical power development had reached such a stage, and the conditions in the canals of the Water Power Company were stich that it was seen that a valuable source of reve- nne might be developed by utilizing water from the lower level to the river which otlwrwise would he wasted over the spillways.
As the City of Holyoke had acquired all rights for the manufacture of electrical energy, it was necessary to have legislative sanetion for the erection and operation of such a plant. The City of Holyoke, through its Mayor and Board of Aldermen, after some demur, agreed to such ac- tion, providing that the Water Power Company did not sell power in smaller quantoies than one hundred horse power; it was believed that that would be out of range of competition with the mnaicipal electric plant. So the build- ing was erected in 1906, and has since been used to furnish considerable power for manufacturing purposes. Local con- tractors who figured m the construction of the building, included Casper Ranger, who had the general comract ; chimney and brickwork, Denais J. Landers; roofing and water proofing, E. H. Friedrich ; foundation timbers, Ely Litmber Co. and Merrick Lamber Co .; water wheels and enses, J. & W. Jully; pumps and condenser, Denne Steam Pump Cu; stenme and water piping, Holyoke Valve & Hydrant Co .; castings, Holyoke Machine Co. and E. H. Mcllagh; bridge steel and hardware supplies, J. Russell & Co. and G. E. Russell & Co., plumbing, hodler and pipe coverings, C. F. Sullivan & Co; governor belting, Holyoke Belting Co., and oil tanks, Chase & Cooledge Co.
The current was supplied from the plant on April 28, 190G.
A view of the Holyoke dam as it looks today appears on the cover of this anniversary issne.
The presidents and treasneers from that day to the present have been the following.
Presidents : Alfred Smith, 1859-1860; George M. Bartholomew, 1800-1886; John B. Stebbins, 1886-18:10;
Gideon Wells, 1890- 1898 ; James J. Good- win, March to De- cember, 1898; Charles E. Gross, 1898.
Treasurers ; Ben- jamia Day, 1930-1869 ; Charles W. Ranlet, 1869-1872; S. S. Chase, 1872-1873; W. A. Chase, 1873-1887 ; E. S. Waters, 1887- 1903; R. C. Win- chester, 1903.
From its incep- tion as a going con- cern the Holyoke Wmer Power Com- pay has heen gen- erously disposed to the city, giving out- right many pieces of land of large and small size, and in ad- chtion making special price concessions for land for public uses The latter consider- miiom is shown in their sale of land for play grounds in which, for $125,000, the city ohtained three pieces of land, two of which were worth over the price charged for the three at fair market value. The magnifi- cent public library lot of 114,400 square feet was a gift from the Holyoke Water Power Company ontright.
'Their mumcipal gifts began be- fore Holyoke was a city, the first gift to the town being on March 15, 1861, when Hampden park, embracing an aren of 114,000 square feet, was donated. It is a pity that the civic leaders of that day did not then and there secure the land from Hamnden park to the river, But the place was new ; there was much to do, and time was pressing, and the opporinity passed by forever.
E. S. WATERS.
Land for the Elm street school building and for the Appleton street grammar school was given in 1867. The first gift to the fledgling city was given May 1, 1877, when Germania park was presented, containing 10,882 square feet. Prospect park came to us in sections-dates of July 1, 1884, and February 15, 1892, with the triangle at the head of Appleton street being sandwiched in December 14, 1889, and the Crescent and Park street triangle in 1891. The triangle above Casper Ranger's house was given June 15, 1892, and two parcels of land for Elmwood park of about fifteen and one-half acres altogether, given March 18, 1902. This ends the list of purely municipal gifts, but the gifts of land to churches, church societies and other organi- zations began still earlier and continued still later.
"This list in detail is as follows :
HOLYOKE WATER POWER COMPANY'S ELECTRIC PLANT
-
THE HOLYOKE WATER POWER CO.
IHRKLE C EWINE PIACE (Now HOLY CROSS RECTORY ).
THIRD LEVEL CANAL.
January 11, 18314, Hadley Falls Company to Seeund Baptist Church and Society, Race street, north of Mosher street,
March 3, 1856, Hadley Falls Company to Juhn B. Fitzpat- rick, Bish's ni Boston, northwest corner Hampden and Chestnut streets, 20,400 square feet.
August 13, 1856, Hadley Falls Company to John B Fitzpatrick, Bishop of Boston, Wow side of Chestant, north of Hampden street, 3,000 square feet
December 6, 1860, Holyoke Water Power Cam- many to Forestdale Cemetery Association, Forestdale Cemetery, four and three- fonrshs acres.
February 15, 1866, Holyoke Water Power Company to St. Paul's Church, sonthe.il corner Maple and Suffolk streets, 11,7711 square feet.
Jnie 18, 1×66, Holyoke Water Power Company to Trustees of Methodist Episcopal Church, southeast corner Mam and Apple- ton streets, 9,2012 square feet (ex. alley).
July 9, 1830, Holyoke Water Power Company to St. Paul's Church, east side Maple street south of Suffolk street, 5.88% square feet.
May 20, 1876, Holyoke Water Power Company to Trustees Liberal Christian Society. northeast corner Maple and Essex streets, 13,000 square feet.
July 20, 1880, Holyoke Water Power Company to Second Congregational Society, south side Appleton, Maple to High streets, 30,600 square feet.
December 1, 1881, Holyoke Water Power Company to Sis-
ters of Charity, House of Providence, west side Maple, north of Sargeant street, 8,510 tect
September 15, 1892, Holyoke Water Power Company to Second Baptist Church and Society, cast side of Race
SECOND HOLYOKE DAM
street near Connecticut River Railroad Company, 370 square feet.
September 5, 1888, Holyoke Water Power Company to German Evangelical Church and Society, north side
Jackson street, Park to Bridge street, 11,087 square feet. April 28, 1599, Holyoke Water Power Company to Holyoke Public Library, Maple, Cabot, Chestnut and Essex streets, 114,400 fcet.
The co-operation of the Holyoke Water Power Company in matters of civic interest has also been made manifest in other ways. For example, at one time the company had large and not altogether lovely advertising sign boards on its premises near its office *. These have been removed ant a refreshing bit of greensward and flower beds take the place ní the isightly boards. The canal walls, originally bnih of stone, are heing supplentedl hy walls of sahd concrete. A lit- tte is being done along this line every year, .nl the appearance of the canals thereby im- proved. Down by she Hadley Mills the company has installed a bumtain ; and in other ways has co-operated to make Holyoke a "City Beantifn) "
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