Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-17
New England's Water Power.
ON the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
When Niagara Falls was first tapped to
furnish electric light and power for all
sorts of purposes many miles around, it
was a revelation to the world of the pos
sibilities in the practical application of the
new force, and SO strongly did it appeal to
the practical not to say the greedy side
of society, that there has been great diff
ficulty in preventing the destruction of the
cataract as one of natures wonders, and
making it simply a source of power for the
benefit of monopoly. But while there has
been danger that proper bounds might be
broken, and while that danger will doubt
less exist as long as legislatures are merce-
nary, the history of electrical operations
at Niagara has furnished great and sug-
gestive object lesson for the rest of the
country If a great water power can serve
such a wide expanse of populous territory
as the figures show could be done In this
case then smaller streams with sufficient
descent can render a similar service to more
limited territories, and there is now a
stronger tendency than has ever been man.
ifested before to develop that idea even in
the most obscure quarters.
Another great power center has now been
established in Pennsylvania, where the falls
of the SuSquehanna river, near York have
been put in shape to meet the needs of a
wide stretch of country at cost Of
$20OO.OCO. The electricity generated at this
point will be distributed to a large number
of towns and cities, of which PHILADELPHIA
will very likely be one. Another large
plant at Spier Falls on the upper Hudson
has been established and Is serving a large
and widely scattered population in all those
respects that the larger developments Of
our modern civilization demand.
But even the great plants are not so sig
nifcant of the vast expansion of the water
power of the country as the multiplicity of
smaller plants actual and projected in
places that have apparently become deca-
dent, but need only the touch of this new
force to awaken them to new life There
are hundreds of streams in New England
and we have in mind several such in Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut, that fifty years
ago furnished power for all sorts of small
but prosperous manufactures - WOODEN
mills, paper mills cutlery works, and so
forth. In the last two or three decades
these enterprises have gone by the board
swallowed up in the absorptions of their
business by the large centers. But the
streams remain. awaiting new uses which
seem to be suggested by the service we are
considering.
The central purpose of almost all nven-
ton is the increase multiplication Of
force and its practical application performs
that office for the streams of New England
Once their power at given point was only
sufficient to run,a single mill, and that fire.
quently not very large: but now working
through electric engines they can light the
streets or towns. propel their cars and
supply power for almost any number and
variety of industries that may be desired
AS water power is cheaper than steam
power. many venture that would other
wise he unpromising can now be made
profitable and new leases of life be brought
to sections long threatened with atrophy
and abandonment.