The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-12-08

used N Fsw England is about co rsr
cstt az tho slsnipsuE1 sod 3 t~iGs less
.han Il par cent q ne maximum as
figured out BY tlis COY Srnmeni OK
bsYts whe amount on power these
plants are capable OF producing If fully
developed is about II per cent OF the
minimum and about Al per cent of the
maximum. At the present time New
England has total of thirty-o one COM
mercial plants in operation 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 H. roughly speaking,
she had awaited herself of not more
than half of her water power
Hydroelectrc development must Of
necessity nave its limitations The
practical limit of transmission for the
current generated by this method was
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 10 carry The high voltage ca
bles and a protected right of way
through the country In the case OF
one Massachusetts company, the New
England Power company a strip 100
feet in width has been cleared for It's
transmission lines. II 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 a state IL is AT q decided dis
advantage so far as It's atiractiyeness
70 snanuracture goes IL it is concen-
trated at one spot like Niagara II is
$50 miles from Niagara to New fork.
In New England there is probably no
oopulOus 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
Gustral use as here. ] offers q rare
field for the development Of hydro
electric power plants because all over
Nav England these great water power
sites are found near market or New
England can II be said that today she
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 az is shown
by the total OF her plants in operation
and under construction. Only a fow
of the manufacturing states have de-
Veloped power commercially 10 the tx
tent of Maine or Massachusetts.
In the New England Power company
Massachusetts has by lar the largest
single development in the New Eng
land states II is the largest develop
ment east OF Niagara, covering three
states in IT'S operations Today with
four plants in operation il is develop
ing 10000 horsepower. Eventually IL
VIII have eight plants in operation with
a total output Of power amounting TO
200 900 horsepower
The electrical energy 10 be furnished
By this company in 1914 will replace
annually 225000000 tons Of coal.
Al told this development will repre-
sent an investment amounting TO over
100000. Today this company is
moving cars in Worcester and VIII
soon be supplying power 10 The trolley
lines or FItchbmg. IL Is running cot
ton mills in Clinton ana Fitchhurs,
wire mills and ear works in Worcester
ls supplying current Tor the lighting 81
Fltchburg. Gardner and Marlborough
and is selling power 10 lots OF local
electric companies in smaller towns
throughout "A wide area. Its operations
cover a zone reaching from keene y.
H. 10 Monsoon and Uxbrdge, in south
ern Massachusetts Eventually its
lines win reach as FAR aonlh as Plain
neld, Conn, and Providence. z l.
This plant was finished IN January.
1910 It's output IN 1912 amounted to
"a 100000 kilowatt Hours The Other
plants OF the New England Power
are located on the Dcerfeld
river which. rising in the Green
OF Vermont. empties into
tEo Connecticut at Greenfield, Mass
Tie great problem connected with this
development was the creation " a
storage reservoir OF sufficient size TO
tide over the low water season. one
storage basin has already heen con-
stucted and work has been begun on
O second which will impound alto
gather 55.0o0,Oo0 gallons OF water. thus
inguring an adequate supply Of water
Tor The power plants throughout even
the driest summer There are now
thrco cf these plants completed and in
operation on the nAsraeld river each
ccateining three Generators wi.h ,hs
nauscltr Of 1900 horsepower tacn.
Gae lisnt . !ocsted .Wo miles above |
Che tc'ga ~ She'hurne rails. another !
q opposite. She v'llsss, and We tnird I
;,o miles bel = &C. Wihn - short Z
,sls q fourth plsut viii be completed I
on he river jus. atoYe the noosac
tLAnei. with capacity % $4,000 I
Ultimately ihis company expects 10
to- selop 100000 horsepower on The .
y arheid river alore
40 carry tails great load i5t mi.ca vi .
Zines are NOW ia us, Orl
1,lrg erected. Th,4o lines are hultl
e ,n-.g own reht or vsy ani can he /
.u fer miles rfaunr.
SECOND oni> tp tu> Development ISL
CHAT 90 fec ilra'te FANS company
9r1m1cd ar tae Cther sud Cro.i,-r
Interests uf Eat.n. At Terscrs Tails .
.as Conce.tl,u .rops ABRUPTLY suwc .