The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-11-21
Sources of Power and It's Uses.

THE following is a paper read by
O. W. Grover at the meeting of St.
Stephens Guild, October 10:
1t NAV seem as if there were but lit
tie of interest to be said on a subject as
familiar as the one have chosen, yet
because of its very familiarity it seems
to me its value is often moderated.
Take from this country its water power
its steam power,its electric motors-to
say nothing of the minor motive
powers, such as springs, water, etc., -
and we take from il its very life.
Imagine vast country like our own,
with 90 millions of people, without the
steam or water power. Glance for one
moment at the magnitude of our man
ufacturing interests, which depend al
most entirely on water or steam power.
We, in Vermont, have but little ap-
probation of the magnitude of the la
Dor performed by these powerful
agents. Nearly every article of turni-
ture, nearly every tool or machine with
which we labor or till the SOIL nearly
every article of clothing we wear owes
its manufacture in great measure
to these servants of man, while much
of the food which goes to sustain our
lives and give us strength and activity
owes its preparation in a greater or
less degree to water or steam power.
Take from the world the facilities of
travelling by steam, place it back TO the
primitive ways of travelling, when to
cross the Atlantic ocean in three or
tour weeks was considered very quick
voyage; when to 90 from the Atlantic
coast to the Mississippi river III less
than 30 or 40 days was an unheard-of
thing and to attempt to reach the Pa
citic coast by the overland route was
next to impossible; take from the
world steamboat navigation and rail
ways, and starvation to millions would
be the inevitable result.
But | will not dwell longer on the
uses made of power, although to eX-
haust the subject would fill volumes.
What | intend to speak of chiefly is the
vast amount OF power lost and wasted
throughout the world First, let us
consider the number of water privil.
eyes unOccupled. Look at the Niagara
river, with its vast volume of water
forever flowing over that mighty preci
pice. VINO shall estimate the amount
of power available from that gigantic
waterfall? And scattered all through
our land are smaller streams, with
thousands of unoccupied water privil-
eyes. But to use this in all cases would
involve quite an expense and in some
of them large capital would be need
ed. This, in connection with the fact
that most of these privileges are so far
remote from the manufacturing and
commercial centres or from the mate
rial to be used in manufacturing, is the
reason they are not or have not been
considered practical.
And now let us for one moment con-
slider the amount of power lost in those
places where it is generally considered
TO be used nearly to its full extent. We
will commence by taking our own
water power, or the power of the up
per falls in NliddlebHry. There are,
believe, Is water wheels turned by
these falls. estimate that not more
than 20 per cent, at most, of the avail
able power is used. That at first
thought seems almost incredible, but
when we consider that the water is
flowing night AMI day and is being
used only 10 hours out of the "a (and
in many cases not even thaD, then
take into consideration the LEAKAGE of
penstocks and fumes, together with
the losses from worn wheels, and |
think my estimate is considerably more
than actual test would show. But you
say, How are these losses to he helped?
The manufacturing interests of this
place will not warrant the employment
of men to use the power night and day,
and as long as the power is sufficient to
do all the work there is to be done the
expense of repairing is uncalled for,
Very true. Looking at it from that
standpoint there seems no call for re-
pairs or to make the water turn the
wheels at night. But is not that law
of nature by which the water by its
own gravity turns those wheels just as
much a gift of God and nearly or quite
as essential to mans happiness as that
other law of nature whereby kernel of
grain placed in the mother earth is
made to spring up aud grow and RI
pen? And what would we say of a
man who owns 100 acres of land and
because he can raise enough to feed
himself Oh 10 acres lets the rest lay a
useless waste? So with our water
power. Because 10 hours per day are
enOnsh to supply the owners with the
accessories of life or to increase their
Golfers to their satisfaction,is it any rea.
son that the other Ii hours should be a
useless waste? Why not combine these
powers to light our streets and dwell
ings, or, if this is not practical or de-
sirable, then store the power in the
form of electricity and sell to those
manufacturers who are not so fortunate
as to own water-power; or,if no such
can be found to buy, then sell to the
farmer to pump the water from his