The Washington herald., 1918-09-06

WATER-POWER
TOBE UTILIZED
Vast Unused Energy in U.
S. Should Be Develop
ed, Says Holland.

-Four years ago Il was impossible
TO arouse any interest IN Congress in
the proposition that the water power
Of the United States should be utilized
to make 10 possible to create many
millions OF horsepower in the form Of
electric energy. The war and the de-
velopments by private capital Of cleo
tric energy at Niagara Falls, In the'
South and in the far West appear to
have created interest, even some en-
thusiasm, in this proposition which IL
was impossible to arouse in Congress
until within the last year or two.
Now the government has taken hold
Of the proposition and there remains
only the adoption OF wise provisions
in the bill before Congress In order
to establish government authorization
and sponsorship for the use Of this
water power, and. therefore, its early
development
A few days ago one Of the Represen-
tatives in Congress, speaking to his
collea gues upon the proposed water
power commission bill, stated that
there are two great Inexhaustible
water-power resources IN the United
States. One Of these Is at Niagara
Falls. There the water power Is
created by the fan from the Great
Lakes to the level OF the sea, which
Is suddenly precipitated at Niagara.
and Is also supplemented by the rapids
OF the st. Lawrence River between the
eastern end Of Lake Ontario and
Montreal.
Power Almost Unlimited.
The intimation was that else
where in the United States except
In the far West. water power re-
sources are, comparatively speak
ing, small. That, however. is a
statement not justified by the facts.
e The United States Fuel Administra-
tion, which Is acting in co-opera-
ton with the government Geologi-
cal Survey. Is satisfied that through
out the United States there exists
in water power the equivalent 81
nearly $4,000, 900 horsepower rep
resented by electric energy. No part
Of the country is without consider
able resources of this kind. One
OF the most important features as
sociated with the utilization Of our
water power lies in the fact that
il is inexhaustible. The coal and
wood that are burned can never be
recovered. The use OF them con-
tinually diminishes this natural.
but exhaustible, resource. Some Of
the. leading authorities have esti-
mated that our coal resources, an
thracite and bituminous, will be ex-
hausted II the present rate of use
be maintained, in a little more than
hundred years.
But while electricity, which Is
stiu in its fundamental aspects a
mysterious demonstration of one Of
the laws Of nature. water power
- can never be exhausted. Electric
ity always instantly responds to
the action of water power, which
operates through turbine wheels
and the dynamo. By impounding
otherwise would flow to the sea
or great lakes. then the danger
which might be ocoasioned by
droughts would be avoided --s--.,
In New England, where water
power was first used by Samuel
Slater at a date coincident with the
establishment of our government,
for the manufacture of cotton cloth,
although Of course without the use
Of electricity, II is estimated that
there is available the equivalent of
100000 horsepower obtainable by
the use Of water power converted
into electric energy. In the South
the estimate is that the equivalent
OF little more than 1000, 900 horse
power may be generated by means
Of water power. But il is in the far
West where the greatest amount Of
electric energy may be obtained by
the utilization Of water power. In the
mountain region 16.OOO.OOO horse
power, represented by electric en-
ha
water power and upon the Pacific
coast 23.000.0OO horsepower can in
like manner be generated.
Development After War.
OF course the greater part Of this
development must be made after the
war is ended. assuming that the enc
will come within the next one or two
years But the new Industrial and
commercial era which will begin
when peace is declared Is sure to be
the most intense so far as Industrial
activity Is concerned which the world
has ever seen. The United States, of
all the nations which have been en-
gaged In great commerce, great in
dustries and great financing. pos-
sesses the greatest latent possibiii-
ties, which, il utilized. will deliver to
the industries, to the railroads and
Tor domestic purposes such as light
rug. the equivalent Of fifty-four mil
ion horsepower. all Of 1t having been
obtained through the Transformation
OF the energy which is in water power
into electric energy.
In the far West the mastery of cleo
ulc energy over steam locomotives
upon the railroads has already been
demonstrated. It was recently stated
that On what is known as the Elk
norm grade Of the Norfolk and West
ern Railroad. which surmounts in Its
course from Norfolk to the west val
ley Of the Ohio a part of the Anna
lachian range, two electric locorno-
uyes haul at the rate of fourteen
miles an hour a freight train which
formerly three of the most powerful
steam locomotives were unable to
haul at speed greater than seven
miles an hour"
Today only about one-sixth OF the
minimum potential waterpower of the
United States is utilized. A few wears
hence at least one-third will be
utilized under control Of the govern
ment
HOLLAND"