Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-12-30
New England's Water Power.

When Niagara Falls was first tanned IN
furnish electric light and power for all
sorts of purposes many miles around il
was a revelation to the world OF the pos
sibilities in the practical application NJ
the new force, and so strongly did il an
peal to the practical not to say the greedy
side OF society, that there has been great
difficulty in preventing the destruction
OF the cataract as one of nature won
ders, and making it simply a source Of
power for the benefit Of a monopoly Rut
while there has been danger that rrorar
bounds might be broken. and while that
danger will doubtless exist as long as
legislatures are mercenary, the history
Of electrical operations at Niagara has
furnished a great and suggestive object
lesson for the rest of the country II
great water power can serve such a wide
eXpanse OF populous territory as the dg-
ures show could be done in this case
then smaller streams with sufficient de-
scent can render a similar service TO
more limited territories. and there is now
a stronger tendency than has ever been
manifested before to develop that idea
even in the most obscure quarters
Another great power centre has now
been established in Pennsylvania where
the falls Of the Susduehanna river near
York. have been put in shape to meet the
needs of wide stretch of country at
cost of 50. 900. The electricity gener-
ated 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 Sper Falls
on the upper Hudson has been establish
ed and is serving a large and widely
scattered population in all those respects
that the larger developments of our mod
ern civilization demand.
But even the great plants are not 30
significant OF the vast expansion OF the
xNTsa ton 1(.
plicity of smaller plants actual and pro-
jected in places that have apparently be-
come decadent, but need only the touch
OF TINS new force to awaken them to new
life. There are hundreds OF streams in
New England. and we have in mind sew
eral such in Massachusetts and Connect
icut that fifty years ago furnished power
for all sorts of small but prosperous
-woolen 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 centres But the streams remain
awaiting new uses which seem to be sug-
geSted by the service we are considering
The central purpose of almost all in
| vention is the increase or multiplication
OF power and the development OF elect
rical force and its practical application
performs that Office for the streams OF
New England. Once their power at a
given point was only sufficient to run a
single mill and that frequently not very
large; but now working through electric
engines they can light the streets OF
towns. propel their cars and supply
| power for almost any number and vari-
ETY. of Industries that may be desired.
AS water power is cheaper than steam
power, many venture that would other
wise be unpromising can now be made
brought to sections long threatened with
profitable and new leases of life be
atrophy and abandonment