The sun., 1918-09-08

quantity Of fuel, and besides, we have
to curtail coal consumption in this coun-
try wherever possible in order to coal our
allies and the transatlantic shipping-the
latter for the round trip.
The problem confronting the War In
dustries Board is complex, and manufac-
turing conditions have added to the tangle.
Power must be modified, and the authori-
ties are squarely confronted with the ne
cessity Of turning to our water power re-
sources.
Not long after work was started on the
air nitrate plants at Muscle Shoals the
War Department realized that those es-
Establishments could only turn out part of
the nitrate needed. 1t was then desired to
enlarge the Muscle Shoals scheme by
doubling the steam driven installation, and
the army authorities sought priority in
ordering the immediate building Of suit
able steam turbo- generators. Paradox
cally, the War Industries Board objected!
The organization naturally wanted to help
the Government, but said no to added
demands on the steam turbo- generator
makers.
Steam Turbine Makers Rushed.
Manufacturers of steam turbines are al
ready overloaded with contracts. They are
building them in large numbers for our
battle fleet, and working twenty four
hours day for the ships of the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation. All these orders
are urgent, and if any were set aside we
should be that much delayed in forcing the
final victory. How then did the War In
dustries Board meet the problem of more
power for the production of nitrates for
explosivesf
1t so happened that two large public
service corporations in Ohio were COM
pleting extensions of their plants for the
wider distribution of electrical energy, to
be generated by steam driven equipment.
Together. these two works could sub
stantially duplicate the steam made energy
Of the power houses at Muscle Shoals.
Therefore the Government, through the
War Industries Board, stepped in and
took over these private plants nearing
completion. To that extent the authori-
ties have modified large block of power
without adding to the heavy burden upon
the manufacturers of electrical generators
But even so there is limit to this kind
of mobilization, and the question remains
where and how are we to get the rest Of
the power needed Individually, we shall
have to rely upon the expansion of exist
ing hydroelectric plants and upon the in
Sailing of new ones.
Fortunately the hydroelectric power
unit can be produced at the present time
without interfering with other work be-
cause of the fundamental differences be-
tween the water wheel and the steam tur-
bine. The latter, even when manufactured
by quantity methods, is a complex and
most delicately assembled apparatus. The
work calls for the skill and deliberation
of trained craftsman.
The water wheel or water turbine, on
the other hand, is foundry rather than
a machine shop product. 1t is essentially
a casting problem; and, unit for unit of
power, requires just about One-tenth the
amount of labor in its manufacture as the
steam turbo-generator. =
The plants equipped to manufacture
water wheels are still in position to 60
on and to accept new hurried orders.
They can do this without in any way ham,
pering the making of the steam turbines