The Washington herald., 1909-07-11
POWER RESOURCES
ALMOST UNTOUCHED
Network Of Rivers Drain the
SOEheEn SERtae.
WnLeGENERATE ELECTRICITY
sufffcIenttl Force AvaiIabIe to Run
sDindIes of worId-WOuid Turn
WheeIa of q Hundred Thousand
FactorAes-Streams Also May Be
Utilized for Navigation.

A source .ofsuntold millions 70 the peo-
pie OF the Southern States, and TO the
country at large. lies IN the South's wa
ter power. In respect 70 waterways, na-
turSs GIFT 10 this section is on the
same royalsscale with her endowments OF
coal iron. timber. and agricultural re-
sources.
The fertile acres OF the South are wa
tered by network OF rivers whose pO-
tentiaI power is mighty enough TO turn
the spindles OF the world. In North Caro-
line, FOR instance. although sufficient by
drO-elSotro power has been recently de-
veloped TO run a fifth OF the spindles IA
England's mills. the water resources OF
that State have been scarcely touched
The navigable length OF Southern
streams aggregates 1000 miles, well dis
tributed throughout the Southern States.
and hazing thirey-one deep water outlets
on the coast These naviEabls water
ways are to be counted as one OF the
| souths richest resources. They are capa-
bic OF transporting The coal. iron. cotton.
grain, lumber. and manufactured prod
ucts OF the Southern States az a saving
/ The navigable capacity OF the Cumber-
| land River. IN Tennessee. for instance,
prevents an excessive freight rate from
/ applying on the railroads north OF Nash
Vile, and hundreds OF thousands OF dol
1 lars are thus saved on commerce merely
/ by reason OF the potenHalites OF single
stream
Capaoity 5,OOOyOOO Horsepower.
] The potential water power OF the South
ern States Is about 100000 horsepower,
OF which about one-tenth has been de-
veloped. The meaning OF this great her
ltage is yet TO be realized. and told IN
dollars and cents. Annually millions OF
dollars which are spent for coal IN the
production OF power by steam may be said
to be washed into the sea with the unused
power Of Southern streams. and not until
the power utilized BY industry Is gene
rated BY this water. Instead % BY fuel,
VIII these millions OF dollars and tons OF
coal be saved each year 10 the Southern
people.
/ It has been pointed out that II the
waters OF the Coosa River were con-
! served they could be increased from its
present 10000 horsepower % 5000.
I
would cost the State OF Alabama 9.726, ,0oJ
tons OF coal, OF s., 0oO every year. Not
withstanding the alarming decrease OF
our coai supply. American Industries con-
sumo each year IN the generation OF
steam power 90, 10000 tons Of coal. all OF
which could be saved II half the watel
power nOw going 20 waste we're used.
VIII Invite Industry.
j -r-ura- ~,~,~r-ov --frr v,-~rz,,--
enormous amount OF wealth IN the growth
and development OF manufacturing Indus,
tries. which have made almost incredible
progress IN the past twenty years. The
number OF cotton spindles has increased
IN that period from a little over 10000 tC
more than 1000. 900, and The cotton manu-
featuring and other industries are still Il
their infancy
In no section OF America does cheaT
and abundant power combine so favor
ably with moderate cost Of living for tht
promotion OF cotton mill interests, and
the proximity OF the mill 10 the cortor
field IN eliminating the cost OF transpor
tation gives the South another suprem,
advantage as a manufacturing region.
When each cotton-growlng state ships
the greater part OF the staple, not as raw
the South will have come into It's owl
industTially. its mighty rivers no longer
rushing heedlessly 10 the sea, but singinl
on their way 10 the whirr OF a hundreS
million spindles.
Summaries OF WaterpOVTers.-
No more complete and interesting. con
ception Of the souths potential watel
power and it's distribution can bs obtaine,
than from the following summary made
recently by Richard H Edmonds. OF Bal
timore:
About 10000 square miles, or nearly
, 4s per cent OF the total land area o.
continental United States. is drained b.
the Mississippi system OF waterways
Estimates Of the navigable length OF tha
, system vary. but one, based upon report
OF United States engineers, is 1858 miles
OF that mileage. 6524 miles are in IN,
Southern States. and that does not in
clude the Ohio River. which washes tn,
banks Of two Southern States, West Vir
ginia and Kentucky, jointly with tn,
others, or the Rio Grande. washing Joint
" Texas and Mexico
The Mississippi River system Is tn
: most important one OF the country, an
the Souths large share IN its navigabl
? stretches indicates the Importance in in
ternaI commerce Of the waterways OF tn
South. Their total navigable length +
more than 1920 miles. OF which NOR
than 1000 are practically within separau
State boundaries, as follows;
Alabama, 1.0S0: Arkansas, S26; Florida
L175; Georgia, eco; Kentucky. 628; Louisi
ana, I.S2s: Maryland. 800; Mississippi. 200
North Carolina, 1.os7; South Carolina, 666
Tennessee, S4S; Texas, s12; Virginia, z6Z
and West Virginia, 251.
? Intra-State Rivers.
= These intra-State navigable lengths d
not include the 200 miles Of the Mssis
sippi for Kentucky. Tennessee, Arkansas
? Mississippi. and Louisiana, Jointly; tn
652 miles OF the Tennessee for Tennessee
/ Alabama. and Kentucky; the 6l7 miles o
4 the Red for Louisiana, Arkansas. an,
Texas; the 5lS miles Of the CumberIaat
for Kentucky and Tennessee, the 46S mile
I n Arkansas Of the total 76S navigabl
miles OF the Arkansas. the $50 miles o
! the Sabine for Louisiana and Texas, tn
= go miles Of the Savannah for Georgi
: and South Carolina, the 223 miles Of tn
g ChattahoOchee for Georgia and Alabama
the 2l7 miles OF the Ouichita for Louis
lana and Arkansas. the 195 miles OF tn
Escambia and Conecuh for Florida an
b Alabama, the 116 miles OF the Potoma
Z for Maryland and Virginia. the-s3 mile
OF the Choctawhatchee for Florida an
Alabama, the 200 miles OF the Chesapeak
Bay for Maryland and Virginia, the 1e
4 miles OF the inland route between Savan
; nah and Fernandina, the l34 miles OF con
d nections between the Norfolk basin an
ffvso Tr 10
r sissipp3 Sound, the Chesapeake and Obi
LCanal tha lana RIr-ar Canal akn Ia d.