The Weekly Tallahasseean. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 18??-1905, 1901-12-20
ELECTRICITY AND WATERPOWER.

Electricity generated by water
seems to be the destined cheap power
Tor California ano for other portions of
the arid West Where coal is scarce or
too expensive for profitable USE, The
conditions in California are particular
favorable for rapid advance in this di-
rectiOn. They are briefly: First, the
high price of fuel; and second, a for
tunate combination of favorable con-
dltionS of climate, topography, and wa
ter resources. By reason of these con-
dItions California has made an envia-
BILE name for itself in the last twelve
years by its energy and enterprise in
the development and transmission of
electric power, and still holds a posi-
ton among the foremost in this regard.
The coal used in Southern California
comes from Alaska, British Columbia,
New Mexico, and even Australia, and
soft Goals sell for from $6 TO $40 per
ton. This almost pIOhibitiVG price for
fuel, while it has made power very eX-
penSiVe and greatly retarded the mani
featuring progress of the State, has
also given n strong impetus TO water
and electrical advancement. The al
VantageS California lacks in coal de-
posits and prices, it possesses in a
marked degree in other respects. Ii in
Guides within its boundaries high, long
| itUdlTal mountain ranges. which are
SHOW capped throughout the year, and
| from which flows numerous streams of
very heavy gradients furnishing ideal
power for the operation of electrical
machinery. The general climate cOndi-
| lions of the State are also an aid to
| this development. The average low
relative humidity of the atmosphere
greatly aids in the transmission of the
electric current by permitting a high
order of insulation of che line. In this
way power is transmitted over long
distances, considerably farther than
elsewhere in this country. A notable
instance of this sthe power plant on
the Yuba river, IN the Sierra Nevada
mountains, where electricity is genera
ted which operates the street cars Of
Oakland, 140 miles away. Power has
also been used over the same line at
San Jose, a distance of 100 miles from
the generating plant. This is said to
be the longest line of power transmits
sion in existence.
There are a number of other inter-
esting electric plants in California be-
sides that on the Yuba river. One on
the North Fork of the San Joaquin
river, in the east central part of the
State, supplies power for light and gen.
eral purposes of the city of Fresno and
surrounding towns distant about sew
enty miles. On the different branches
of the Kern river there are several
plants, some Of which are intended to
furnish power for the City of Los An
geles, situated 1O8 miles away. To
the San Antonio Light and Power
Company however, belongs the credit
of the erection of the first plant for the
long distance transmission of eleetri-
city in the United States. In 1892 cur
rent was delivered over the Lines sOf
this company to the cities of Pomona
and San BernardinO, distance of eigh-
teen and tWenty-eight miles respective
ly, at line voltage of 10000 volts, an
achievement hitherto unheard Of
These and other plants are all run by
the splendid waterpowers of the State
and the great possibilities for further
development are limited only by eco
nOmic needs.
Much attention through a series of
years has been gwen to a careful and
systematic study Of the streams of
California, to secure the data on which
depend their development for power
and irrigation purposes. Most of this
work has been done Oy the United
States Geological Survey as a part of
its general investigation Of the water
resources of the whole country.