The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-12-04
Tie Future Work of Waterfalls.

up the coal beds. To be sure
they were likely to last for cen
turics; but still, the end of them must
come, and what would become of civi
lization then? But the carcworn pro
phct OF disaster has furrowcd his brow
in vain with such dismal calculations
for now that the dynamo has come
into play we know that as long as
grass grows and water runs-and even
if grass stops growing, so long as
water continues running-th there will
be power enough, aud to spare with
out pound Of coal or an ounce Of
steam.
The value Of waterfalls as dynamo
runners was first discovered, recent
magazine writcr asserts, hy (" mine
owner out in Colorado. His mine was
up on astccp mountain side, and every
ton of coal had to be packed up zig
gag path on burros. Frequently bur-
ros, coal, and all, tumblcd off the path
into space, thus adding to the wrong
side OF the account, and the mine,
being low grade ore, ceased to pay cx-
penses. The mine owner had travel
ed in Italy, and he remembered the
old Roman aqucducts, with longing.
If had an ancient Roman aquc-
duct up here, could make my for
tune he remarked one day to his
chief engineer.
"Wcll, there's big waterfall on
the upper spur of the mountain" said
the engineer.
"Yes; but it 8 twenty miles away"
"You could make it run dynamo,
and then transmit the current" said
the engineer, "and you wouldn't need
to go to Rome for your power then" :"
The mine owner was struck by the
suggestion. He promptly followed it..
The waterfall was set to turning tur-
bine wheels, the wheels set dynamos
running, and the current was brought
on wires to the mine, where the cleo
trio motors awaited it, No more coal,
no more burros, no more eating up Of
profits-th coot Of the mower that
runs that mine to-day is not as much
as the yearly repairs Of the whole
plant used to be; and the wise mine
owner rents out his surplus power to
other mines.
Many mines used this new idea,
with profit. Then the cities in the
mining districts took advantage of the
system, and hurnessed waterfalls on
their own account. Sacramento, Los
Angeles, Salt Lake City, Butte, Seat
tie, and Ogden, all tried the expert
ment and found it successful. Taft
vile, Connecticut, learned from the
West and set hundreds of looms going
by power transmitted from little fall
five miles away. Columbia, South
Carolina, followed suit. A Georgia
countryman harnessed creek on his
OWE farm, lighted his house and oper-
ated his farm by electric power, hired
it to his neighbors, took contract for
lighting the village near by, and ended
by being president of trolley limo.
Europe became interested when
Niagara wss harnessed. That won
derful achievement set the world. in
deed, to thinking of the new idea.
Mexico and Canada, England, Italy,
Franoe, Sweden, all are at work on
their waterfalls, small and great. The
current that hauls cars to the top of
the Jungfrau comes from Swiss
waterfall. BY queer coincidence,
the same Roman aqueduct that gave
the hint to the Rocky Mountain mine
owner now sends power to Rome, to
light her historic streets. Darkest
Africa is preparing to light up, too;
for Professor Forbes has just visited
Victoria Falls to arrange for harness
Alg them and transmitting enough
power to Buluwayu TO run all the
machinery in all the gold mines for
twenty years to come, and light the
town, besides. Victoria Falls, in
deed, with {. line that can be tapped
for power at any point, can furnish
enough to cut down the forests, de-
velop the mines, build the towns, and
run the manufacturing plants of the
Zambesi region, and have enough left
to operate trolley line from the Cape
to Carlo. Until mar harnesses the
sun-which may be the next achieve
ment, for Tesla has firm faith in its
practicability-the cataracts of the
earth will provide him with all the
power he needs; and if he cannot yet
"hitch his wagon toa STAR he can