The morning call., 1893-05-07
ELECTRIC POWER.

The paper read before the Technical
Society of the Pacific Coast by Mr.. W. L. c.
Hasson on electric transmission awakened
attention on a question of much nj omeut to
California. Fuel has to be brought such
great distances from the north and from
Australia. England and the East that any
natural resources which will give us me-
ch hanical power without coal is boon to in
dustry. We have only begun to find out
how much the vast water supply OF the
Sierras and cur rivers represents in manu-
featuring possibilities at present almost
wholly unutilzed. AS Mr.. Hasson points
out, an era of industrial activity is at hand
If this latent power, by the generation of
electricity and lis Transmission to con-
vcnient places at distance. is made avail
able by the electrician and machinist.
This is matter in which the manufac-
turer must be guided by the man of science.
who has made electricity as applied to
mechanics practical study. Fortunately
calculations OF the almost exact description
needed may be made with certainty. The
electrician can give us definite guidance by
measuring the volume of water and the
pressure and estimating the power which
may be produced according to distance and
capablity of wire used in transmission. 1t
is becoming we'll nigh as easy to do this as
to ind out what sleam can accomplish
Both with electricity and steam the engi-
neer is able to com ute the horsepower
available with precision. In going to work.
therefore, the important matter to keep in
view IS to know what rover may be drawn
from mountain stream dashiug along pre-
clpitoasly or from river broad and deep
Which makes up in mass for moderate mo-
mentum. This inquiry being reduced to
data the engineer can arrange to transmit
the power long or short distances making
due allowance for losses And then comes
the question Of cost, and what 1t is Rdvis-
able to do in economic application to in
dustry.
A manufacturer who wants to begin opera
| lions at a certain point can ascertain with
accuracy what will be the cost of obtaining
! power. and determine whether steam or
electric machinery will be the more
economical. Wtlin moderate distance of
the water source, the gain should be on the
side of electricity, and where the water is
! great the current may be transmitted great
| distances. At San Antonio an electric
supply Is in use sent along twenty-eight
miles distance. and at Redands 5000 horse
power is obtained from source twenty
miles distant. Sacramento has great
| future as manufacturing town owing to
| the opportunity it has of substituting
| electric for steam power. The supply
| promises to be adequate fer vast exten-
sion Of mechanical industry. As water may
| be obtained along the whole line of the
Sierra. sometimes with a strong head to
| compensate for the small volume, it is
| probable that manufactures will spring up
| in many places where they would other
wise be impraeticable owing to the absence
| of fuel. The very power which runs mills
may also be used to provide facilities of
transportation by rail. Thus new condi-
tinns are arising favorable to industrial
initiative and prosperity, an accompaniment
| of which Will be a considerable increase of
population. More than ANYTHING else for
| development we need industries of many
| kinds, spread over different parts of the
| State, and not concentrated in few towns.