New-York tribune., 1918-10-21

shipped over the railroads probably ten
tons is burned by the locomotives haul
ing the coal cars, representing clear
waste
The greatest opportunity lies in the
Eastern Pennsylvania Delaware New
Jersey districts. 1t is here (and in
New York and New England served BY
the same railroads; and fuel routes)
that coal shortage is most acute, and
here that the demands for power for
war industries are greatest. 1t is
wholly feasible, both as to time and
cost, to transmit this power from sta
tions in the anthracite region, stations
which will burn fuel of the grades
least economical to transport. Prob
ably a million and a quarter tons of
coal hauling could be saved annually
by this arrangement. This would re-
lease 5000 coal cars, line of cars 25
miles long working for a year, which
might then be hauling coal for other
vital needs Gin the East the average
coal car carries 40 to As tons and
makes only about 10 round trips per
year,. The additional coal which could
thus be made available represents, for
instance, one-eighth of the bunker sup
ply for our overseas shipping on both
oceans, or enough to meet the domestic
needs OF 100000 of our population.
Another important source OF addi-
tional power and increased efficiency
is the interconnection by transmission
lines OF electrical systems now oper-
ating independently in contiguous dis
tricts. Investigations have shown
that the daily maximum demands for
power, which limit the amount of load
which may be carried, are not simul-
taneous on these systems, and hence,
ii interconnecting lines are provided.
an interchange of power during these
peak periods will materially increase
the aggregate amount of load which
the systems can serve. The amount
OF generating capacity held in re-
serve against failure of machinery
and other abnormal conditions will
also be less, since separate reserve
required. The increased load which
may thus be carried as result of
lnterconnecting several systems will
usually amount to Is per cent or 20
per cent. At the same time the con-
sequent greater uniformity of station
load will result in more efficient use
of fuel. N''
The advantages to be gained by in
terconnectlng separate power stations
or systems by transmission lines have
oSNAA hSNo9 III tUe SOuJn
stations of more than a million horse
power in four states have been in
terconnected, and power is inter
changed on large scale over this
area. Further extension of this
Southern interconnected system is
contemplated. Similar interconnec-
tions have been effected in California.
In the Oregon Washington region, in
Texas, in Illinois and in the Pitts
burgh district. The New England sys-
TENS have already been widely inter.
connected, and additional intercon.
nnections are expected to result in
1urther increases in capacity and more
effective use of the New England wa
ter powers. There are many situation,
in the country where great savings
may be effected In the Eastern PENN
syivania-New Jersey region, if the
principal systems we're interconnected.
probably 10000 horsepower of add
tlonal load could be carried, and the
same transmission lines would serve
both to effect the interconnection and
to deliver power from mine power
stations. The gain from interconnec
tion could be made available without
waiting for the new power plants. an
important point, since the manufact-
urers OF electric generating equip.