The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-07-12
FORTUNES OF
THE FUTURE
(st. Nicholas.)

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 by a mining engineer of world
wide reputation. The value of water
power, wind power and sun power
as commercial factors is indeed just
beginning to be realized. 1t is esti-
mated that throughout the world about
two million electrical horse power is
generated today from waterfall and
streams. More than one-quarter of
this great horsepower is generated in
the United States, with Canada SEQ
ond and Switzerland third.
At the lowest estimate it would re.
quire some twenty-five thousand tons
of coal to generate two million horse
power continuously by the ordinary
steam engines, and, allowing SIS ton
for the cost of coal, this would rep
resent a saying of $125,000,000. There
are thousands of streams capable of
producing from one hundred to fifty
thousand or more horsepower; a few
others, like Niagara, the Victoria
Falls in South Africa, and innumera-
Die falls of the Mississippi, the Colo
ado and the Missouri, have powers in
his direction that seem unlimited If
very part of the mighty torrent of
Niagara was harnessed it would easily
generate sufficient electrical power
But Niagara is no greater than Vic
oria Falls, in the heart of Africa
ONE say not so great in it's unmeas. G
red possibilities. Il
The value of a stream for power c
urposes depends upon the amount of
'ater flowing and also upon its head!
nat is, the heighth of it's fall, wheth-
r in sudden cataract, or in rushing
own slope, and so the small noun "
lin stream which tumbles noisily "
own step slopes and gullies is often
orth more than the broad sluggish a,
yer that flows through low, level W
retches of country. One cubic foot
water a second may equal in energy
lie total stored energy of many tons
coal What is even more wonder
j, a stream can be made to operate
/ electric pump, which in turn will
imp the stream itself to levels fir
here ordinary irrigation bitches -
uld not conduct it. In other words, =
e water could be used twice, first Cl
generating our farms. Electricity
uld be made to light and heat the
mes of the city and country popula-
n and run the thrashing machines
d reapers of the farmers, as well IN
turn the wheels of the cars and fac - ~
les.
The use of wind power for mechani- his
purposes is older than that of any IN
Ter. But windmill for electrical ~
leration is one of the most recent GU
accomplishments, Phe first wind or
j electric plant ever installed in sai
5 or any other country was built AIN,
vately by DIR. Charles F. Brush, the lisl
entor of the arc lamb, in 1889, at the
home in Cleveland for the pur.
e of lighting his house and labora- /
Y. In Europe commercial wind l
electrical plants have been. built.
such plant, established at Witt N
, in Schleswig, lights the town, Ci e
another windmill plant at Ham
: has been successfully used in
ming a factory. A windmill cleo :
plant at Boyle Hall, Ardsley in thi .,
land, has a capacity for running Erb
lights in winter. Ten
II
hio