Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-04-17

ture with respect to water power. will
not go into detailed description of the
various cascades and rapids that can be
developed for power purposes. 10 any
one wishing this information, l refer
them to an article, by tho writer, on this
subject, published in the Engineering
News, July 10, 1894 1t is sufficient
here to state that the total descent rep
resented by the falls of the Missouri is
500 feet. This fall, if utilized for power
purposes, would give minimum power,
for the year, of about 2500)O g.oss horse
power. About double Of this amount
can be relied upon for at least six
months out OF the year. This is so
great that one can hardly realize
its possibilities for commercial industry.
Compare this power with the water
power OF Lowell or Manchester, having
each 10000 horse power, developed at
great cost, and contemplate the possibil-
25O,0OO horse power, Of which but a
small fractional part has thus far been
developed for use The Black Eagle
falls, the first in the series, has been par
TALLY developed, atfording at present
$1,000 horse power that can be increased
somewhat at small expense, as the de-
manu for power requires.
When we consider that the minimum
flow of the Missouri river at these falls
is more than double the flow of the
Mississippi river at Minneapolis, and
that the head or fall developed at Min
neapolis is practically the same us that
obtained by the preseut development of
the Black Eagle falls, you can form
some idea of the value of the water
power of the entire falls OF the
Missouri for the building up of great
manufacturing and commercial indus
tries not only to Cascade county but to
the whole state of Montana. The unde-
veloped power shows the future re-
sources Of Cascade county for power to
be unlimited. | have stated before that
the development of the falls of the Mis-
souri, might be possibly slower than that
of Niagara, but this, however, is not nee
essarily true prediction. The resources
of Cascade county an the surrounding
county both agricultural and mineral,
are such that the demand for power to
improve them may far exceed our expec-
tations in the realization.
The vast deposits of valuable mineral
bearing ore in Cascade county and the
surrounding country are all tributary to
this great source of power for treatment
The immense deposits of first grade Bes-
semer iron ore found in Cascade county
will ere long find their way to these falls
for treatment. With lime stone, silica
sand, fire clay, coal and coke, all at
hand, what is to prevent a great iron in
dustry springing up here that will sup
ply this great empire west of the Missis-
sippi river with all the iron and steel
needed within her limits? The gold,
silver and copper ores that must come to
these falls for treatment need not be
mentioned. This is self-evident prop
osition. At present but one of the large
works of Montana for the reduction of
of copper ore is located at Black Eagle
falls on the falls of the Missouri. The
success that this company is achieving
in the cheap reduction of it's ores can
not fail to attract the attention of the
mine owners to the desirability of OBJ
tanning foothold at this source of
cheap power and unlimited water
supply.
| dare predict that the time is not far
distant when the banks of the Missouri
river along the entire distance of the falls
will be occupied by works for the treat.
men: ores, and factories for the manu-
featuring of the products of these ores,
together with others for the menufac
ture of the various articles needed
throughout the country. There is room
for all and power for all-although 1T
may be many years before northern
Montana will be as thickly populated as
IL L,
years before the advantages of all this
cheap power to be derived from the falls
Of the Missouri will be fully realized,
and the works of both large and
small consumers of power will be
located along it's banks, and the
largest inland city between the great
lakes aud the Pacific ocean will have
been created, through the influence of
the limitlees water power of the falls of
the Missouri Nj. S. PARKER.