St. Paul daily globe., 1890-11-27
A new WATER POWER.
The st. Louis River at Duluth to "a
Harnessed for Water F0Wer
Purposes
OF Great Interest and Importance
to the Zenith
City.

The development of the water power
at the DalleS of the ST. Louis river, near
the head of Lake Superior. will work
wonders in the Industrial progress of
Duluth, Superior and neighborlng
towns, For ages the waters OF this
beautiful river have run to waste. fall
ing several hundred feet in few miles.
Artist,po and tourist have long sought
and admired its beauties, while verse
and canvas have made its peculiar
charms known throughout the world.
But the hand of progress seemingly
has touched with magic wand this won
derful region, and admiring dreamerS
will soon see their playground teeming
with commerce and industries. The
ambitious practical men of the Twin
ties at the head OF the great lake, not
content with the wonders already ac-
cOmpliShed, propose TO harness these
swift falling waters, and by so doing
turn countless wheels.
The use of this great water power has
long been considered. Now it is to be a
reality. The interests of an old COM
pany nave been secured. new corpora
tion formed. at once strong and reliable.
The negotiations reached successful
termination only day or two since.
The St. Louis Water Power company
has capital of S2,000.0U0. Duluth is the
headquarters. The company is officered
by +. l.. Emery, president; f. E. Ken
nedy, secretary and treasurer; j. a.
Taylor, general manager. The direct
orS and stockholders embrace many
men of high standing in financial CIR
cleS both locally and in the East.
The constant succession OF rapids and
the several hundred footballs make
numberleSs dams possible, and several
miles available as mill and factory sites.
But the great feature of the enterprise
is this: Electricity is to be generated
at the falls and conveyed where wanted
and for whatsoever purpose. Thus fac
tories along the river, bay, or i'll the
cities have their motive power-cheap,
noiseleSs, safe and etfpctive-by press
ing a button. The lighting of the cities
as we'll as the street railway systems
can be thus supplied. From an econom-
ical standpoint the subject is interest
ing. Cheap as is fuel at Duluth, the
average cost per horse power per an
mum for steam power is $50 to $3.50,
while the average expense of the water
power will be but $40 to SIS.
The following is taken from the re-
port of John oBirkinbine, civil engi-
neer of high standing, who examined
Cooke Il Co.
Mr.. Birkinbine states that the total fall
accurately measured between Thomson
and from Fond du Lac is 443 feet. 'lf
all this could be utilized" says Mr..
Birkinbine, ''it would give. on the basis
established, A, 300: horse power sfor the
minimum winter flow, and $4,000 horse
power for the average summer flow,
while for part of the year fully 130,-
600 horse power could be depended
upon" Mr.. Francis, in his reports.
states that ''if but 800 feet of the fall
between Thomson and Fond du Lac be
utilized, the minimum flow of 1900 Gu
bic feet per second would give an actual
power of about $4,000 horse power,
from which could be realized by the use
of ordinary water wheels about 10000
horse power.
by way of comparison it is proper to
state that the minimum flow of the
Mississippi at Minneapolis is 1000 cubic
feet per second. The direct fall is 45
feet; but within three-quarters of mile
the total fall is 15 feet. and between
Minneapolis and ST. Paul the declivity
of the river is 10 feet. If, therefore, the
whole fall between these two cities was
utilized, the power to be depended upon
from this fall would be less than $1,000
secured by using the total fall of the ST.
Louis river between Fond du Lac and
Thomson, would be $4,000 horse power
at its minimum flow of 1900 cubic feet
per second. At present but 81 feet of
the fall at Minneapolis is utilized. This,
at the minimum flow of the MiSSiSS-
ippi river, is equivalent to 49,
600 horse power. By the improvements
suggested to utilize 364 feet of the fall
of the st. Louis river the power devel-
Oped at the minimum flow of 1000 cubic
feet per second will be double what can
be depended on from the falls of st.
Anthony under present arrangements.
Exceptionally economical steam power
will consume an average Of two pounds
of good coal per horse power per hour,
but the average motors in use require
fully four pounds per hour. Steam ma
Ghinery operating continuously would
aggregate consumption of eight and
three-quarter tons of fuel per horse
power per annum for the best, and sew
enteen and tive-tenths tons per annum
for average apparatus now used. The
power made available by utilizing 364
feet of the fall of the st. Louis river
would therefore be equivalent at the
minimum winter flow to that obtained
by the consumption of
637, 7,OOO Tons Of Coal,
and at the average winter flow to the
power obtained from 1,274,O0O tons of
coal burned under fairly economical
boilers and supplying steam to motors
of ordinary efficiency. To produce an
amount of power by steam boilers equal
to that developed by the average winter
flow of the st. Louis river would re-
quire about 1000 boilers of the size and
form common in the Northwest-say
cylinders forty-twO inches in diameter
and thirty feet long and two fourteen
inch flues. The 72,S0O horse power
constantly developed by the average
winter flow of the st. Louis
river would be sufficient, If ap-
piled through machinery of proper con-
Struction and arrangement, to pumping
water for cities and towns to supply an
aggregate population of 3O.0OO,0OO peo-
pie with seventy-five gallons each per
day. raised to an elevation of $50 feet.
In estimating the horse power of the
river, one cubic foot of water falling
twelve feet per seconds taken as equiv
aient to one horse power. This allows
2695 per cent to be consumed by motors.
Much as has been done toward max
ing Duluth great, 10 one accomplish
ment has the Importance of this great
transaction. 1t means the influx of adj
ditional population, capital and indus
tries: employment for thousands: more
freight for lake and rail routes, and
general impetus given to the ball al
ready rolling so rapidly.
Winter Excursions.
l..