Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-29
WILL USE THE JAMES
IT'S POWER TO BE DEVELOPED BY
A WEALTHY SYNDICATE.
PLANS FORMULATED AND APPROVED.
RIpnrinn and other Rights Secured.
Grent Resources OF the River to he
Turned to Account mt Last Tor
Manufactures. Lighting, Etc.

the ocean.
Time and time again the Dispatch has
urged the practicability OF utilizing this
vast energy for the public interest, and
has called attention to reports of expert
engineers. who have estimated this force
which is running to waste at many
thousand horse power.
Within the last few months a-plau has
been formed TO develop this power, ana
company, composed Of Baltimore and
New York gentlemen OF great wealth;
the General Electric Company. of New
York. the second largest corporation In
this country. and several Richmond gem
tlemen. have so far secured options from
the seventeen owners of water-power
rights on both sides of the river.
Among the Richmond gentlemen closely
! identified with the arrangement are MT.
| Charles L. Williams, and Captain An
drew Pizzni. Mr.. Williams was not IN
the city yesterday, but Captain Pizzinl
who returned from a trip to New YORK
undertaken mainly In the interest or the
new company, said 10 a Dispatch reporter
! last night that they had secured op-
tions on practically all the water power
Of James river and proposed 10 Increase
this power by raising the dam at the
three-mile locks. above the city. two
feet higher. They will put in tirst-claSs
electric machinery and will be able 10
furnish electricity to. Richmond for any
purpose whatsoever. at a tar lower
price than it has been supplied hitherto.
NO DOUBT ABOUT THE SCHEME.
There no longer exists any doubt
that this enterprise will be brought here
said Captain Pizzini Engineers nave
submitted elaborate and most satisfactory
reports. The company was to have
been fully organized, and officers elected
last Monday, but some hitch occurred
which has temporarily deferred these
formalities. The company expects 10 DE
I'm a position to offer power TO manu-
facturers at one sixth of the present cost
and to supply the railroads and electric
companies at a lower figure than they
are able to produce il. The company in
| tends to purchase certain riparian and
other river rights, with a view to effect
ing certain changes i'm the river. which
will make the power more constant than
| IL is at present and furnish an adequate
| supply at low-water. The improvements
to be effected will also provide for the
! caretaklng of the water in case OF q
freshet. The expense Of such gigantic
undertaking will. of course, be enormous
but Captain Pizzini says that the new
company is prepared TO spend all the
money needed in the undertaking.
EXTENT OF WATER-POWER.
Some time ago Mr.. Frank Isaacs, the
| experienced hydraulic engineer Of the
| Chesapeake and Ohio railway writing on
/ the water-power of the James river at
! Richmond and Manchester said:
The advantages that could be offered
TO manufacturing plants using water
power are very good. owing to the ac-
| feasibility of the sites at which the
power could be used and the facilities
for bringing in raw material and ship
ping the manufactured product by,
mainly. railroad transportation, though
water transportation could in many
cases be antage0usy used. At al
most all available sites railroad sidings
could be constructed at moderate cost
TO the receiving and shipping-rooms OF
manufacturers The water-pOwers, as
now developed, are. however. under seve-
raj different ownerships, and are uu-
! lized to nearly the full amount OF power
that ii is practicable to furnish, unless
very material expense is incurred in the
betterment. enlargement and extension
of the existing facilities, and such bet
torment by any one owner Of any por-
ton of the water-power would be din
cult of proper development without pos
sibIy. raising what might be retardnS
questions of riparian rights as between
the various owners Of water-power On
the river within the limits of the pro-
posed betterments. The entire water
mower at Manchester, and the larger
portion Of that at Richmond belongs to
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Com
pany. The other water-powers in Rich
mond belong TO the HaXall-Crenshaw
Company. used at HaXall Mills; the Old
Dominion Iron and Nail-Worts, used at
its plant on Belle Isle, and the city OF
Richmond. used at the Old city Pump
House. without the cooperation OF an
these owners. either by a proper adj
iustment OF all riparian Questions ana
a fixed division Of individual rights be
tween themselves. or by the con-
solldation of all the water-poWei5
under the ownership, any develop
ment and addition to the water-poWer
now I'm use would appear TO De lmpiac-
ticable on any extensive scale, out Ger
tain portions Of some Of the powers might
be enlarged and added TO in a matefldl
manner without interference with 'h7
interests Of water-powers lower down on
The river Some while since the various
owners named above employed Mr.. heu-
hon Sheriffs. an experienced and compe-
tent hydraulic engineer to investigate
and report on the question Of the most
advisable means of developing the water
noyyer Of the river at Richmond ana
Manchester 10 its best results, and the
deductions as TO power and development
given below are mostly gotten from that
report.
MAY BE MADE PROFITABLE.
The total fall from Bosher's Dam tnine
miles above Richmond TO tidewater Is
10 foot but the financial difficulties OF
utilizing the whole flow OF the river over
tbis Great fall are prOhibitiye under the
nresent circumstances, though future de-
velonments and discoveries in the 1cience
Of transmission OF power from central
stations of generation may remove these
dificultles and make such a work pro-
ftable. The plan. however or consoll-
dating all interests under one ownership
- daveloping power to the extent OF
the dependable flow Of the river, without
storage bv a series OF three dams between
the Three-AIile Locks Ohree miles above
Richmond and tidewater has many at
fractions. and offers a large increase over
the power now utilized at cost that
would make the development profitable
with the total additional amount Of power
thus made available brought into use
for manufacturing purposes. The totdl
fall from the present crest or the dam
al Three-Mile Locks to udewater Is -
Cot and of this fall 70 feet could be
-, .yaflable divided between
~ three dams. without inter-
saring Inv back-water with the con-
secutive use OF the water by ordinary
small rises In the river. In 1878. when
the river was at an unusually low stage.
..s,,t s,ouyfn, Of the flow Of the uiVer