YADKIN FALLS DAM AND POWER-HOUSE
Starting Up at Yadkin Falls
After many weeks of strenuous work
thru the winter to keep up to our sched
ule, which had May 1 fixed as the start
ing date; April 26 found us about ready
to start drying out the generators and
trying out the waterwheels. About this
time, Mr. Rickey must have begun to
think that we really meant to keep our
promise, and that we might have the
plant in operation before he could get
here, as we received an S. 0. S. call at
the eleventh hour which asked us not to
start until he could get here, which
would not be until May 6, six days be
hind schedule. This great delay caused
some little comment, especially as we had
no explanation. After some deliberation,
is was decided that he must be planning
for some little ceremony, and that when
he did arrive the launching or rather
starting would be made in due form.
We then began to talk of where the bot
tle should be broken, and as to whether
or not the flying glass and flowing liquid
might do any harm to the machinery,
etc., and the six days passed very quick
ly. On the morning of May 6, word was
received that Mr. Rickey was in town,
and would be down to the Falls Power-
House in an hour. All was excitement,
the various machinery manufacturers
representatives were dodging here and
there, trying this valve and feeling of
that bearing, with mouths watering and
a twinkle in their eyes. Then Mr.
Rickey and Mr. Thorpe appeared on the
scene, and all was quiet. You could have
heard a pin drop anywhere. Mouths
closed and eyes took a look of question
ing anxiety. They were alone and empty-
handed, a possibility which no one
seemed to have thought of. After a few
handshakes, each one drew back to his
appointed place, awaiting the word
which was to start the roaring wa r
of Yadkin Falls on their long job of
making aluminum, and incidentally a
few dollars for Mr. Tallassee. Our
worst fears were realized when Mr.
Rickey explained that all he wanted to
do was to press the little button which
opened the gates and let the water in^to
the large turbine, or waterwheel. This
was soon done. The turbine moved slow
ly, then faster, and Yadkin Falls Power-
House was officially added to the long
list of those making power for the manu
facture of aluminum. After a trip
across the dam, Mr. Rickey decided that
his work was done, and returned
Badin. . , . t
The real serious work of drying out
the generators, checking connections, ad
justing governors, turbines, oiling sys
tems, etc., was then begun. About the
first thing that developed was that, after
the turbine was once running, it was
found that it could not be stopped by
the ordinary method of closing the tur
bine gates and applying the brakes.
This started quite an argument between
Mr. IxKkman, representative of the S.
Morgan Smith Company, turbine builder,
and Mr. Walford, representative of the
Allis-Chalmers Company, governor
builder. As Mr. Ix)ckman is somewhat
above average size, and Mr. Walford
somewhat under average, someone im
mediately said “look at Mutt and Jeff.
After some little argument between these
two, Mr. Seabrooke, represenUtive of
the General Electric Company, generator
builder, was called in, and questioned
regarding the effectiveness of his brakes,
and told that they did not grip har
enough; but Seabrooke maintained that
as smoke was pouring out from under
the generator, coming from the brake
blocks, that they must be doing som
good, and that if he
sure on they might take fire. These
arguments did not seem to be stopping
the turbine, so it was decided to resor
to the last possibility, and close the gates
in front of the openings to the scro
case of the turbine. It then develop^
that these gates did not close very we .
and enough water leaked thru to k^P
the turbine going. Cinders were t
poured in the lake in front of the gat :
to stop up the leaks, and in a little whi j
the turbine stopped. i
Some adjustments were made, »n
started again, this time for about thr^ j
or four days’ run on short circuit to
out the large generators. • «.ed i
Mr. Bostwick then arrived, and vie«
the plant. On May 11. it was decid j
that the generators would be dry i ]
and that they could be built up to no
voltage, phased out, and paralleled ^ [
machines in Yadkin
House. Mr. Bostwick was asked «> j
over to see how things worked out. j
May 12, another attempt was made^^ i
shut down and stop the whwls, witn
same results as when the first stop ^
made—such an argument between
waterwheel man and the governor ^
developed that each was determin
show the other that he was wrong.
each started to Uke apart his P»
the machinery, and it was onl>
difficulty that they were prevented y
getting the machines in such
they could not be run at all. At ^^,5
another sUrt could not be made
anotner siari.
late in the afternoon. The
were then slowly built up to Imc r
tial, and a check was poi^‘
roUtion. and much to our
ment we found that it ^
nary to change connections
could parallel with machines m ^
Narrows Power-House. It «>•
nearly five p. m. A car wa*
track a littJe ways from the
House, and it looked as tho
have to walk to Badin. so »e
to wait until the next day
checks, and in the meantime th /
tions at the switch house at B
being changed. The next
dark and rainy, but a sUrt ^
and it was then found that ^
turbine wa* up to normal tr