The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-31

Fails Shoal. Horseford Shoal. Devil
Shoal and Rocky Ford Shoal are all To-
calites worthy Of investigation by those
seeking after water-power
Horseford Shoal has fall of 314 feet
in Il distance of 20 miles, and probably
over LOCO horse power can be obtained
here Devil Shoal has a fall of about
ii feet and will yield over 80 horse
power. These two shoals have been pur-
chased by The Odell Manufacturing
Company. and development work is now
in progress on them.
The South Fork of the Catawba is ono
of the principal manufacturing streams
of the State, almost all OF the available
power sites being utilized.
The most important power on the river
is High Shoals. where the fall amounts to
81 feet in about one-fourth of mile.
The development OF this would render a
large amount of power available, though
no estimate of the power can be given.
There are seven cotton mills deriving
their power from this stream.
On the other tributaries of the Cataw-
ba there are Il number Of smaller pow
ers, but none worthy of special mention
exccpt possibly that ON linville River
where there is total fall of l,S0O feet
in ten miles.
There are q number of powers on the
Broad River and its tributaries, mostly
undcveloped, such as the Hopper and
Blanton Shoal, the Palmer Shoal, Dur
ham Shoal and Big Island Ford Shoal.
! No estimates Of the power available al
these places can be given.
| The powers on the tributaries has been
more largely developed than that on the
main stream. Thus ON the First Broad
| River and its tributaries there are -four
cotton mills aud several grist and saw
mills, all operated by it's water.
| On the Second Broad River are located
| the Henrietta Mills, Nos. / and 2, con
taining a total of 10000 spindles and
2,0G0 looms, all operated by the water
of this stream.
The power on the other tributaries
with the exception of Green River is not
worthy Of mention here.
No very thorough examination Of the
streams and water-powers west of The
| Blue Ridge has ever been made. How
! ever the conditions Of the topography are
favorable to the development Of powel
! in large amounts at a great number o.
places on the streams. The average fal
| per mile on all the streams of this sec
ton is great and the average flow large
though like all the streams of the State
/ they are subject to rather violent fresh
/ cts and to short periods of low flow as ;
1 consequence Of drought The greater
number Of localities in the mountain
| counties where water-pOwer development
! is practicable are not within easy reacl
/ Of transportation facilities over either
railroads or good wagon roads, and il
many cases the river g0rgeS are SO mar
row and the country so rough that the
| conditions are not favorable to the estab
/ lishment of adjacent manufacturing
/ plants Hence to the development an(
| utilization of these powers it would no
| only seem advisable hut necessary tina
! the power should be transmitted electric
! ally from the place where it is developed
| to the railroads where localities for thu
| establishment of manufacturing plants
and transportation facilities are bOtl
| within easy reach.
| On New River almost all the shoals
which are capable of easy development
/ are to be found on the North and South
| Forks. There are ON both these streams