The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-05
FORTUNES OF THE FUTURE
Will Be Gained by Harvesting Wa
ter, Wind and Sunshine.

tef5 Wind and Sunshine.
1T is not gold, silver nor copper-no,
nor diamonds, either-that will make
the great fortunes of the future. 1t is
the hidden power in the air, the water
and the sunshine, which will build up
the wealth of the next few centuries"
This statement was made not long
ago, says St. Nicholas, by a mining ems
gineer of worldwide reputation. The
value OF water power, wind power and
sun power as commercial factors is in
deed just beginning to be realized.
1t is estimated that throughout the
world about 100000 electrical horse
power is generated today from water
falls and streams. More than one
quarter OF this great horsepower is
generated In the United States, with
Canada second and Switzerland third
At the lowest estimate it would re-
quire some 25,000,0 900 tons of coal to
generate 100000 horsepower continu-
ousiy by the ordinary steam engine,
and allowing IS a ton for the cost of
coal, this would represent a saving of
1925 000. 600.
There are thousands of streams capa-
bic OF producing from 100 to $4,000 or
more horsepower; a few others. like
Niagara, the Victoria Falls in South
Africa and innumerable falls of the
Mississippi, the Colorado and the Mis-
souri,, with powers in this direction
that seem unlimited.
II every part of the mighty torrent
OF Niagara was harnessed IL would
easily generate sufficient electrical pow
er TO do all the work of this country.
But Niagara is no greater than Victo-
ria Falls, in the heart of Africa-some
say not so great in its unmeasured pos
sibilities.
The value of a stream for power pur
poses depends upon the amount of wa
ter flowing and also upon its head. that
Is, the height of its. fall. whether in a
sudden cataract or in rushing down a
slope; and so the small mountain
stream which tumbles noisily down
steep slopes and gullies is often worth
more than the broad, sluggish river
that flows through low, level stretches
of country. One cubic foot of water a
second may equal in energy the total
stored energy of many tons of coal.
what IS even more wonderful a
stream can De made to operate an cleo
trie pump which in turn will pump the
stream itself to levels where ordinary
irrigation bitches could not conduct il.
In other words, the water could be
used twice, first for generating electric
power, and second for irrigating our
farms. Electricity could be made to
light and heat the homes Of the CITY
and country population and run the
thresi1ing machines and reapers of the
farmer, as well as turn the wheels of
the cars and factories.
The use of wind power for mechan-
zeal purposes is older than that of anv
other But, windmill for electrical
generation is one of tine most recent of
accomplishments. The first windmill
electric plant ever installed in this or
any other country was built privately
by DIR. Charles +. Brush, the inventor
or thes arc lamp. in 1889 at his home in
Cleveland for the purpose of lighting
his house and laboratory.
In Europe commercial windmill cleo
trical plants have been built. Once
such plant, established at Wittkeii. in
SchleSwig, lights the town. and an
other windmill plant at. Hamburg he's
been successfully used in running a
factory. A windmill electric plant at
Boyle Hall, Ardsley, in England, has a
capacity for running ITO lights in win
ter.
The windmill electric plant found a
new use in -Nansen's polar trips. A
complete. windmill electric plant was
Installed on bis ship Fran, and in the
northern ATTITUDES electricity. was Tins
obtained for lighting the shin during
the long African nights. In that north
ern latitude, where coal and other fuels
are more precious than gold, the cleo
trio Windmill is a godsend, and in the
future nearly all polar exploring shjps
viii be equipped with this new inyen-
ton.
In the great prairie states where dry
weather IN summer often withers up
crops within a single week, the wind
veloeityv.in summer is constant and
high. They are hot, dry winds, but
their velocity is sufficient TO keen
thousands of windmills in steady opera-
ton night and day.
The can pump up the water from the
underground reservoirs. and after he
ing used for developing electrical ener- |
gy it is distributed through irrigating
bitches for FEEDING the crops with much !
needed moisture.
One windmill electrical plant should
irTigate ten acres all through the sum- |
mer, and score of these could convert
the desert into hundreds of acres of
fertile gardens. On the California coast
electrical pumps have raised the value
Of land from a few dollars an acre 10
$500 and $500 an acre. There is room for
a million electrical windmill plants in
the west, and with their installation |
there would be secured from the wind /
a new wealth valued at millions of dol |
lars.
Electric power from sunlight appears
more wonderful than Harvesting the |
stream or wind. Solar engines for OBJ
Grating pumps have been in use in diff |
ferent parts of the earth for several
years now, and their value In warm \
climates. where the number of days of |
clear sunshine averages high must |
steadily increase.
One of the most successful of these I
solar machines is located near Los An /