The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-24

AHe iHuuStrAt center OF western
Montana.
There are no half way stations in
PoIson's ambitions for the future,
When she started on her journey she
purchased a no-stop. no-return ticket,
ana there are no redlights or sidetracks
along the route. And enthusiasm is
BY the way. you'll travel long
road before you find bunch of busi-
ness men who have the pull-together
spirit that exists in Poison. hTere is
not q Stacker among them.
lsrssst undevsloped
Pe<wer In Montana.
An dthe towns ambitions are not
among the responsibilities. The nu-
cleus II there in the form Of a water
power that can be developed at a mini
mum cost per unit of energy. In the
Flathead Oiver IL the largest single
undeveloped power site in the United
States. Hydro electric engineers have
estimated that there Is energy there
equivalent to 40O,O 900 horsepower.
In the entire United States there is
approximately 81, 100000 horsepower
represented in the different water falls.
OF this vast total. 44,00O,0O0 horsepow.
er. or II per cent o& the whole, Is found
in the western states. More than a
tenth of this, or l.331,000 horsepower,
il estimated to be located in Montana,
only an eighth Of which has been har-
messed to do the will Of man. Almost
a tenth OF the states whole lies near
Poison.
II is little wonder the people of Pol
son are anxious that legislation pro-
viding for the utilization of this vast
amount OF energy be enacted By con-.
grcss at once. s.a.
Five 10 Ten Million
10 Estimated Cost.
The Flathead river has drop of 1871
feet between Poison and the mouth OF
the Newell tunnel, distance of three
miles. This tunnel. nine-tenths COM
pleted, Is built 1000 feet through solid
rock. As the situation is at present.
thousands Of horsepower OF energy are
constantly going by without producing
results. BY construction of dam
and raising the surface of the lake nine
feet, the amount of this force can be
raised to 100000 horsepower To de-
velop this great energy to the place
where it will be available for CONNER
cial uses will require an expenditure
of IS, 900 to &l0.000.O00.
In advocating policy of power
conservation it is necessary to ascer-
tain what ID practicable and what is
not. II figures prove fuel power can
be produced at a lower cost than
corresponding amount OF water power,
- lnA 20, n tn 40 n
penditurc for the latter. water
power site is valuable only when 1t is
useful. and It cannot be useful II the
cost Ii greater than that necessarily
expended in producing an equal amount
of mechanical energy by some other
means.
EisetrifieatisN Saves
Milwaukee Millions.
An illustration. however. that proves
the F'lathead project feasible. is found
right at home. The Chicago, Mil
waukee T. St. Paul railway. according
to John d. Ryan, president of the Mon
tana Power company and director OF
the Milwaukee road, has electrified It's
Hire from Avery Idaho. to Hariowton'
Montana. distance Of $50 miles. FOR
the electric energy required to trans
port It's trains over this stretch OF
track, the milwaukee, is paying the
Montana Power company s5sO.Ooo per
year. Before Identification was ac-
compiished, the road was expending
3l,75O,00O to get coal from their own
mines to points along this $50 miles OF
track where II would be available Tor
use by the engines. And 1t required
about third Of the roads equipment
10 transport the fuel. Besides saving
annually 3l,200.000 in the cost OF
power alone. this equipment is re-
leased for revenue producing traffic.
Butte and Anaeenda
Read Makes Saving.
Another example i. the Butte. Ana
conda and Pacific railroad. This com
pany is eiectrifying SO miles OF track
and the cost of motive power VIII DC
So. 900 per annum. To produce the
necessary energy through steam re-
uuired an annual expenditure OF $1,000
600 This shows saving OF si7A.ooo
q year.
And besides the actual money that
IA conserved. danger Of forest Tires
caused by sparks from the engines u
eliminated. passenger travel Is maze
eater and more pleasurable because OF
The absence Of smoke and cinders and
the possibility Of better ventilation.
should the development OF the FIAT
head power site reach the maximum
estimate. tie.eoe. go. 1t is plainly EVIL
dent that in q very few years the I'M
proyement would pay for itself in &C
tual dollars saved. not taking irtt
consideration the fuel that would d
released for use in places where watel
power 10 noa available.
pslssa Win 0enssit
b. pe~se DEVELOPMENT
The ay4u1nant that Poison would de
rive Mttle benefit from the development
a RahaP noRnr that lien AT har dO0,