St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-06-25

third of a cent per kiloWatt hour. But
even with its cost approximately that
of steam, with coal at it's present price,
it cannot be doubted that the region
possessing a large and well distributed
supply of such power is going to prove
attractive to industry, and particularly
to new enterprises, by reason of the
fact that through it's use there is saved
to the manufacturer a large percent
age Of his capital which would other
wise have to be expended in steam
plant. This saving can be used to en-
large the size of the plant and increase
it's capacity. Consequently with the
completion of even a few Of such hy-
droelectric stations as are now being
erected New England should see a
growth in her industries, though these
plants encroach but little on her po-
tential water power.
That New England has long recog-
nized the friendly power Of her streams
and been a leader in developing such
power by the old methods in vogue
before the present age Of electricity i'm
shown by the figures. The total de-
veloped water power Of the country at
the present time was estimated by the
commissioner Of corporations in his
power. OF this New England had
about 36 per cent, New York 80, Min
nesota and Wisconsin IL and South
Carolina 5. The minimum potential
water power-that is, all the power
lodged in the lakes and streams Of the
entire country-was placed at 1885,
900, including that already under de-
velopment The maximum was placed
at 51,ses,ooo At the recent conserva-
ton congress it was estimated that the
utilization Of even this minimum
amount would mean the saving OF
600, 00O, 900 tons of coal.
According to the census figures, more
than two-f ifths of the total power de-
rived from water wheels by manufacT
turing establishments is found in New
England. More than one-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 is to be found anywhere else in the
United States. If 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 fall and flow have lent them
selves to mans purposes in this re-
spect, what must be the opportunities
for her Industrial growth in the new
method of Harvesting the stream, a
method by which the power repre-
scented by 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 to
come to the stream and build his plant
at the brink of the fall. Instead he
brings the power to him. Here is q
method by which the plunging waters
are led tamely through tunnel or canal
so that the force of their fall may
move mighty dynamos, a method by
which the hand Of man, SO to speak,
reaches out and, Wrestling the power
from the river, uses it to run his mills,
light his streets and move his trolley
cars, though these may be a hundred
miles and more away. And yet this
new method is practically in its in
fancy.
The following table gives the amount
of water power her plants are develop
ing today and what they are capable
Of a distinction being made between
those establishments designed to sell
power for commercial purposes and
those run in connection with manufac-
turing plants: