Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-08-18
NIaaara.s water Power.

elecflcians on the subject Of the long
distance transmission Of Niagara water
power Early In May there appeared
In a leading electrical journal an arti-
Gle In which Prof r.. J. Houston and
Air. A. T.. Kennedy went deliberately
into the question Of how far the water
power Of the falls could be transmitted
by electricity. The glst of their eOnten-
ton was that the power Of Niagara
Falls can be transmitted TO a radius
OF 200 miles cheaper than 1t can be pro
duced 1t any point within that range
by steam engines Of the most economi-
cal type, with coal at So per ton: fur
thermore that given a sufficiently
large output. it might be commercial
ly advisable TO underscll large steam
powers at twice this distance with no
profit. in order 20 reduce the general
expense upon delivery nearer home"
The article attracted wide attention
not only among electrical engineers,
but also In lay circles, and was prompt
ly noticed by newspapers throughout
the country. DIR. c. T.. Emery. an emil
nent engineer replied 10 the article
10y a series OF figures and statistics
which went 10 show that Messrs.
Houston and Kennedy had oyeresti-
mated some Of the points on which
their conclusions were based. and I'M
derestimated Others. For instance, the
H0ustOn-kennelly estimate regarding
the cost OF the hydraulic works is ST.
~ per horse power, as against DIR.
Emery's $40 per horse power. The
former quotes Prof Forbes. the cleo
trical engineer Of the Cataract Com.
pany, as testifying that there can be
little doubt that the efficiency OF our
dynamOs may reach al least. 9S per
cent" and they commit themselves 20
90 per cent Or. Emery holds that the
efficiency Of the 5000 generators viii
be only so per cent. He also makes an
estimate which puts the cost of opera
ton higher and the efficiency OF trans
mission much lower than those Of the
first estimate He does not believe, In
fact. that power can be economically
transmitted 90 Buffalo in the present
state Of electrical engineering. He
says: Mills, paper manufactures. etc.
requiring power for tweniy-fonr hours,
can best be- located directly at Niagara
Falls aud secure the unduubtcd low
tAAAfn AAAAAA " aAA ANAaAAA AAaAANs
II is thought that the first
transmission installation. which
will naturally he FOR Buffalo.
viii cost even more than estimated
above. as time and some tentative
work win be required before the appli-
cation becomes general The estimate
makes no provisions for subways.
which must be constructed 20 all points
reached. The costs may rise SO high
that even the transmission 10 Buffalo.
viii pay ony a small rerc e On
the cost, and conditions better than
those assumed must be found before
there win be much Of n market else
where" To this Messrs Houston &
l Kennedy have replied that their fig
urcs are correct from first To last. and
/ they mean 20 stick 10 them. In regard
/ h. the efficiency Of the 5000 horse pow
- generator. they say their own fig.
I ures of sc per cent Is uniusilnably low
I and that the efficiency Of the Frank
/ furtI .auffen plant yhcre power Is
/ transmitted over the conductors 10 n
I distance ~ 100 miles. Is a5.4 per cent,
I and the dynamo used IN that calcula-
I tion was only about one-twenticth II
/ the capacity Of those used mt Niagara.
/ Another cOmbatant has appeared in
I Francis r. Croker. Of Columbia Col
/ legc. who calls IN question the Houston
I Kennedy figures both IN the matter Of
Z percentage Tor annual interest, depre-
I citation and repairs, and the cost OF
I generators. motors and transformers.
4 all OF which he says are remarkably
I low. He thinks the estimates are not
I conservative" as they are claimed to
/ be. and that not enough margin has
/ been allowed all around. and he ques-
/ tons whether the cause Of long dis
/ lance power transmission win be help
/ I'd by assuming the owast possible
/ costs and expenses aud the highest
/ possible efiiciencics II Is proverhial
! that estimates should always bc made
! with ample margin. and in nine cases
| out OF ten. II is absolutely required"
| And so the fight Is waging When such
/ authorities as these take opposite sides
the question IN hand Is likely 10 be slft-
/ cd down pretty thoroughly and in all
/ probability before the works at Ma
/ CARA are In actual operation the theo-
/ retical status at all events Of the long
I distance transmission Of power electro
/ cally win have been accurately deter.
I mined.