Interview with Clyde Hayslett

Partial Transcript: When did you start working for Kentucky Utilities?

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett says that before he worked for Kentucky Utilities, he worked with cattle on farms and was in the military.

Keywords: Kentucky Utilities

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: What do you remember about the river when you were growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett talks about the ferry that ran at Shaker Landing, a local sawmill, and the Falls City.

Keywords: Falls City; Shakertown, Kentucky

Subjects: Ferries--Kentucky River (Ky.) Kentucky River (Ky.) Sawmills--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Tell me about that power plant.

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett talks about the power plant at lock seven and the plant at Dix Dam.

Keywords: Dix Dam; Hydroelectric station; Lock 7

Subjects: Dams--Kentucky Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: The things that I've seen go over there.

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett describes the flood damage from 1978. He says that it moved homes.

Keywords: 1978; Flood damage

Subjects: Floods--Kentucky Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: But that river, the river is a great place to be but at the same time it can get you.

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett describes how a fellow worker almost drowned at lock seven when he fell into the water and went over the dam.

Keywords: Lock 7

Subjects: Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: That power plant there at lock seven, you mentioned all the trash that gets in there. What keeps the water from sucking that trash up into the turbine?

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett describes how trash racks work and how often they have to clean them.

Keywords: Lock 7

Subjects: Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: But you appreciate the river.

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett says that he saw some of the most beautiful boats on the river and that people were always very friendly.

Keywords: Recreational boating

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: You ever have any other problems with the power plant down there at number seven?

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett gives in-depth description of work that has to be done to maintain the plants. He also describes an accident that happened when things wore out before they were replaced.

Keywords: Control pannel; Dix Dam; Lock seven

Subjects: Dams--Kentucky Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: So the dam leaks, most dams leak like that though.

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett talks about divers using a bag grouting technique to fix Dix Dam.

Keywords: Dix Dam; Rockfill dam

Subjects: Dams--Kentucky Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: So this picture, this is, uh...

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett describes a diver who panicked while working on the dam. He also talks about a man who drowned at another dam.

Keywords: Dam repair; Decompression; Diving accident; Dix Dam

Subjects: Dams--Kentucky Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: It was quite a construction back in the day.

Segment Synopsis: Hayslett says that many black men worked on the construction of Dix Dam and stayed at a nearby camp owned by a bootlegger. They believed that he was cheating while gambling and killed him. Local men rounded them up and drove them to the train station and put them on a train headed south.

Keywords: Bootlegger; Dix Dam; Murder

Subjects: Dams--Kentucky Kentucky River (Ky.) Race relations