The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-12-21
Transmission Of Electric Power.

according TO the Electrical Review
NIAGARA Falls.sis already the greatest
distributing point in the world for
electric water power. and It seems
Likely TO become the geatest source
aof transmitted power presently.
Plants IN operation at the falls are
new daiivering nearly LAO, eco horse
power at full load, and only one
fourth of5this gets as far away as
Buffalo, q distance OF 20 miles.
6 The plants now under construction
as Niagara are designed to add more
than one-haH million horse power to
the generating capacity shere, and
much of this great increase must be
transmitted in order TO 6nd a market.
Evidence TO support this opposition Is
found In the fact that 1T has required
nearly eight years ta build up load
off less than one hundred thousand
horse power for the larger OF the
plants now IN operation, and the
smaller plant is older than this.
Wish his great power available at Nj
agara Falls, the distances between
IS xad senns large centers OF poPula-
tion are Of prime importance IN their
bearing on the qesticn OF transm!s-
sion. Fortunately many OF these dis
Sanees are witfsin the commercial
reach of electric lines st high volt
ages. H IS Interesting to- consider.
also Cor moment some large cities
chat are apparently beyond the range
OF economic Transmission IN tie pre-
sent state of the art. Draw q cirle
with al radiRs Of 5co miles about
Niagara and the cities of Mon
teal Boston, New York, Washing
Ton. Cincinnati, indianapolis and
Chicago are incIuded. While the
sransmission Of poWerto distance OF
500 miles rs not commercially practl-
cable under ordinary conditions, in
the present state of the art, ii would
be rash TO say that the thing may not
be done within a. asdecade. a circle OF
800 miles about Niagara Falls Just
misses Montreal and New York city,
and includes Philadelp phia, Baltimore,
Washington, Columbus, Toledo and
Detroit even this distance is some
what beyond the present commercial
Limits of transmission to points,
whore coal is cheap, but 8 moderate
Improvement In transmission methods
may well suffice 20 bring energy from
Niagara Falls into the streets OF
New York city Within 200 miles Of
the falls are Utica, Scranton. Pitts
burgh sand Cleveland, and Harrisburg
and Detroit are just beyond this
limit. Whether the transmission Of
Niagara power to distances as great as
800 miles will pay under existing con-
liticns is question that fairly admits
os different opinions. A dehnite anes
Swer can only be given for each case
when all Of the factors that enter in-
80: &c are considered. Precedent is not
lacking for such 8 transmission, be-
cause id one Instance at least, that
so the line between the Saba power
house and Susalltc. across the Col
den Gate from San Francisco, electri-
TAI energy is now being delivered az
point 232 miles from the place where
1s is generated.
- Narrowing the circle about the
Niagara cataract to radius OF 100
miles stin includes Syracuse, Elmira,
Oil City and Ashtabula. This dis
Eance is one over which thousands Of
horse power are daily transmitted
from the Sierra Nevada mountains
to San Fancisco. Oakland and the
smaller places about the shores of San
Pablo and San Francisco bay. Many
engineers can no doubS be found to
contend both for and against the pio-
position that such transmissions can
be repeated in New York, Pennsyiva
MIA and Ohio at profit. Tae truth
probably is, however. that with fav-
orable conditions as to voiumes of
power and hours of service d trans
mission ever $50 miles may be expect
ed to show fair return on the invest
sd capital even in the terrisory just
named. Within. 100 miles Of Niagara
Falls are Toronto, Rochester, Buffalo,
Erie, hamilton and multitude Of
smaller cities and towns. It can
hardly be coutroyerted that Niagara
powsr In large units may be success
tally transmitted as much as one hun
ded miles in competition with steam.
An example much nearer than Cali
fosnia an be found to support of this
conclusion. The place is Montreal,
and into it comes 5000 horse power
from Shawinigan Falls, some eighty
Sour miles away.