Name/Title
Letter from Andrew Bell to Bennet RosamondEntry/Object ID
2013.57.76.a-dScope and Content
Letter from Andrew Bell to Bennet Rosamond. In the letter, Bell explains the details of the dam that Bennet had proposed to be built and on the last page of the letter Andrew outlined the costs to build the dam. The letter is four pages long. The first page is not attached but the other 3 are stapled together.
Transcription of artifact is as follows:
[the following is written on page a]
ANDREW BELL,
Civil Engineer & Architect,
P.L.S. AND D.L.S.
INSPECTOR & AGENT FOR CANADA CO.
OFFICE - OPPOSITE POST OFFICE
OFFICE DAY -- SATURDAY.
Almonte, Ont. 20th Feb 1896
My dear Bennet
You will remember the memo I gave you of the power you would have in lowest water at your water power two miles down the river from here - I suspected that the measurement of the flow of the River, from which that memo was made, was taken at a time when the water was being luld [spelling uncertain] back at Carleton Place, or before the water, when let-off there, had reached the site of your proposed new dam [spelling uncertain] - measurements taken a few days afterwards, and checked my measurements at the Bridge at Carleton Place, showed that I was correct in that supposition - The last named measurements gave a minimum flow of 462 cubic feet per second, which would give, with 9ft head, and using a co-efficient of only 75% of theoretical power, 354 H.P- As you would have a pond of about a hundred acres, you could hold a sufficient reserve to compensate dyeing 15 hours for the loss from the water being held back at Carleton Place - You would therefore be practically independent of any disturbance that holding back would, without such reserve, make-
[the following is written on page b]
ANDREW BELL,
Civil Engineer & Architect,
P.L.S. AND D.L.S.
INSPECTOR & AGENT FOR CANADA CO.
OFFICE - OPPOSITE POST OFFICE
OFFICE DAY -- SATURDAY.
Almonte, Ont. 189
It seems, from the foregoing, quite safe to count on 300 H.P. at least when the water is as low as it was in October or November 1894, and it was then lower than I remember to have seen it since 1865-
The fall in the river from head of rapids to site of your proposed dam is 9 feet but by using splash boards it might be increased, during low water, to 10 feet giving you, when water was as low as in 1894, about 350 H.P. to be safely depended upon.
Now, as to what can be done by storage dams on the upper lakes on this River - The drainage basin of the River above Carleton Place has an area of 888,200 acres - The average annual precipitation of moisture is 42 inches - but it has been found by careful observations an Experiments that nearly one half of the precipitation is lost by evaporation and soakage (the latter being caused by the former) and only a half, or a little more, flows down the river - I therefore cull the latter 21 inches - This gives an average flow during the year of 2150 cubic feet per second, which gives 180 H.P. for every foot fall, or 1620 H.P. for every 9 ft fall-
[the following is written on page c]
ANDREW BELL,
Civil Engineer & Architect,
P.L.S. AND D.L.S.
INSPECTOR & AGENT FOR CANADA CO.
OFFICE - OPPOSITE POST OFFICE
OFFICE DAY -- SATURDAY.
Almonte, Ont. 189
It will of course be impracticable, and probably impossible, to impound all the water during the spring fresheto: but it seems quite practicable to impound enough to make the flow in low water give 110 H.P. with one foot fall, or say 1000 H.P. at your new water power-
Cost of your dam-
The dam you proposed to build, at the site to which I am referreding should be built obliquely across the river, giving as long a “spill” as the nature of the surrounds will allow, to prevent back water at the mills at almonte during high water - The length will be about 400 feet - The most of the timber used could be delivered round, and can be generally used round, and that requiring to be squared or flatted, can be so prepared on the spot - It can be pine, hemlock, spruce, tamarac, cedar or bas wood - In any convenient lengths from 10 ft long upwards, but should be at least 10 inches diameter at small end - Some square pine for bulkhead &c, will be required - It can be best obtained, sawn, from Carleton Place or Pembroke - Of the covering, about half would answer of hemlock - The rest should be pine -
[the following is written on page d]
ANDREW BELL,
Civil Engineer & Architect,
P.L.S. AND D.L.S.
INSPECTOR & AGENT FOR CANADA CO.
OFFICE - OPPOSITE POST OFFICE
OFFICE DAY -- SATURDAY.
Almonte, Ont. 189
The following is a list of quantities of the different materials and approximate prices - Round timer, and lengths from 10 ft
Upwards - 10” dia. Small end - 12,800 lft @ 10cts $1280-
Plank - half hemlock & half pine, 14,000 ft P.M. $20- 280-
Iron - 1500 lbs. Bolts ?” x 16” - 1500 lbs
Spikes 1000 “
1/16” cresting 700 3200 @ 3cts 96-
Sq, pine timber 360 ft - @ 25 cts 90-
Labor Say 560-
$2300-
Add for contingencies 200-
$2500-
I have put the round timber at 10 cts per lft- You may get it for less than that up river-
Yours very truly
Andrew Bell
B Rosamond Esq
AlmonteCollection
Rosamond Woolen Company CollectionCataloged By
Gervais, SarahLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
LetterNomenclature Primary Object Term
CorrespondenceNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsArchive Details
Date(s) of Creation
Feb 20, 1896Location
Location
Container
Box 5Shelf
Shelf 19Room
Collections RoomBuilding
M.V.T.M.Category
PermanentDate
November 7, 2023Location
Container
Archive Box 1, 2, 2Room
Collections RoomBuilding
M.V.T.M.Category
PermanentMoved By
MacMillan, LindsayDate
December 2, 2020Location
Container
Box 1Shelf
Shelf 11, Shelf 11Room
Collections RoomBuilding
M.V.T.M.Category
PermanentMoved By
Whit, ElizabethDate
July 1, 2017Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Rosamond, BennetPerson or Organization
Bell, AndrewGeneral Notes
Note
Status: OK
Status By: MacMillan, Lindsay
Status Date: 2020-12-02Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
May 24, 2015Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
November 12, 2023
