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DEVELOPMENT OF WATER POWER

Here on Rock river was the first development of water power. On Vandruff's Island there was a grist-mill run by an undershot wheel, the water for which was supplied by a dam across the main channel. A sawmill was also connected with this plant. The mill was built in 1843. The next advance came when David B. Sears (for whom the village of Sears was named) bought land here in 1867, and built a series of four dams across the four different outlets of Rock river. He erected a grist-mill in 1868, on the north bank, about one hundred feet east of the present power plant house, but it was burned in 1888, and was never replaced.

In 1874 a cotton mill and a paper mill were built, also on the north bank of Rock river. The paper mill was run for some years by a local company, after which it passed into the hands of the Grahams of Rockford, Ill., who operated it for many years. They had acquired the cotton mill some years before, but closed both, plants in 1803.

In 1906 T. B. and S. S. Davis of Rock Island, having secured all water power rights at the lower rapids of Rock river, and being granted authority by Congress, commenced the rebuilding of the dams. Three dams were constructed, one 460 feet long, across the north or main channel of the river, just above the highway bridge at Sears; the second, 150 feet long, across the cut-off between Vandruff's Island and Carr's Island; and the third, 764 feet long, across the south branch, immediately below and adjoining the government dam at the head of Carr's Island. These dams are of solid concrete, and of ample strength to withstand the ice and floods to which they are subjected. One use of the darns is to maintain the level of water in the Hennepin canal, and they are so constructed as not to alter the level maintained by the government dams which were built over twenty years ago.

A hydro-electric power station to utilize the water power developed, was then built at Sears. It is constructed according to the best engineering practice of the day, the foundations, penstock and draft tubes being of concrete, reinforced by steel of high tensile strength. The power house proper is built with a heavy steel skeleton with walls of pressed brick, and a concrete tile roof. No wood enters into its construction, even the door and window casing and sash being of steel. The present equipment consists of six main generating units, and one exciting unit. The power house, however, has ample space for the doubling of this equipment, A notable feature is that the main generators are of the vertical or umbrella type, each being directly connected to the turbine driving it, thus eliminating the noise and the greater part of the friction losses occurring in the common method of geared connections.

The weight of the water wheel runner, the rotating part of the generator, the shaft connecting them, and the column of water operating the water wheel, is all carried by the roller bearing at the top of the generator, which is so nicely adjusted and mechanically perfect that a man of ordi-ary strength can easily revolve the generator and runner by hand. This was the first low head water power in the United States to use direct connected generators, therefore this installation has been of great interest to hydro electric engineers throughout the country.

Other noteworthy features include the tunnel under the generators for carrying wires which runs the full length of the building; the ingenious way cf handling the head gates by rneans; of an overhead traveling crane, and the trash rack constructed of bars, specially rolled, which offer the minimum amount of resistance to the passage of the water. This plant, supplying abundant power at cheap rates, should attract many new industries to this locality, and thus be of great benefit to the whole community.

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois

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Illinois Ancestors

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