The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-12-04

that water power has no advantage in
point of economy over steam, a doctrine ably
| set forth by Mr.. Edward Atkinson, the emf
nent political economist. statesman. social
scientist, microscopic, cotton mill archi-
tcct, oven inventor and expounder of the
corn meal gospel. Some manufacturers
affirm that their steam power, or rather
! their steam for power costs them next to
nothing Manufacturers in some lines of
goods have been heard to say: II would
not move across the street to have the use
of water power for nothing" | will en-
deavor to explain how it is that such as.
sertions can be made without any inten-
tiOnal disregard of truth.
The modern steam engine is by no
means perfect machine. 1t utilities but
small fraction of the power due to the
heat of the fuel which it consumes. Thus:
You produce steam in your boiler and
lead it into your engine at pressure of 80
pounds per square inch. You exhaust it
from the engine at a pressure OF lOpounds
You ascertain with great care the amount
of power developed by the engine, in
Guiding its own friction and resistance,
also the total quantity OF heat contained in
the steam at its admission to the engine,
and the same after its discharge there
from. The difference between these two
latter quantities is the heat actually ex-
pended in producing the power This
difference, divided by the number of horse
power exerted by the engine, is the guam
tity of heat expended per horse power
and this quantity of heat could be gener-
ated by the combustion Of two pounds of
coal per day of ten hours; whereas, the
quantity of coal required, in practice, to
maintain horse power for ten hours is
rarely less that thirty pounds. Oftener
more than less.
IN TIE MANUFACTURE
of bleached, dyed and printed goods there
is occasion for great quantities of heat,
which is commonly derived from the ex-
hlust steam of the engines, its efficiency
rooms or any of the operations incldentto
this branch of manufacture being but
slightly reduced by its use in the engines,
though its efficiency for mechanical power
is practically exhausted Thus it is that
such manufacturer will say "My
steam power costs me next to nothing. Y
am obliged to maintain my chimney, fur
naces ind boilers, burn my coal, keep my
skilled attendants all the same whether
run my engine or not | would not take
water power as a gift" Another, taking
different view of the matter, will say,
with equal sincerity My heat for
bleaching, dyeing, warming, etc, costs
me nothing. / am obliged to maintain
my chimney, furnaces and boilers, burn
my coal, keep my skilled attendants, in
order to run my engine whether | use
heat or not The exhaust steam would go
to waste If did not so use it. 1t costs
me nothing"
A capitalist from St. Paul went
to Kansas City with the idea of
investing some money there. He
fell into the hands of broker
interested in property lying on the river
bottom. While looking at these lots he
commented on the expense necessary to
raise them to high water level. The agent
looked at him as at one whose mental con
dition claimed sympathy. Pointing to|
the high ground he said; "Do you see
those streets cut through the top of that
buff Those lots must be graded down
fifteen or twenty feet. The owners will
give you 25 cents yard for all the earth
you remove from them. The raising of
these lots costs you nothing. Comforted
by the removal of this difficulty the in
weston went his way strongly inclined to
purchase. The next day he fell in with a
broker, who induced him to go. and look
at lots on the high ground. While ex
patiating with customary volubility on the
beauties and merits of these lots; explain
ing how il was that they were warm in
winter and cool in summer, the investor
interrupted him with the remark that the
expense of grading them down to the
street level would be great Fixing on
him look in which surprise and COM
passion were blended, the agent pointed
to the lots he had looked at the day be
fore and said do you see those lots on
the river bottom" 81 do said the other.
"Do you know they must be filled up
twelve fifteen or twenty feet?' 81 have
so understood" said the investor. THE
owners of those lots" pursued the agent,
will give you 20 cents yard for all the
earth you can dump on them. The grad
ing of these lots costs you nothing" The
capitalist in sore perpleXity wendell his
way back to St. Paul, resolved to make no
purchase in Kansas City till he could I'M
dGrstand its financial methods of handling
dirt. Perhaps neither of these men de-
liberately intended to lie, Each put the
case according to his own interest and
way of talking, and their statements. taken
together Were hard to reconcile, like the
statements of manufacturers in regard to
the cost of steam power.
So far as the cheapness of steam power
affects this C ,se the matter may be stated
thus: The manufactures proposed here
are plain goods, which
REQUIRE NO HEAT
except that necessary to boil the sizing or
starch with which the warps are treated
before goinA -. the looms, and to dry the
yarn after sizing. An occasional breath
of heat is required in winter for the COM
fort of operatives, all utterly insignificant
as compared with the amount of power
used. So that the argument founded upon
the extreme cheapness of steam power
when used in connection with great de
mand for heat-only half true in any case |
loses its whole force in this.
Of course, water can be held at a rental |
which will make it as expensive as steam |
The terms on which the city will grant the
use of the water power cannot now be |
stated Most probably at a rental barely |
sufficient to pay the interest chargeable to |
this account and the cost of maintenance,
regarding the water power not as direct |
source of income, but as a means of pro- |
noting the prosperity of the town. Five |
IENll