The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-05-06
Steam VS.. Water Power.

II
inquiries respecting the relative value
of steam, and water power, and one
asks" Whether an inexhaustible wa
ter power or whether only sufficient for
steam purposes, with an unlimited sup
pEsof cheap fuel, are most advantage-
GUS to the development of a manufac-
turing town?''
1t is not possible to give satisfactory
replysto. the general inquiry respecting
the comparative advantage of steam
and water power, but we have no hest
tation in answering the correspondent
Tin Iowa) from whose letter we have
quoted the above extract An abund-
ance of cheap fuel and steam power, in
our opinion, possesses the greatest add
vantage, for manufacturing operations
c;snn0t~be carried on without fuel, even
where there is plenty of water power;
therefore, where fuel is scarce and dear,
manufacturing cannot be carried ON but
under heavy expense.
In giving this opinion, we do not for
get that most of our. manufacturing
towns andrsillages are indebted for
their rise to water power. They are
built on rivers and creeks where there
are falls of water for driving machinery
but when they were first established,
timber and fuel for buildings was plen-
tiful and cheap in the neighborhoods.
1t has now become a. serious question
with manufacturers using water power,
that their supply is becoming more
unstable every year, as. the forests are
cleared off; and in many cases where
water power was exclusively used few
yearssago, auxiliary steam power is
1reo3,irad lsiNG- eeytaiu nnrtinns of the
vear. on account of a deficient supply
Of wafer. -7a f-y we
Forests and -swamps are perennial
feeders of creeks and river. As thes,
disappear, and the soil is spread out tt
the direct rays of the sun rapid evapo
ration takes place after falls of rain, ant
thus it has occurred that many streams
once flowing with power for the mile
are now only waterworn channels
The ruins of grist and saw mills ar,
now to be seen on the banks of DIR,
creeks, where, forty years ago tn,
merry elatter Of the hopper and hun
of the saw mingled from morn till nigh
with the song of the rushing waters
But although this is true respecting
number of places, manufactures hav
not decreased in our country, thanks t
the powerSof steam. With a plentiful
supply Of fuel, steam forms constan
trusty power for driving machinery
and a steam factory can be erected in
dependent of rare natural localities, lik
water falls. 1t has thus great advan
tages over water power. 1t require
one hundred and eighty thousand cubi
feet fall, to produce the same effect i
machinery that can be obtained wit
fifty cubic feet of water and three hun
dred pounds Of coal by steam engine
While the power of water for manufae
turing purposes is growing weaker an
weaker In our country, that of steam
growing stronger and. strongersaoW
have. read a statement that in the yea
1900, there were only three steam CT
gines in all the United States; VIII
can cotmt them now? They humble
ten thousands. Steam factories can b
conducted in or near cities and con
mercial marts, and thus effect a gres
saving in transporting raw material an
goods. There are various manutat
lures, however, which, need consider,
BILE water to carry on, such as calic
printing, lhleaching, carpet weaving
wooden cloth making, dc. The scou
ing, washing and dying, require muc
water, but then with steam such fact'
ries. can be heated, the goods boile
and dried, and taking the expense
keeping dams and water wheels
remain, we are of opinion that steal
power, where fuel is cheap, is to l
preferred in nearly every case to watt
power. At any rate there can be I
doubt but steam factories must increal
in or near our coal regions, and ul
mately these will become the greatsea
of American manufactures, just as Il
coal regions of England have BEGAN
y the centers of manufactures in til
country. 5000 5sss.H sFst - I. !
And as we have the largest coal feel
irlhe world, and these scarcely toach'
vet v the tool Of the miner, it max
vaseo} our breath to contemplate Il
dreds sacturing power-the hu
chesters, sslds, Birminghams, Ma
viii yet arts, in S % UlasSoWsL'n
it, ION account of Xoun'ly J, aa son ma !
greatest mannhcturinsSHeaP n'e,,
globe.-Scient!fc 4per;eM;s' 'oil vi :
R~
10 Norway ha a populas.
about million and .onarter
inhabitants are nomin,Iv Protesto
u,boro IL NOT q Roman o. 80