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

4 thlrd OF al cent per hllONatL houI' Put
even With its cost approximately Shat
/ Of steam with coal at its present prEe'
| il cannot be doubted that the region
| possessing a large and Wen distributed
supply of such power is going TO prove
attractive 10 industry, and particularly
| 70 new enterprises. by reason OF the
| fact that through its use there is saved
70 the manufacturer large percent
| age of his capital which would other
wise have 10 be expended In steam
plant. This saving can be used 10 en-
large the size Of the plant and increase
its capacity Consequently with the
completion of even q few of such hy-
| droelectric stations az are now being
erected New England should see a
growth in her Industries. though these
plants encroacn but little on her po-
tential wSter power
THAT New England has long recog-
nized the friendly power of her streams
and been q leader in developing such
power by the old methods in vogue
before the present age of electricity *
shown by the figures. The total de-
veloped water power or the country at
the present time WAS estimated by the
commissioner of corporations In his
recent report at about 100000 horse
power. or this New England had
about &c per cent. New York 80, Min
nesota and Wisconsin II and South
Carolina &. The minimum potential
water power-that is, all the power
lodged in the lakes and streams of the
entire country--was placed at 26IS9-
600. including that already under de-
velopment. The maximum was placed
at 51,Sss.00o AT the recent conserva-
ton congress IL was estimated that the
utilization OF even this minimum
amount would mean the saving OF
coo 1000 600 tons OF coal.
According to the census figures, more
than two-fifths of the total power de-
rived from water wheels by manufac
turing establishments is found in New
England. More than ouo-quarter Of
the total power Of all kinds used in
New England's many factories is sup
piled by water wheels. No such show
ing ia to be found anywhere else in the
United States II this showing has
been made with the old form OF power
transmission, revealing as it does how
readily her rivers by reason of their
great fan and now have lent them
selves to mans purposes in this re-
spect. what must be the opportunities
for her Industrial growth in the new
method uf Harvesting the stream a
method hy which The power repre-
scntcd hy The rivers fall is taken and
converted into. electrical energy and
distributed throughout "a territory
many miles in extent
Today no longer does man have 10
come to the stream and build his plant
at the brink of the fall. Instead he
brings the power TO him. Here is
method by which the plungipg waters
are led tamely through tunnel or canal
so that tho force or their fall may
move mighty dynamos. 20 mciuod Ly
which the hand Of man. so To speak,
reaches ont and. Wrestling the power
from the river uses il to run his mills.
light his streets and move his trolley
cars. though these may be hundred
miles and more away. And yet this
new method is practically in ite in
fancy.
The following table gives the amount
81 water power her plants are develop
ing today and what they are capable
Of, distinction being made between
those establishments designed TO sell
power FOR commercial PURPOSES and
those run In connection with manufac.
furifc pfqufe.