Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-02
Tidal Powers.


1re delivered at the State BoaEd Of
.Ifade at Rockland was that of William
| O. Weber an engineer of Boston, who
| took for his subject 1.-THE Development
of Tidal Power" Power development
by the rise and fall Of the tides on the
Maine coast has, in past years, been
an important factor in the industrial
affairs of this State. AS the forest
growth was cut farther and farther
! from the shore the expense of
transporting the logs soon became so
| great that profitable use of tidal power
was impossible, mill after mill ceased
operations until, during the past dec
some for the saving of lumber and 9TH
ers for the grinding of grain. Practi-
cally all of these were located near the
| mouth Of the Kennebec River. The
condition of the village of Winnegance
at Bath is an example of the decay i'll
cident to the abandonment OF this class
Of power.
SO far as is known, the State of
Maine has never, until 1907. appropriate
ed money for experiments looking to
the improvement of the appliances by
which the power created by the rise
and fall of the tides could be economi-
cally used. The Legislature OF 1907
through a resolve presented in the Sen
ate by the Hon. Harold M. Sewall of
Bath, appropriated the sum of $500
fer the purpose of demonstrating the
efficacy of any mechanism for the util-
ization of tidal and sea power the in
ventiOn of a citizen of Maine That sum
was a mere pittance but it served to
show that the State of Maine, as a
State, realized that the potentiality of
it's tidal power, was of some value.
The state Board of Trade, represent
ing as it does, the business men of this
city gave place on its program to Mr..
Weber, who had devoted such time
and study to the compressed air appli
cation of tidal energy that he has come
to be accepted as an expert and an au-
thcrity. He took up the modern appli
cation of the we'll known water bellows,
or trompe of the Catalan FORCES. TO
quote from his speech-"The cost Of a
horse power from steam engines of
large capacity (say d thousand kprse
power or over on a ten hour basis 30S
days in year, with coal at So per ton,
is S23.25. This is equa! to SAG per ton
on a 24-hour basis 1865 days in a year.
AN electrical horse power on the lat
ter basis, directly at the place of gen.
GRAFTON and obtained from falling wa
ter costs $l5.24. Our hydraulic COM
pressed air horsepower at the dam
costs SS.2J or about one-haf the cost Of
electric power and one third the cost
of steam power"
The scheme suggested by Mr.. Web
Der was not restricted to the distribu
ton of power by electricity, but may
be distributed through pipe lines, such
as are now used to distribute gas, wa
ter and steam.
The population of Maine is located
within a comparatively short distance
from the sea shore. Our largest CEN
ters of population are all within sixty
miles of tide water. The greater part
of them arc blessed with magnificent
hydro electric development. Some, how
growth complete. For such as these
the tidal power suggested by Mr.. Web
Der could be of inestimable value.
There is no doubt whatever that an In
telligcnt development of this energy
along the Maine coast would revolu-
tionize the character of those towns
in which fishing is the sole indus
try. Those industries which were
once located beside the sea will
return to it and the towns which
were once tlourishing will prosper
again A harbor, which has upon
it's shores hydraulic compressed air
energy costing less than 50 per
horse power for 24-hour day would be
a combination with which few harbors
could compete.