Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-07
STATE HOUSE.
Opportunities for New
Industries in Maine.
Interesting Chapter from Re-
port Of Commissioner Lyons.
Thomas Forth, Auburn Jail Prison.
er, Seeks a Pardon.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
Friday, April 90, at 10 A. M.

crnOr and Council, contains chapte
entitled Opportunities for New indus
tries which says in part:
I'm 1907 this bureau prepared ant
published an article on opportunitie.
for new industries in Maine, and in or
der to get the facts for the article
blank schedules We're sent to the as.
SCISSORS of every city, town and plan.
tation in the State. We received
back the schedules, more or less com.
pletely filed, from IS cities, 312 towns
and AZ plantations, total of 81 NUM-
cipalities. leaving four cities. III
towns and 80 plantations, total Of
$50, not heard from
THE present year we have taken uI
the same matter with these $50 de.
linquent places and have received bach
filled schedules from 139 leaving the
cities OF Biddeford. Lewiston. Portland
and South Portland. to whom nc
schedules were sent the present year
the towns of Abbott. Baileyville. Beth
el. Wilton and Woodville and the plan
tation of Allagash and No. q in Wash
ington county still delinquent.
| Maine is rich in her water powers
the value Of which can only be APP
proXmated. In his Water power OF
Maine published in 1869, 40 years ago
under the head of General Elevation
Walter Wells says
| THE mean elevation of country is
one of the most difficult of its physi-
cal conditions to ascertain. and is gem
orally one of the last to be ascertaincd
After exploring all sources of infor-
nation within reach. as the surveys of
the British and our own government
made in connection with the n. F.
| boundary controversy. surveys for
railroads. surveys for canals. and
private explorations in special locali-
| ties, the observations involved being
several hundred in number. have
| fixed upon the figure of 800 feet as
very nearly expressing the mean
height of the surface of our State
above the level of the sea.
| The 1.229, 200 100000 cubic feet
more or less. OF water annually deliv-
cred by our rivers. fall therefore on
| their passage to the sea through tn"
mean distance or 500 feet. and in their
descent yield gross power of 4.42;,
horsepower for each foot of fall This
being multiplied by the total average
fall in feet, gives 2.265, 200 horsepower
gross. which are equivalent to the
working energy of over 34.O0O.OOO men.
laboring without intermission from
years end to years end
THE power il it's efficiencies were
concentrated into the ordinary work.
ing hours of manufactures. namely.
II, for 312 days per annum would be
| equal to 6,623.1o0 horsepower
OF course very considerable frac-
ton of the force alluded to exists
where circumstances prevent it from
being of present economical value
some of it where it can never be made
of account as a source of power: much
OF it is consumed in overcoming the
friction and resistance encountered by
he waters on their passage to the
tide. and much of il enters the ocean
in the form of velocity of rivers. But
there still remains an enormous sum
of power that can be made available
for use at low cost. AS to the actual
amount that can be brought into use
for the usual working hours of the
year. with an expenditure that would
| be deemed reasonable at now existing
prices of mechanical power, it is a
sufficiently close approximation to as
sign figure between one and two mil
lions of horsepowers.
| ''ro show that only a fraction OF this
power has yet been utilized we here
give the number of water wheels and
the volume of power in use in the
State in 1908, it being from report
lof the National Conservation Com
| tniScinn nd Inv bn
of the Census and published in the
Statistical Abstract of the United
States for 1908, pages rs and u.
The number of water wheels in ust
in Maine is 2.797. developing 343,09'
horsepower. Distributed among the
principal drainage basins, the Andres
coggin has 6S3 wheels. developing 1923.
ASS horsepower; Penobscot. SIS wheels
developing 70.45i horsepower; Kenne-
bee $50 wheels. developing 25.33
horsepower; Saint Croix. SO wheels
developing 20.5o0 horsepower; Saint
John. 147 wheels, developing 1853
horsepower; leaving 237 wheels. de
veloping $3.50 horsepower on thu
minor rivers cmptying into the At
lantic. Among all the states in tn,
Union New York and California onl,
exceed Maine in developed waite
power. and yet not one-fourth of TIL
valuable power is utilized.
For those wishing to embark il
manufacturing, be it the man VIII
needs only a very small power for par
of the year. or the corporation tina
wishes to erect an immense cottol
mill. the State has the available waite
powers and. to large extent, tn
means of transportation.
ON June 80. 1908, there were 2,175.
81 miles of steam railroad in the State
extending we'll over the settled porto
land giving convenient transportation
and 41276 miles of electric road.
| The coast of Maine doubtless in
cludes more good harbors than an,
, other shore line of equal length il
America. Ten of the is counties ar
on navigable waters and more thai
one hundred cities and towns are ac
cessible by steamboats, and sailing
vessels. The State has a total
1854 miles of navigable rivers owe
!. which 1,5151S7 tons of freight wer
moved in 1906
| sNof ONLY, hoe tho State the waite