The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-04-23
VAST WATER POWER.
Utilization of Great Natural Forces
in This Country.
Possibility of Bringing Into Service the
Tremendous Energy of Lakes, Xiv
and Waterfalls for Indus
trial Purposes.


Tremendous Energy of Lakes, Xiv
ers and Waterfalls for Indus
trial Purposes.
Chicago has it in contemplation TO
light 700 miles of streets with power
obtained from its great drainage canal,
when the waters of Lake Michigan are
poured through it into the Illinois river:
New York is looking forward to the
day when power may be brought down
from Niagara or from the Catskills:
I'oston is within the sphere of the Mer-
rinacll falls: Washington can get an
abundant supply of power to light
every street and public building from
the Great falls of the Potomac, where
100000 horSe-pow wer is running to waste;
Haltimore and Philadelphia are situated
near the tide-water step that runs along
the base of the Alleghanies, while Rich
mond is directly ON the step, with So
600 horsepower in sight. In fact, few,
if any, of our great cities are beyond the
reach, ii we may proceed upon the as
sumption of Tesla, (who says that the
power of Niagara may be carried ulti-
matcly over any part of the American
continenD. of the energy of some cat
aract or storage OF water.
] he sudden awakening to a knowl-
edge of an ineXhaustible resource OF
power. and the ability to use it. must
result in a great revolution in economic
conditions, far greater than that
brought about by the introduction of
steam. This revolution will be felt in
greatly enhanced production. with
cheaper cost to the consumer. together
with a large increase and general eN-
tension of the comforts of life, such rs
may be included in transportation, pow
er for domestic purposes. light and heat,
including fuel, the cost of which will
be considerably reduced. In the cities
there VIII be, one may well believe, Il
wonderful transformation. and that
within the cogniZance of the present
generation. The use of steam in the
thousands of isolated plants will be gen
orally abolished, light and power Icing
delivered through the agency of elec-
tricity from central plants situated per
haps 100 or 200 miles distant. (Who
Gares set the limit?) The dangers of
the steam boiler and the furnace in
crowded buildings and beneath the side
walks of the city, and the discomforts
of the wholesale consumption Of coal
Will be done away with for Il cheaper
4 safer and q healthier system.
Nor is il to be Inferred that because
We have water power we shall have no
more steam and coal. Not at all. But
there viii he a more rational and eco
numical consumption of coal, neceS-
STATED by the cheapness of the power
generated by the turbine wheel and
transmitted from the dynamo to the
motor. II Will no longer pay to mine
coal and ship il hundreds of miles To
the cities by our present cumbersome
and waSteful methods dosing 80 10 50
per cent? when its essence can be
better sent by wire. 1t requires no
spirit of prophecy to foretcll that in the
beginning of the next century the ccai
viii be burned at the mine shaft. and
every ton brought to the surface Will
bc utilized. The power-plant located
at the mine shaft. hurnir" the run OF
the mIne," either as coal or Ia the icrm
OF gas. can better compete with the
i.uv rr-p plant at the fails than can the
furnace and boiler n the city. There
viii I've no more black hills of culm at
the mines. disfiguring the face of the
country and choking the .trelI.a. ana
no ashes and cindeTs to worry the city
cpns uEer. The copper wire in the un-
derground conduit viii carry the en-
ergy safely and economically to the
point of consumption, and the railroad
or factory engineer, or the houSCv fe ili
the home, need but to press Il hutton
TO send the train at 100 miles an hour:
to set the spindles or lathcs in mo
ton; to heat the house, or to cook the
dinner.
The social phases Inevitably accou:-
panying this mechanical revolution
Tnay bc far more beneficial than the eco
ncmical gains, great as they viii doubt
less be. The saving TO the huuScECep-
er in time and labor viii make her 4
new woman indeed, and the general ir-
production of the electric stove may
reasonably bc expected to cause Il de
cidcd advance in the health and hap
piness of the race.
Whether the distribution of power
from the falls and the mines will al
ways remain in the hands of corpora
tons of capitalists is problem thatthr
future must decide. There is no de-
nying. however. that the object lesson
of the universal public use of natural
forces viii be powerful one from
coliectiviSt point of view, and should any
state tas Wyoming or Utah. for eX-
ample) undertake the distribution of
electric power. as cities distribute pas
and water. the experiment would bc
Watched with the greatest interest by
tire whole civilized world-John L.
BrGmhall, in Leslie's Weekly