The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1908-12-05

Within the past few years remark
able progress has been made III the
older sections of the country in us
ing the power possibilities OF streams
Moth large and small. Wherever may
Jbe found streams with fall and flow
sufficient to generate electric energy,
power plants are heing established,
Los Angeles will derive power and
light from mountain torrent 100
miles distant. The Upper Missouri
has been harnessed, and is operating
the mines and mills of nearby cities,
One of the biggest power plants
in the east is now approaching COM
pletion on the Susquehanna, a
stream that in many respects resem.
bles our White river, but presenting
a much more difficult problem.
Across the Connecticut river near
Brattleboro, Vt, there is being con-
structed a dam which is more mighty
in it's possibilities than any power
plant east of the Niagara falls, and
means enough energy to supply ev-
cry mill in Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont and Massachusetts.
Out in Colorado the Northern
Colorado Power Co., of Lafayette,
has built great power houses, and
the coal once loaded into the cars by
the miners shovels, in the lower lev
els of the pits, is transformed with
out further handling into electric
power, which supplies already near
" score of towns and cities, strung
on 150-mile loop of wire like jew
els on a necklace.
a government report in proceed
ings before the house committee on
agriculture last winter, shows that
on snail rivers coming down the
mountains at and south of Rich.
uohd, Va, there was developed and
in operation $4,000 horse power,
and FIVE times as much more TO be
developed. According to best esti-
mates, this development was saving
the people OF that region 5000, 900
a year, which with the development
of the remaining power, would be
increased approximately to $685.
100000 saving in the item of cost
of power.
1t is estimated such measures have
placed in that region 100000, 900
in electric power and manufacturing
plants and structures for owners
and employees. They have made a
market for farm products, given en-
ployment to labor. and furnished
large tax revenue in a region much
like the Ozark region, which is full of
undeveloped water power, not only
on White and Buffalo rivers, but on
other streams.
All this leads to the suggestion
that North Arkansas has within
easy grasp an entirely undeveloped
resource which might easily convert
her into one Of the most prosperous
actions OF the southwest.
We have envied our western neigh
bors their gas, oil and coal, while
right at our door is force far more
potent and reliable, for all these
things are eventually exhausted,
while water power runs on forever.
Take the White river possibilities
for example, for through the efforts
OF Gen. Standish and others, careful
estimates have been made there. At
the Great Bend of this stream, 80
miles northwest of Harrison, are
Athree remarkable loops SO close to-
gether that power plant at each
need use but one line of wire to
this city. The United States topo-
graphical survey shows that the
Great Bend which has the general
shape of a clover leaf, is 40 miles
around, and only 6 miles across its
neck. In this instance the river falls
100 feet, the altitude being 700 feet
at Hollster the upper end of the
bend, and 600 feet at the narrows,
the lower end.
The first power plant would be at
the Wheeler Bend, just above For
syth, the second at Glover Cliff Just
above the mouth of Beaver, and the
third in the May bend bove Moores
ferry. II has been couservatively es-
timated that the minimum volume
OF water passing around the Great
Bend is 500 cubic feet per second
and the maximum flow at least 100
times this amount