The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-07-25
UNDEyELOPED WATER POWER.

UNDCVElUTtD WALK fUWtk.
The Importance of the undeveloped
water power of this country is brought
home by the startling intelligence given
out by Marius R. Campbell, of the
United States Geological Survey, that
in less than five score years the coal
fields of this country will be practically
exhausted. When there is mo more food
for the hungry steam boilers the world
will have to look to electricity and
water for power and heat and light.
As a consequence public interest is
aroused as never before in the great
natural resources of this country and
large amount of very instructive data
has been secured. AS yet science has
found no substitute for coal energy ex-
cept electricity and it requires power
to generate electricity. Unless some
way is found to obtain electricity in
quantity without the burning of an
enormous amount of coal the future of
the United States depends upon the
protection and development of the
water supply.
Manufacturing in this country in 1905
required IA, AGA, $40 horse power OF this
amount, 1864, $50 horse power was de-
veloped by steam power and only l ,647,-
900 horse power by water Electric
power amounted to 1,13S, POS horse pow
er and gas to 2S95l4 horse power 1t
is very easy to see the Importance of
steam power in the industrial world of
today and to realize what it would
mean if the supply of fuel came to a
sudden end.
Thomas A. Edison has predicted that
in the future electricity will be develop
ed direct from coal at saving of near
ly 80 per cent. over the present compli-
Gated and expensive method of convert
ing 1t from coal via steam. Hundreds
General Electric Company are research
ing and investigating ways and means
to lessen the cost of generating and
using the electric current.
There is no doubt the world looks to
electricity to take the place of coal, not
only for power in the mills and factories
but for lighting and heating the home.
In the meantime the demand for power
is increasing daily and the consumption
of coal grows by leaps and bounds.
New industries are being launched and
old ones enlarged-to supply this power
it is already necessary to harness the
rivers and streams. Truly wonderful
advancement in the development of
water power has been made in the past
two years and millions of dollars have
been invested in water rights in Cali
fOrnla, Colorado, Utah, South Carolina.
Minnesota, New York and Michigan.
Engineers who have given the subject
much study and investigation declare
that millions of horse power are going
to waste in the undeveloped water
sheds of this country annually-enough
to turn every industrial wheel in North
America.
The census of 1905 gave the developed
Water horse power of the United States
as follows:
Alabama, 9,s43; Alaska, S6; Arizona,
267; Arkansas, SIC; California, $685.;
Colorado, 1,751; Connecticut, 66,667;
Delaware, 5,1SS; District of Columbia,
| TIC: Florida, 107; Georgia, 20, PAP; Ida
| no, 1000; Illinois, IA, S45; Indiana, 9,541 :;
Indian Territory, So; Iowa, GAS; Kan
sas, $500; Kentucky, 1888; Louisiana
260; Maine, 202,s73; Maryland, 1850;
MASSACHUSETTS,, 1s3,135; Michigan, &c.
342: Minnesota, 50, 1876; Mississippi, Is;
braska, 7,130; Nevada, 742; New Hamp-
shire, 100, New Jersey, 1902; New
| Mexico, 1856; New York, AS. 1917: North
| Carolina, 2S,353; North Dakota, 31S:
Ohio, 17,7S1; Oklahoma, so; Oregon,
2O,526; Pennsylvania, 50,22O; Rhode
| Island, 29,1s1; South Carolina, 1904;
South Dakota, 1000; Tennessee, 9,762;
Texas, 2,276; Utah, 1921; Vermont,
| 6,044; Virginia, 25,s95; Washington,
1882: West Virginia, 6,274; Wisconsin,
4,12, 526; Wyoming, 372.
| In nearly every State the figures given
above could be doubled and tripled if
attention was paid to the preservation
| of the water sources and to the erection
of storage reservoirs to control the flow.
| Surveys show that in the Adirondacks
| fully $500 horse power could be de.
| veloped II the water-tiOW was regulated
by storage dams. The development of
this water power would save the con-
sumption of 100000 tons of coal in
New York State annually.
A few years ago remote water powers
were practically useless because in no
way could the electricity developed be
transmitted long distances to the cities
and towns where it could be utilized.
This difficulty has been happily over
come by the production of the trans
former. The water power can now be
changed into electricity at small loss
in efficiency, compared with the loss in
changing coal energy to steam and from
steam to electricity, and transmitted to
any point hundreds of miles away. One
of the very latest water power develop
ments is at Duluth, MIMI, where 80, 900
horse power is developed and the largest
transformers in the world are used to
raise the voltage for long distance trans.
mission. Switzerland, which has no
coal, is planning to harness every avail
able stream in the republic. Turkey,
India, Africa and Russia have awaken.
ed to the Importance of water power
development and the next few years
| will coo nroot onfivifv in THE d;rnnkso,,