The Beatrice Daily Express

Board of Arbitration Awards
Power Contract - Begin
Work in The Spring-
Big Expense.

New York, Dec. 15.--The board of
arbitration consisting of T. W. Klowman
of the John F. Kelly Engineering
company, New York, and George H.
Kimball, the western engineering expert,
met here and decided to make
an award in favor of the Fremont
Canal and Power company, which
concern will build a large hydraulic
plant for the purpose of generating
electric energy for light, traction and
general power purposes in and around
Omaha, Lincoln, Council Bluffs,
Columbus, Fremont and several other
cities in Nebraska. The company has
awarded the contract for the construction
of its plant to the John F. Kelly Engineering
company. The initial capacity of the plant
will be 15,000 horse power every twenty-four
hours. The site selected is on the
plateau some hundred feet east of Elm
creek on the south bank of the south
branch of the Platte river. A canal
will be built from the head gates, located
at the confluence of the Platte
and Loup rivers about thirteen miles
east of Columbus, to a huge reservoir
at Elm bank, about twenty-five miles
away. Construction work will begin
early next spring. The entire system,
which will cost some $3,500,000, is expected
to be in active operation within
two years.