Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-12
SOURCES OF POWER.
Energy Enough Going to Waste to
DO The Work of the World.
HARVESTING THE WATER FALLS
By Means of Electricity Steam Engines
Nay Be Made Useless.
NEW APPLICATIONS OF THE CURRENT
IPREPARKD FOE THE DIsPArcH.i

IPREPARED FOE THE DIsPArcH.i
Madison Buell., in paper on the electrical
utilization OF water power, states that ths
energy of the tidal wave, the rapid river
and mighty cataracts formed into electric
energy is a branch of electrical science that
is going to revolution izs the industries OF
the world. When it is borne in mind that
over q, 900, 900 cubic feet of wa ter pass over
the lip of Niagara every minute, while the
flowing OF nine rivers that empty into the
Pacific, represent 900, 900 900 horsepower
every time it descends one foot, some ides
of the almost ilIimitable possibilities of tbs
future in this direction may be formed. Ths
steam engines of the United States represent
100000 horsepower; England, 1000. .OOOj
Germany. 4.500, 900; France, 5000. 900, and
Austro- Hungary, 1900, 900. These figures
do not include the 100000 horsepower Of
1O5.OO0 locomotives. When this power is added
to the otherit will be found that the horse-
power of the engines on this globe amounts to
$4,000 000 These engines do the work of OO0.
600, 900 men, or twice the working population Of
earth.
1t is the province of water utilized electrically
to supplement- and replace these engines, and
Mr.. Buell. shows in most interesting manner
how the work is progressing. Neither climate
nor altitude seems to hinder this utilization,
and one of the most successful of recently in.
stalled electrical plants is far up in the Alps.
The melting snow gives a never failing stream
of water, which revolves series of turbine
wheels. These, in turn, whirl the dynamo
armature. and its electrical energy is conveyed
miles away over copper thread to a motor OF
woolen mandatory OF over $1,000 spindles.
Another large plant Is being installed az Rhein.
fielder, on the Rhine, consisting of 20 turbine
wheels coupled direct to dynamos of 5O0, 600
watts. From these electrical energy will be
transmitted to various industrial ceuters within
a radius of Is miles.
The town of Gilman, 2OOO feet above Red
Cliff, in the very heart OF Eagle River Canyon,
and II, 900 feet above the sea level, is noun
tain stream called Fall river which rises in the
Mountain of the Holy Cross. The water from
this river. which enters the Eagle river ar
the bottom of the canyon, is brought by pipe !
line into the mines. The fall is equal to 500
feet perpendicular, and its energy drives the /
dynamos, which generate current for supply
ing the richest mines of gold and silver in
Colorado. The water power at Sault Ste. Z
Marie Is estimated at $4,000 horse power. A
tail race five miles long on the Canadian side
and a canal five miles long on the American
side are to be constructed. The canals will be
each LOCO feet wide, the widest in the world.
Blast furnaces, shpyards, paper mills, pulp
mills and other industries will all be furnished.
In speaking on the subject of tidal power Mr.
Buell. said he saw no good reason why that Of
the East river between New York and Brook
lyn should not be utilized for the two cities.