Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-01-20

NORTH LoUP, Neb,, Jan. ITO the
Editor of The Bee: Any person living
outside OF Omaha would naturally sup
pose that the people of Omaha would
stand up for Omaha, but such does not
seem to be true. have already received
many voluntary letters from legislature
and business men with respect to water
power legislation, some from Omaha,
all asking for information.
The idea OF making electricity for a
heating agent by water power seems 10
be new one 10 many people, and II ex-
plodes the argument that we may overdo
the making of electricity have stated
many times, after having made the COM
putation, that one horse power for one
year, converted TO heat is equal to about
one ton of hard coal, the transmission
being more than 100 miles. This COM
putation is based upon the mechanical
equivalent of heal.
Two years ago I with many others
stood upon the Missouri river bridge at
Omaha and someone remarked that This
Is the longest river in the world" IL
was the time Of the flood period. Many
people really believe lthe Missouri river
a great nuisance. because Of the uncer-
tainty Of the channel and the 10000 600
cubic yards OF mud which 1t washes into
the Mississippi annually. From the en-
gineer's view / began studying the Mis-
souri,, The first thing did was 10 20 10
a man Who assisted In constructing one
Of the bridges TO find what sort Of foun-
dalton the piers rested upon. To INV
surprise no told Eie that a few feet be-
low the surface those piers rested on
anlin rock Ia
dams to arrest the rapid flow the Mis-
sour might be made valuable stream
LOT both navigation and water power
me MISSOURI az Kansas City flows
5000 cubic feet Of water per second. II
80 much water why is navigation i'm
posslnieY IL the Missouri had a fall OF
Two inches per mile instead of eighteen
lncnes the depth should be Increased
from ten feet to more than forty feet. II
'he proper foundation may be had, forty
OF litty miles apart, the Missouri may be
mace one OF the most valuable properties
OF the nation. Millions OF horsepower
turned to current selling as low as IS per
horsepower for heating agent to take
the place Of coal may be developed and
IN addition the cities OF the Missouri
and Mississippi would be in direct navi-
eeeiPH WIN thf clNlllzed world.
Has the fact ever appealed 10 you that
The transoentineRial railways and the
eastern manufacturers and flnanciers do
not want our rivers properly improved.
as have suggested? II they are inn
proved in proper way manufacturing
ana the financial centers must move
westward. Has the fact ever appealed 10
you that the writer was the first 10 show
that water power improvements on the
tsonp. II made by the canal method.
would prove an absolute failure, ana
from that showing filings for franchises
were Immediately made for dams?
why have J favored state ownership
and improvement OF power sites ana an
appropriation Of $4,000 and the appoint
ment Of an engineer TO. determine fhe
exact cost Of 5000 horse powers II we
proceed on the policy Of private owner
ship We can never develop electricity
Tor heating agent because Of the high
cost OF current II we proceed. on the
poiiey OF state ownership and develop
ment We win place ourselves IN position
10 force the issue OF improving the Mis-
souri, within five years,
WALTER JOHNSON.