The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-15
TO UTILIZE rHG OANOoCaBB.
Scheme to Furnish Savannah wit
Cheap Power

a Scheme to Furnish Savannah With
Cheap Power.
Savannah syndicate has purchased
1900 acres of land on the Canoochee river,
controlling what are called the rapids,
twenty-five miles from Savannah and about
twenty miles above the Canoochee's outlet
into the Ogeeohee and fifteen miles above
tide water.
The United States government had the
Caneochee river surveyed with a view TO
make 1t navigable, with the result that the
engineers found a fall OF twenty-one feet
in three miles and the bed solid stratum
of sandstone of considerable thickness
The rapids are just on the edge Of the coast
low lands and the up country, and it was
found that it would be impracticable to
make the river navigable on account of
the differ enoe in elevation.
The plan OF the syndicate is to utilize the
rapids as water power and it is belle wed
that 10000 to $4,000 horse power could
easily be obtained and with it power for
the generation of electricity and other
purposes. The main plan is to
utilize the rapids to drive turbine
wheels, and by the establishment of an cleo
trio power station bring into Savannah the
power over a system of wires. 1t is calcu-
lated that over an ordinary trolly wire the
loss OF power amounts to one-horse power
per mile. With well insulated covered wire
half an inch thick, capable of carrying the
electricity from q number Of dyna-
mos. the loss in power will
probably not amount to more than
10 or Is per cent. but even loss of so per
cent. could occur, WITHOUT rendering this
plan lmpracticable. Besides, on long Cir
cult like this. it would be advisable to have
one or more accumulators, which have the
capacity to store electricity for sew
eral hours, soy five or six hours.
AS an offset to loss of
power by resistance of the electrical trans
mission in the wire, or caused by grounds
which are liable 10 occur more or less, there
is continuous production of power day
and night which would be stored in the
accumulators and become available.
AS TO the financial prospect OF the plan,
the cost of horse power averages in Sa-
vennah Soo per year, In the water works K
1t costs the city, with wood as fuel at SO So
per cord, 500 per horse power per year
for twenty-four hours work.
The company counts on obtaining for
power just half of this average of S25 per
horse power, which would give gross in
come of $3.50, 900 on 10000 horse power or
$500, 900 on &c, 900 horse power. This income
would represent 20 per cent. gross on
81 $50, 600 and So, 800. 900 respectively, of
capital to be employed.
This calculation is OF course entirely prob~
lematic, Gs the cost Of the plant, the ex-
penses of running aud maintaining the
same, the loss OF power by transmission and
the capital employed, will be the factors
which will decide the cost of the power
here. 1t is believed that SOS psr horse
power for actual power used will be remun-
| erative to the enterprise and will give
Savannah what it needs to become a first
class manufacturing town. namely, a cheap
and abundant power, which can be obtained
| with comparatively little outlay and in
short time, what other inland manufacture
Ing towns, like Augusta, have obtained
after years of hard toll and the spending of
immense sums ofmopey. They had to wait
for years on the result, which will be felt
here at once. As for instance, the
| saving of 81, 600 per year in the cost of
power TO the Savannah cotton mills, will at
once make It's stock paying dividend of 10
per cent. instead of 6 per cent. the value Of
the stock will quickly reach $3.50 and over
The same will be the case with many other
enterprises already established. Cheap
power means assured success to them.
The promoters of this enterprise are
fully confident that 1t will be a great thing
for Savannah. The moving spirits are G.
B. Warrand and William Falconer, backed
by we'll known electric plant company OF
Philadelphia.