The Portland daily press., 1897-04-01

done and are doing great deal for the
smaller manufacturers in these cities
and for small motor service, machines up
to twenty five horse power, and they are
as rule very satisfactory. But that
there is demand for a more extensive
service and for much larger units of
power there can he no question, and 1T is
to be hoped that some arrangement may
be made by the power companies already
in existence in the larger cities and towns
of Maine to crafty this demand for
cheaper power that oan be produced At
very small cost by water power compared
with coal. There has been much said of
late in regard to the development of
water powers and supplying current to
the city of Portland, but, by law en-
acted two years ago, no company not al
ready established in city or town can
get in no matter what may be- the in
ducement to the people. But this is a
matter that will surely come tn the front
and companies now in control must ar
range tn get the water power themselves
that can be supplied cheaply and furnish
to the people or they will be supplanted
by those who will, for the people demand
IT and will never rest easy until 1T is an
accomplished fact, and in this low cost
water power is the answer to the
question. What are the possibilities open
to Maine through the utilization of
electricity? The question oannot be
answered In any other way. 1t is affirmed
by Wells "Water Power of Maine,' that
the ayaila BILE water power of Maine ex-
ceeds every other portion Of the earth's
suriaee of equal extent. Penobsoot lake
near the northwest part of Penobsoot
river is 1909 feet above tide water level.
The source OF the Saco is 1904 feet above
tide water. Androscoggin $500 feet, Ken
nebeo goo feet. The state is divided into
six great basins, First the upper ST.
John of 4, 800, geo aores extent; second,
Penobscot 5,24s, 600; third, Kennebeo,
8, $50, 900; fourth, Androsooggin, 1850,
000, fifth, ST. Croix. S04, 600; sixth. Pts
cataqua. (Salmon Falls RI 800, 0G0. The
Penobscot and Kennebec basins lie
wholly within the state. or all the
agencies for producing power running
water is the cheapest and most effective
when IL is unfailing in it's supply as is
| the case with most of Maine water
powers. Great Britain has cheap power
in her coal, SO has Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
| Names coal ia all under water at Small
| Point. Water is on top sure and it is the
hope of Maine, and if we will grasp our
opportunity it will do miracles for us,
not like the turning of wafer into wine,
but the turning of water into wealth.
The eongealing Of it in our winter
months brings us wealth and costs moth
ing only the labor, ami it detracts moth
to prevent tue organization of more than
one ice company in any city or town in
the stats? There were only 10, 900 tons
cut in the years of lS49 and 1850. but
3,092, 400 tons were harvested and soldAin
1890. The same is hhe case with our
granite, slate, bricks, and our summer
tourists they are all great sources of rsye-
nue. to our state, but Of all the methods
for producing wealth, nothing offers so
great returns as does the development of
water power as is now made posi- BILE by
the aid of electricity, for this is the
agency that makes urther advancement
possible. The electric street railways are
now covering cur state and only a few
links are needed to so from one end of
the state to the other in this way; about
two-thirds of the distance is now covered
by electric lines from Portland to Boston,
and it Is prophesied that in ten years
from this time there will not be single
locomotive driven by steam in Maine
Then the water powers are arranged SO
conveniently that they will supply cur
rent to drive every car both passenger
and freight, and this power that is now
running to waste will then be in demand.
There are without doubt, 400, 900 horse
power within easy reach (by the utiliza-
ton of electricity of cities and towns
now in dire need of the wealth stored up
| In 1t that is now running to waste every
| day, and basing this at as low cost as
| steam can be produced from coal $50 per
horse power. it would be worth $40, 600, 900
annually to the State of Maine.
Mr.. Walter Wells in his "Water Power
of Maine,'' says that Maine by the utill.
cation of these powers could sustain as
large a population on as equal area as
England, which had a population in 1880
of rs, 974, 4S9 with an area of so, 600 square
miles, PIT persquare mile, while Maine has
more than one-third this area or 50, O56
| wit lat of In,
661, 0S6, 90 per square mile Portland,
Deering and Cape Elizabeth had popula-
| ton of about 0,a00 people in 1890, but
with the advantages to be gained by the
| Introduction of cheap power produced by
water she would increase her population
| so, 600, and increase her wealth in like
proportion within ten years time. There
are more than 10, 900 horse power, within
| fifteen miles of Portland on the Pre-
sumpsoot and Saco rivers that Is now
| idle; just think what this would do for
| this community if delivered here at a
cost of $40 to $50 per horse power.
| This closed the papers of most inter
esting meeting.
|. An invitation to meet In Ellsworth at
the next gathering was presented and
referred by custom to the executive COM
mittee.
| Ihe Board then adjourned to the ban
quet room.
The banquet which followed the after
noon session was credit to the Riverton
Casino, to the caterer, Mr.. Smith, and
to the Deering Board of Trade. Three
| long tables were spread In the handsome
dining hall and as they were decorated
under the artistic eye of the manager Of
the Casino they presented a handsome
and attractive picture as the half
! famished delegates to the State Board of
| Trade filed into the room. The service
| during the dinner was excellent. the
menu was so we'll prepared and arranged
| that it would have satisfied the most
| fastidious epioure, and 1t is hardly
necessary to say that the banquet was
greatly enjoyed.
The following gentlement were present:
John E. Sawyer of Deering, Henry
Lord of Bangor, Charles Il. Adams of
T,owe11 MaSn ~ "A Randall Ranrv e