The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-07-11
FORTUNES or THE FUTURE.
VIII. Be Gained BY Harvesting
Water. Wind and 0unshinA.

- - 0atuco py 60FueO0tnQ
Water, Wind and Sunshine.
IL Is not gold, silver nor copper
no, nor diamonds, either that win
make the great fortunes OF the future.
i - the hidden power In the air, the
water and the sunshine, which will
build up the wealth OF the next few
centuries"
Tnls statement was made not long
ago BY mining engineer Of world
wide reputation The value OF water
power, wind power and sun power as
commercial factors is indeed just be-
ginning to be realized. It is estimated
that throughout the world about O.
100000 electrical horsepower is gem
Grated today from waterfalls 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 25,00O.000 tons of coal to
generate 100000 horsepower contin-
uously by the ordinary steam engine.
and allowing SIS ton for the cost Of
coal, this would represent saving Of
$125,000.000. There are thousands Of
streams capable OF producing from
100 to $4,000 or more horsepower; a
few others, like Niagara, the Victoria
Falls in South Africa and ipnumer
able falls of the Mississippi, the Colo
RADIO and the Missouri, with powers
in this direction that seem unlimited.
If every part of the mighty torrent OF
Niagara was harnessed it would cas-.
lily generate sufficient electrical power
to do all the work Of this country.
But Niagara is no greater than Vic.
ftoria Falls, in the heart Of Africa
some say, not so great in it's I'M
measured possibilities.
The value Of a stream for power
purposes depends upon the amount of
water flowing and also upon its head
that is, the height of its fall, wheth-
er In sudden cataract, or In rushing
down slope; and so the small noun
tain 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 q second day equal in energy
the total stored energy of many tons
of coal What is even more wonder
full, stream can be made to oper-
ate an electrical pump which in turn
will pump the stream itself to levels
where ordinary irrigation bitches
could not conduct it. In other words,
the water could be used twice, first
for generating electric power, and Sec
ond for irrigating our farms. Elec-
tricity could be made to light and
heat the homes of the city and coun.
try population and run the threshing
machines and reapers Of the farmer,
as well as turn the wheels Of the cars
and factories.
The use of wind power for mechan-
ical purposes is older than that OF
any other. But windmill for cleo
trical generation is one of the most
recent of accomplishments. The first
windmill electric plant ever installed
in this or any other country was built
privately by DR.. Charles F. Brush.
the inventor OF the arc lamp. in 1889
at his home in Cleveland for the pur-
pose Of lighting his house and lab
oratory. In Europe commercial wind
mill electrical plants have been built.
One such plant, established at Witt
kell. in Schleswig, lights the town.
and another windmill plant at Ham
burg has been successfully used in
running a factory. A windmill cleo
trio plant at Boyle Hall, Ardsley, in
England. has a capacity for running
10 lights in winter.-St. Nicholas.