Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-12-24
WATER POWER IN
NEW ENGLAND
Many Advantages Over Other Sections
In Fall and Flow OF Her Nivers
Boom Should Follow Their Use For
HydrOelectric Purposes Figures Show
She Already Leads.

The problem of Harvesting our rivers
and utilizing their power to move the
wheels of commerce and industry is
Today a subject of ever increasing
study, and it is one fraught with ire
mendous Importance to the future of
New England.
The increase in the price Of coal, the
fact, as shown by biologists reports.
that our coal supply is not inexhaust-
ible, particularly the supply of anthra-
cite, have turned our thoughts to the
river have babe us try to avail our
selves of it's friendly flow and. utilize
the enormous energy which it repre-
sents.
The increased attention given to this
subject resulted a few years ago in the
geological survey making a careful ex-
animation of the country's water pow
er, and year ago the bureau of cor
porations revised and extended the
work so as to show the extent to which
water power has up till now been util-
lied. The report of the commissioner
of corporations, for one thing, pointed
out that the great bulk Of the water
power Of the country was on it's edges
in other words, that New England.
New York and Pennsylvania and few
south Atlantic states. together with
the Pacific, contained pretty much all
that there was of it.
The following are the principal riv-
ers whose potential water power is so
important to New England and which
should make it pre-eminently the
place for manufacturing opportunities:
st. Croix River, Maine.
uS1k ,S,,1n
area, 1,674 square miles; maximum rate of
fall so feet per mile at Sprague Falls
Penobseot River, Maine.
Total fall 1909 feet in 200 miles: drain
age area, 1884 square miles; maximum
ate Of fall, 1877 feet per mile at Chesun-
cook lake.
Kennebec River, Maine.
Total fall 1,O23 feet In 1873 miles; drain
age area, $500 square miles; maximum
rate Of fall, lat feet per mile near Moose
head lake (source).
Androscoggin River, Maine.
Total fall 2,225 feet in 1879 miles; drain
| age area, 1858 square miles; maximum
rate Of fall. 49, feet per mile near Magal-
loway lake (source).
saco River, Maine.
! Total fall 1880 feet in 104 miles: maxi
mum rate Of fall. 94.s feet per mile at or
! near source; drainage area, 1,750 square
miles.
Merrmac River, New Hampshire and
Massachusetts,.
! Total fall 269 feet in 10 miles; maximum
| rate Of fall, $40 feet per mile at Manchss-
ter, N. H.; drainage area, 1854 square
| miles.
contocook River branch of the Mer-
rimac).
! Total fall 1866 feet in IS miles: maximum
rate of fall, 700 feet per mile at Benning-
! ton. N. H. drainage area included In
Merrimac)
Connecticut River.
Total fall 2,03S feet in 375 miles: maxi
mum rate of fall. 34.3 feet per mile al
Connecticut lake; drainage area, II, 26s
! square miles.
! Housatonie River.
Total fall 9S3 feet in 1z3 miles: maximum
rate of fall, 1914 feet per mile at Falls
Village, Conn: drainage area. 1888 square
miles.
Labor is generally more plentiful
particularly skilled labor, where the
conditions Of living are the BEST where
there is the best environment for the
home, the best educational advantages
1t is for reasons such as these tina
New England has such a large popula.
ton of skilled mechanics. 1t is for thes,
reasons that years ago it became al
industrial region almost without equa
in this country: hence it must be tia
with the development Of the enormou
power lodged in her streams and it
conversion into electrical energy pos
sible Of transmission over an extende,
area there should be no question blu
that this region is to be the scene o
great Industrial expansion through tn
superior advantages it win thus offe
to manufacturers.
, Rydroelsctric power-the power O
the flowing stream converted into cleo
! trical energy through the use of tur
bines-may not be cheaper than steam
in some places for it's cost to the con
sumner varies with conditions. 1t sci
dom runs higher than steam and i
many instances much lower-as. for in
stance. at Rumford Falls, in Maine
, where the power Of the river thus con
verified is supplied to nearby manufac
turing establishments at a cost of