New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
OnEv Fraction Of Water Power Now Used

Falls the furnace and tho steam radiator
are not considered good form. In that
favored community a six-room house oan
be heated for eight months Of the year At
a cost varying from SIS to 800 for the
season. There are no ashes to bother with
and no dust to vex the housewife; all that
Is necessary is to turn on or OF q switch,
and this can be done without getting out
Of bed!
Now, to return to the official figures Of
the Bureau Of Corporations composing
the minimum and maximum water power
resources Of the country, Independently
OF any form Of storage According to
these estimates, We have available at
least %, 900 horsepower and possibly .
maximum OF Sl.39s.oOo. Striking q mean.
this gives us the amazing total OF b.
os7. 900. In order not to cverstats our ~
serve Of riches. let us take Q round figure
of s6.0O.oOc. In a favored part Of he
country the coal costs, on an average.
50 60 a ton, and in that section q stoam
developed horsepower involves an annual
outlay ranging from $50 to so for the GOAL
burned. Electrical engineers state that
current can be generated by water power
I'm that same region and carried BY wire
throughout a radius Of seventy-hve miles
for a yearly cost to tho consumer OF only
$50 a horsepower. At this rate, and this
is a low one, 35.oOO,0o0 horsepower would
represent every twelve months q money
value of sS75.00o.0Oo!
On the other hand. 5000 200 horsepower
being generated by the burning Of coal
assuming the annual cost per horsepower
to be only A0-then the cost Of the coal
would reach 81, 40O. ,oOO Going back to our
original conservative estimate Of an av-
erage of nine tons of coal per horsepower
per year. then 100000 horsepower gen.
Grated by falling water would be equiva-
lent to a saving of a drain of 315.0oo,ooo
tons Of coal upon our mines. But II -
not directly in the economies promised by
the substitution Of water power that the
most vital lesson lies. The Significant
story is the stupendous possibility Of In
dustrial development watch may DO ours
I'm the coming years without adding to
the tax upon our deposits OF coal.
WATER POWER RIGHTS.
We know nothing OF the manifold direc-
lions In which electricity does service to-
day, but there are yet to come many.
many fields in which II will help us In tho
future-directions that will then be
equally vital to our busy life. Even to-
DAY electricity is gradually entering into
the metallurgical department Of the steel
industry and making 1t possible to turn
out In large quantities finer. more uni
form and better material for many pur-
poses Again. the electric arc Is drawing
from the atmosphere that nitrogen so nee
essary to the stimulation of plant life,
and the need Of this will become more APP
parent as other forms of fertilizer dimin-
ish. Electricity cannot be used extern
sively in either OF these industries unless
it can be generated at low cost. and low
cost Is possible only through the employ
ment of water power. Let our water
power sites be In the grip Of a monopoly.
and commercial. manufacturing and social
advancement will be halted. We are face
to face with a momentous problem, and
we must not shirk 1t.