Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-31
POWER DEVELOPMENT

With the growing scarcity of coal and the certainty
that sooner or later the deposits of this fuel as well as
of the oils must become exhausted, attention is turning
more and more to the subject of water power develop
nent. 1t is often stated, and no doubt accurately, that
On the American continent there is running to waste
IN the shape Of unused water vastly more power than
would be needed to turn every wheel in the country with
tput-draHins-at all upon the coal or oil supplies. The
work Of development has proceeded rather slowly, partly
mo doubt because the need was not pressing, and partly
y %aepse of legislation which has tended to discourage a
9deSN eRppsnt of water power: but the need grows and leg
tslators an beginning to recognize more Of the possibtli-
hes.
The greatest single system Of waterway suitable
for power development is undoubtedly the Great Lakes
system. Down the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence
How the waters Of half a continent, with the Great Lakes
themselves serving as inexhaustible reservoirs. On its
way to the ocean this water falls hundreds Of feet and
in many places along its course the formation is such
as to lend itself to power development. A good deal has
already been done at the sault Saint Marie rapids. Nj
agara Falls. and the rapids along the st. Lawrence, but
Emitted States and Canada are interested. and for the bet
ter development OF which plants are underway. Estimates
have been tending to show that the creation Of a naviga-
BILE ship channel on the way from the head of the lakes
to the ocean would be more than met by the revenues
derived from power development. One advantage of the
development of water power along this system is that the
most OF the plants would be situated right in the heart
OF densely inhabited territory where great numbers of
LANCE manufacturing, establishments are already in opera
ton. The problem of transmission of power from the
plants to the stations where it would be used would there
fore be relatively simple, and the electric energy derived
from this water power is now being successfully trans
mitted throughout all the tributary territory.
Water power is inexhaustible; coal il not. But in
the western part OF North Dakota we have in our vast
Ignite deposits another source of power which, while not
J" inexha ustibie. will serve for many generatona Without
question the time is, coming when the problem Of trans
portation which now prohibits the distribution Of such
asbulky. low grade fuel.as Ignite on a large scale viii. be
solved BY the installation Of great power plants It OF near
the Ignite mines The Ignite would be there burned
and used for the generation Of power which win be dis
trbuted ~ hundreds OF plants to move our railroad
trains ana drive the machinery Of our factoriea sThis
work WIN not be done suddenly. bnt must prooeed along
lines parallel with the general settlement Of The country
sosthat the power production: can be profitably used and
@ahe great plants necessary to economical production will
1g6t be- opSrated at Q loss. The northwest is especially
saAartsrested n the possibilities OF this Ignite power devel-
appsent. snd # + one of the thinss toward which the at
sStSPtten q ~ people 81 eor site can not b directed top