The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-19
WATER POWERS.

Herbert Knox Smith in Water Pow
er Development in the United States"
writes as follows:
Water power is unlike most other
natural resources in that it is not di-
mlnished by use, nor is it conserved
by nonuse. Coal which is not used to-
day remains to be used hereafter, but
the energy OF water which is allowed
to flow by unused neither increases
nor diminishes the future supply, but
=. is irretrievably lost Our supply Of
roal-the principal source Of energy
while vast, is not unlimited. The utili-
cation Of water power results in the
snving of coal for futude use. In other
words, the real waste OF water power
Is It's nonuse, while its development
effects conservation, not only OF wa
ter power but OF our fuel supply as
well.
1.-The Importance Of effectively utiliz-
ing the water powers Of the country
I is, therefore, obvious. The power now
February, 1922 required to operate
service utilities of the country lex
lcluding steam railroads and vesseIs)
can be safely estimated at not less
than 3o,o00.oo0 hp. Approximately g.,
100000 hp. is now generated by wa
ter; the rest is generated from fuel,
mainly coal. The quantity of coal re-
I; quired to produce horsepower-hour
In steam varies according TO the quail
| ity OF the coal and the size and ac-
cording to the quality of the coal and
the size and efficiency of the engines.
/ 1t is claimed that under the most ia
ivora BILE conditions pound of coal can
1 be made to produce one horsepower
hour From this minimum the esti
mated quantity ranges as high as even
4 or lb. Assuming, however, that on
THE average a horsepower-hour in
steam can be produced by 8 h. of coal
tand this quantity probably under
states the average of coal required
and the corresponding saving by the
substitution of water Dower), the pow
or now produced by water saves a,
least 100000 tons of coal per year
This Is based on 12-hr. day.
by reason of distance from mar
. kets, cost of development and othel
causes, it will doubtless be many year.
before quantity equal to even ths
, minimum potential water power o
the country, 92,08S,000 hp., can be ad
yantageously developed. It is certain
however, that under favorable condi
tons several additional millions o
horsepower can now profitably be de
yeloped from water. thus effecting
still further conservation OF our fuel
! The millions of water power economic
ally available, but undeveloped, repre-
; sent absolute waste"
Let us see taking the above figure
Tor coal consumption just what shar
the Mississippi river water power !
doing In the way OF conservation. Th
, ipower now being developed at thi
early stage In It's affairs, which VT
9 increase constantly as more and NOR
8 plants are harnessed to It's transmit.
g sion line, would require the consumr
9 ton of coal as follows:
Daily Observation-Disclosures. 1886 ton
g Monthly .......t.......... $500 ton
n Yearly observation-disclosures. o4.1e0 ton
2. Loaded IN cars of 40 tons each thi
r would make train of cars 1873 mile
b long or "A trains Of 40 cars each.
s. II the trains were run mile apa,
r for safety this lot of coal woul
q stretch out. with engine and caboos
z. attached. for distance OF 6e4 mile
g. more than half way from Chicago ,
o. Denver. II stored on a city block 90
r. feet square. this coal would make
Of pile 285 feet high This ia ,onsery
le tion Of coal that any one can Apr
70 ciate Is sometimes forgotten