The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-05-23
Great Fortunes Of the Future.

Those who will first discover and ap-
ply the hidden powers of the air. the
water and the sunshine will open the
way to the colossal fortunes OF the next
few centuries. Land, timber, metals,
and jewels have given their millions of
dollars, but the energies of the air, the
sunshine and the water, awaiting the
inventive geniuses of the future, prom
Use greater financial possibilities than
all of these.
There is no question but that electric
ity is the greatest power in the world
and it is still in its infancy. The engi-
neering problem of today is how to de-
velop this electrical current in the east
est and most economical manner. 1t is
estimated that throughout the world
about 100000 electrical horsepower is
being generated from waterfalls and
streams. One-quarter of this great
horsepower is generated in the United
States, with Canada second and Swift
zerland third.
To generate 1000, 900 horsepower con-
tinualiy by the ordinary steam engine
requires some %, 900, 900 tons of coal, and
allowing IS ton for the cost of the coal
this would represent saving of $685.
100000.
Situated in this country there are
thousands of streams capable of produc-
ing from 100 to $4,000 or more horse
power. Others, like Niagara, and Vic
toria Falls in South Africa, and the in
Vulnerable falls of the Mississippi, the
Colorado and the Missouri, have water
powers that seem unlimited. If every
part of the mighty torrent of Niagara
was harnessed it would easily generate
sufficient electrical power to do all the
work of this country
The value of stream for power
purposes depends upon the amount of
that is, the height of the fall, whether
in sudden drop or rushing down a
slope. The small mountain stream
which tumbles noisily down the rocks
is often worth more than the broad,
sluggish river flowing through a low
country. One cubic foot of watera sec
ond may equal in power the total stored
energy of many tons of coal.
What is even more wonderful, the
water may be used twice; first, for gen.
Grating electrical power; second, to irri-
gate farm lands in dry countries. With
the electrical pump the stream itself
can be pumped to levels where ordinary
bitches could not carry it. Electricity
can be made to light and heat the homes
in the country as we'll as in the city and
to run feed cutters, threshers and cream
separators on the farm, as we'll as the
wheels of the cars and factories.
The wind was the first Of the elements
to be harnessed. Previous to this the
treadmill was the only form of mechani-
cal power. A windmill for the genera
ton of electrical current is more
recent accomplishment. DR.. Charles +.
Brush, the inventor of the arc light, in
1889 first utilized the windmill to run
his generators at Cleveland, Ohio for
the purpose of lighting his house and
laboratories. In Europe commercial
windmill electrical plants are being
built. One such plant established at
Wittkeil, in Schleswig, lights the town
and another windmill at Hamburg has
been successfully used to furnish cur
rent for a factory. A windmill electric
plant at Boyle Hall, Ardsley, in Eng
land, has capacity of 10 lamps. Prof.
Nansen uses windmill electrical plant
on his polar trips. The good ship Fran
was equipped with such an apparatus
and during the long Arctic nights the
ship was lighted and heated by electric
ity. The electric windmill is Godsend
in the far northern countries where
coal and wood are practically unknown.
! In the great prairie States windmilIs
are extensively used for irrigation pur-
poses and to furnish electric power.
One windmill plant will irrigate ten
acres of land during the summer and
furnish electricity for the house and
farm buildings.