El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-15

dreds Of good sized plants. The Tenn
essee river alone has an estimated horse
power OF from one 20 two millions. and
the Pedee, Santee and Savannah rivers
each have hundreds Of thousands south
OF the Mason and Dixon line there are a
number OF streams whose uames are
hardly known I'm the north which can
develop 100000 horsepower and upward,
ana Lne whole or the southern Appala-
chan range has a water foundation for
large manufacturing industries.
The water powers Of New England are
NOT hat developed Some years ago a
consulting engineer OF the General EIcc-
INC company made the statement that
more water power goes to waste annual
iT In Massachusetts. alone, than could be
developed by the falls OF Niagara and
this is so Notwithstanding the census
shows that New England ranks very high
m IFS water power development BY the
last census there were little more than
$1,000 water powers in the United States
and only 600 which had a capacity OF
400 or more OF these. the six New Eng
land states had 800. and from these was
generated almost one-fifth Of our total
hTcro-eiectric power At that time New
York headed the states in its water
power development. due largely TO the biz
plants at Niagara Falls. California came
second with a total Of almost a half mil
non nol espoWer flowing over more than
1000 wheels. and Maine was third. with
s4s-o1J horsepower over about 5000 wheels.
AFTER Maine came Massac huserts. and
Vermont
Maine Has 6.OOO.OOO Horsepower.
Today Maine is said TO have water
fails that VIII yield something Ike g.
100000 horsepower, or almost as much as
the falls Of Niagara The amount de-
Veluped Is less than 400. oO0 Much OF this
comes from the many high lakes not far
from EdeWater. the streams from them
20 the sea having numerous falls The
state has something like 1000 lakes. and
these feed the androscogsin- Kennebec
Fenobscot and other rivers which tumble
through many falls down TO the sea. feed
lng power plants here and there along
their banks
As to the ether New England states.
the MeIrimac and Connecticut rivers are
perhaps the most Important. The AIerri-
mac is said 20 turn more spiudles than
any other river on the face Of the globe. I
II drains total area Of a little less than
5000 square miles and fits average fan is
less than two and one-half feet TO the
mile but the greater part OF the drop
occurs az short distances apart. and at
these places are some OF the biggest fac
tories and mills Of the country. living
chiefly in the short distance between Man
chester. New Hampshire and Lowell and
Lawrence. Mass.
Their is a great deal OF undevelcued
horsepower along the Mississippi river
and its tributaries. According to Prof I
Leighton. the minimum available ErC en- ]
these sources is more than six and
one-h2f million horsepower while the I
maximum is almost double that amount. 4
The minimum is just about equal TO the /
power lost at Niagara.
The great developed water power Of the /
Mississippi river is that II the big dam /
at keolluk. Iowa The electric plant
there has cost son ethinE like $4,000. 600. .
and lt has potenuality OF 10000 horse ]
power. II Is now delivering upward Of i
$1,000 Horsepower % ST. Louis. so that The i
street cars Of that city are run by the /
falling waters Of The Mississippi. zoo miles
away Moreover, the machinery IS so I
La-lDEra.E 1el the flowing he D
Ing automatically admitted only as isl
needed, that Il is said when the street /
cars stop in ST. Louis the change in the /
power used can be felt at EeokulL
Is World Wonder.
7 have been in penstocks o. the great 4
turb ne plants at Niagara; and I have I
plant al EeoSuz- The sights are among
the wonders OF the world The turbines
have the most delicate machinery. which Z
work with the accuracy Of a Swiss watch
At keokuk 7 saw machines weighing more
than one-half million pounds resting on
a single bearing. and above them were
generators. each OF which creates enough
electricity 90 light an automobile rcad
around the world Altogether they could
illuminate a milky way from the earth 60
The moon
in Minnesota reservoirs have been con
srructed by the government with refer
enc7 20 the navigation Of the Mississippi.
These reservoirs have a capacity OF al
most one hundred billion feet They have
the falls OF ST. Anthony. and have inn
proved the power plants along the Mis-
sissippi 10 the amount Of many hundreds
Of thousands OF dollars Der auuum- Res
ervoirs have been built for the same uur-
pose at the head waters Of the Wisconsin
river. and an enormous Increase Of Ualer
power could be made by carrying out the
reservoir plans advocated by the late
senator Newlands.
Greatest Water Power Is In West.
The greatest water powers Of the United D
States are those Of our western high
land and Of the Pacific coast states. They
are several times as great fin their AZ
gregate available horsepower as those Of
all the rest OF the country. According
to J. n Teal. chairman OF the Oregon
conservation committee. the Deschutes
river is capable o. developing a million
Horsepower. or about twice as much as
Canada and the United States are now
getting from Niagara The chief water
power sites OF this stream are within 100
miles OF Portland, and power could be
n h"""i