The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-03-20
Su.nuehnnna ELECTRICITY.

| Plans for the construction of the grea
electric power plant, through which the Sus
ouehanna river will be used to furnish cleo
| trical power to towns in Cecil and Hartford
counties, Maryland, manufacturing place
along the Susquehanna, in Pennsylvania ant
also points in Delaware, having been com
pleted by Clemes Hcrschel of New York, the
noted hydraulic engineer, who had charge OF
the construction of the Niagara electric plant
work will be begun in the early spring, and
in less than a years time the company ex
poets to be able to furnish power rs lar north
as Wilmington and as far south as Baltimore.
Engineer Herschel, in his report on the
| great work to be undertaken, discusses the
minimum flow of rivers generally as affecting
their utility for generating electrical power.
| He saws: whatever reasonable low water be
assumed, and whenever the limit of minimum
| power of the works, %, 600 horse power, shall
be approached, proper safeguard Will have
to be taken to insure against deficiency by
providing for additional water power on the
lower site
This applies to the proposed plans by rea-
son of there being two falls at each Of which
it is proposed TO develop 10000 horse power,
and the minimum flow of the Susquehanna
River. which is only about per cent. of the
time, produces $4,000 horse power at each
fall Therefore, when the horse power of the
first plant is disposed of, the company should
proceed to erect second development.
All water power unless all absolutely con
slant power like Niagara) can proiitably be
supplemented by steam power, the steam en-
gines, to run only during the weeks or months
of deficiency of power and to stand idle at
the comparatively small expense OF the inter
est of the first cost of the steam plant when
not in use.
The company has acquired most of the land
fronting on the Susquehanna river between
Conowingo, Md, and the Pennsylvania State
line great dam and a system Of canals
will be constructed in which will be placed
the penstocks and turbine wheels for gen=rat-
ing the electricity the whole plan being SINH
lar to the Niagara Falls system.
The Westinghouse Electric Company, which
constructed the Niagara Falls plant, and
which company, it is understood, is interested
to Il considerable degree in the Susquehanna
project has submitted estimates of the cost Of
the electric plant.
1t is understood that some forty-tive feet
fall of water can be secured and the power
can be run up to 100000 horsepower, if re-
quired. No such amount of power, however,
will be needed, and the company, at the out
set, will probably start with transmitting
current of about 5000 horsepower only, and
thereafter increase it as the demand for the
supply increases. The cost of producing cleo
trio power by the consumption of coal is esti-
mated to be six mills per horsepower per
hour. With water as the generating power,
the cost is largely decreased down to the in
terest only on the cost of the plant and the
cost of its operation, the latter very small
sum.
Under its charter the company may carry
on many manufacturing, mechanical, indus
trial or chemical business in which electricity
over or through wires can be supplied
Messrs Elkson and Widener of the traction
syndicate and other Philadelphia, Pittsburg
and Baltimore capitalists are interested in the
oxford Press.