Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-12-24

cent of the minimum and a trifie less
than 80 per cent of the maximum as
figured out by the government ex-
perts. The amount of power these
plants are capable of producing if fully
developed is about II per cent of the |
and about Al per cent of the
At the present time New
England has total of thirty one COM
mercial plants in opera ton And yet, |
despite this fact and the fact that % |
per cent of the power in her manufac- |
turing establishments is water power |
taking the mean of these figures it |
would appear as if, roughly speaking |
she had availed herself of not more |
than half of her water power
Hydroelectrc development must of |
necessity have it's limitations The
practical limit of transmission for the
current generated by this method was
recently placed by one of the leading
engineers of the country at 200 miles
The expense of these transmission
lines must needs be great, requiring,
as they do, a superior type of con-
struction to carry the high voltage ca
bles. and a protected right of way
through the country. In the case Of
one Massachusetts company, the New
feet in width has been cleared for it's
transmission lines. It is obvious there
fore that that region is placed at the
greatest advantage whose water pow
er is the best distributed
Great as may be the collective water
power of state it is at a decided dis
advantage so far as it's attractiveness
to manufacture goes if it is concen-
trated at one spot like Niagara. 1t is
$50 miles from Niagara to New York
In New England there is probably no
populous center more than $50 miles
| from some large power site. In short,
in no other part of this country is the
water power SO well distributed for in
dustrial use as here. 1t offers a rare
field for the development of hydro
electric power plants because all over
New England these great water power
sites are found near market Of New
England can it be said that today she
has greater asset in her water power
than Pennsylvania in her coalfields.
! While hydroelectric development is
comparatively new, capital has not
been slow in seeking this form of in
vestment in this region, as is shown
by the total Of her plants in operation
and under construction. Only a few
Of the manufacturing states have de-
veloped power commercially to the ex-
tent Of Maine or Massachusetts,
In the New England Power company
Massachusetts has by far the largest
single development in the New Eng
land states. 1t is the largest develop
ment east of Niagara, covering three
states in it's operations. Today with
| four plants in operation it is develop
ing 10000 horsepower. Eventually ii
will have eight plants in operation with
a total output Of power amounting to
100000 horsepower
The electrical energy to be furnished
by this company in 1914 will replace
annually 225.O0O000 tons of coal.
All told this development will repre-.
sent an investment amounting to ovel
100000. Today this company il
moving cars in Worcester and will
soon be supplying power to the trolle.
lines Of Fitchburg. 1t is running cot.
ton mills in Clinton and Fitchburg
wire mills and car works in Worcester
; is supplying current for the lighting o.
Fftchburg, Gardner and Marlborough
and is selling power to lots of loca
electric companies in smaller town
throughout a wide area It's operation
|
H, to Monson and Uxbridge in south
ern Massachusetts. Eventually it
lines will reach as far south as Plain
field, Conn, and Providence. R. I.
This plant was finished in January
1910. It's output in 1912 amounted t
81, OO0.O 900 kilowatt hours. The othe
plants of the New England Powe
company are located on the Deerfiel
| rirr vUhf oh riS in he
> mountains of Vermont, empties int
the Connecticut at Greenfield. Mass
The great problem connected with thi
8 development was the creation Of
: storage reservoir OF sufficient size
tide over the low water season. On
[ storage basin has already been con
structed and work has been begun o
a second which will impound alto
q gether $4,000. 900 gallons of water thu
u insuring an adequate supply Of wats
for the power plants throughout eve
the driest summer. There are no
three Of these plants completed and
operation ON the Dserield river. eac
, containing three generators with Il
70 capacity Of 5000 horsepower each.
3 One plant Il located two miles abo'
Is the town Of Shelburne Falls, anoth'
9 is opposite the village, and the thil
10 two miles below it. Within a sho
: time a fourth plant will be complete
- on the river just above the Hooss
n tunnel with a capacity of 900
y horsepower.
IL Ultimately this company expects
e develop 100000 horsepower on tt
Deerf1eld river alone.
M To carry this great load ITS miles I
NO transmission lines are now in use {
Do being erected These lines are bui
90 on their own right Of way and can
90 seen for miles around.
20 Second only to this development
= that of the Turner'S Falls compan
promoted by the Cabot and Crockt
It interests of Boston. At Turner's Fal
e the Connecticut drops abruptly som