The Republican journal., 1905-07-13
Names Water Power.
The Work of Measuring Stream Flow Sys-
tematically.

The Work Of Measuring Stream Flow Sys-
tematically.
Scattered over New England at va
rious points along the principal rivers
are nearly so measuring stations Of the
geographical survey, comparatively
new department of government work
which is assuming an Importance OF
increasing greatness to the Industrial
development of the country.
At each of these stations is a gage
attached to a bridge or fastened to
some permanent object on the shore,
which is read usually twice a day by
which gives the daily height of the
river. The1 from time to time meas
urements of the quantity of water flow
ing are made by one of the hydrogra-
pliers employed in this work, and in
this way an estimate is obtained of the
river flow at any time.
The information thus collected will,
in course of time, have value in rela-
ton to manufacturing as the statistics
gathered by the weather bureau now
have to agriculture and commerce.
1t is nearly five years since the first
gazing stations were established in
New England, but the great extension
of the work has come within three
years.
The first real work of measuring
stream flow in general and systematic
way began in Maine in the summer of
1901. The rivers of this State and
their attendant water power are among
the finest in the world and they had
long been recognized as of the greatest
Importance in the development of the
industries of the State. And it hap
pened that at the time the United
States photographers were beginning
their preliminary work of determining
the value and possibilities of the New
England water power that demand
for Just that kind of information arose
in Maine. Manufacturers, forest own
ers and capitalists desired more infor-
nation than was then available regard
ing the quantity of water available in
certain streams at different seasons of
the year and the demand eliminated in
an offer of cooperation in field work
from the mill owners, lumbermen and
interested parties in the Kennebec val
ley.
They raised a sum of money and re-
uuested the chief engineer of the hy-
drographer's office to undertake the
study of the Kennebec river and it's
principal tributaries. This started the
work in Maine. Several gaging stations
We're established that year and in the
course of the next season the State leg
islature recognized the value of the
work.
In 1908 the Maine legislature made
an appropriation for carrying ON fur
Their photographic Investigations, and
now there are 20 measuring stations in
Maine, daily accommodating statistics
relating to the river flow that become
of increasing value as each years
figures are added.
Maine had a peculiar interest in this
subject because of her great undevel-
oped area, her forests and her large and
swift rivers. The work of the United
States Typographical survey which
plated the three southern States in the
New England group had still left Maine
largely UNEMPLOYED, Notwithstanding
the fact that 36 topographic sheets had
been published.
The rapid development of water
power along the Androscoggin river,
giving to that river pre- eminence over
any other river in America, with the
exception of Niagara, in the amount of
developed water power, also served to
stimulate the desire for wider informa-
ton concerning her undeveloped water
power.
In Is years the Androscoggin had
surpassed the Merrimac, which hitherto
had held the honor of furnishing more
developed water power than any other
river in the world.
The recent completion of the Niagara
water power station has, of course,
greatly eclipsed the power of the New
England rivers, but the Androscoggin
has also greatly eclipsed the Merrimac
Each of the great manufacturing cities
of Lowell, Lawrence and Manchester
uses about l0,000-horse power from the
Merrimac, and the three cities repre-
sent the larger part of the developed
water power ON the Merrimac. The
Androscoggin is furnishing water power
amounting to almost 100000 horse
power. In 1897, before the completion
Of the great paper factories at Rum
ford Falls and Berlin, the figures were
7o,Ooo-horse power.
The United States photographers
have done something else besides
measure the flow of rivers. They have
devoted themselves to the work of pro-
curing river profiles and such data as
would be of value in pointing out to
capitalists sites suitable for power
development.
The first river to be completed is the
kennebec, from Skowhegan to Moose
head lake. From tidewater to Moose
head lake, the largest inland body of
water in New England, is just 12O miles,
and the height of Moosehead lake above
tidewater is Just 1920 feet. The charts
of the river which are now published
show the rise of every foot of water
surface, and the banks are contoured
with a vertical interval of 20 feet. The
charts show the fall between any two
given points and show enough of the
banks to indicate whether or not power
development is feasible.
The Penobscot river has also been
charted from Bangor to Twin lake at
Norcross.
The work thus begun in Maine is to
be extended from time to time.
NEW STEAMBOAT INSPECTION LAWS