The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-10

0Ifnfnt OF water foWtI " Nhf Nh'f
thing that viii save the West"
so says o. c. Merrill. secretary OF
the water power commission. recent.
~ organized under the water power
LEASING bill passed by the last con-
gross.
Merrill says he expects 20 see
t.ooo.oo horse power OF electrical
equipment installed within tho next
10 years for the generation OF power
from these natural resources.
GREATEST INDUSTRIAL
EZRA JUST STARTED
In Mcrrill's opinion the nation has
just started on its greatest Industrial
era Tho possibilities opened by this
new law. which was 10 years getting
thru congress. OF linking up isolated
sources OF electrical energy. hold out
the greats~t promise for industrial
development turnout the nation.
Tho development viii start com.
paratIvcly slowly" said Merrill. "But
II will take on speed as u gocs along.
The two greatest benefits the people
viii derive will be to hold down the
cost OF fucis and 20 relieve congestion
Of traffic. Nothing relieves freight
traffic more than to transmit cleo
tricity over, wires TO take the place
Of heavy tonnage OF fuel that has
previously been hauiel In its crude
state to the place where the power
u needed"
Merrill is an expert on water
power having been with the forest
service for years In the capacity OF
engineer in charge OF water power.
road construction and mapping. He
had been an enthusiastic supporter
Of q water power measure for 10
years. and when IL was finally
passed. he fell heir 10 the job OF
seeing that the power Is developed
and protecting the governments
rights.
Nd EXHAUSTION
OIL on ROAD
In regard TO the West. Merrill said
the principal source OF power is oil.
and oil has long since reached It's
peak OF production. and Is on the
road to exhaustion. One concern In
the West Is now spending 1000. 900
= month In developing water power.
Snd even at this rate. II fears that
ifs operation viii be overtaken by
the exhaustion OF the oil supply be
fore it's water power machinery Is
installed.
At the present time the installation
for water power Is 100000 horse
power. but this installation Is gem
Grating only about ..5oo.ooo horse
power per year. A great deal OF
this power In in the West. but New
York state. on account of the power
generated al Niagara Falls. ranks
flrxt- California. Maine and Wash
tnxson come next in order.
Merrill says the time " coming
when all the transcontinensal rail.
roads will be electrified. thus saving
great supplies OF coal and oil. They
viii get their power principally from
water power. but. to stabilize the
supply Of electricity. super power
hines. linking up the coal mines and
water falls. across the continent. will
be created
GREAT SUCCESS OF
MI1WAUkEE'S. ELECTRICS
Merrill points to the great success
Of electrical locomotives on the Chi.
cago. Milwaukee q 81. Paul railroad. |
running from the center OF Montana
to Seattle. An overhead troiIy In
used. These trains have TO haul no
coal for their own use. and the pas
senger trains have more traffic than
they can handle. becauyc they are 10
much more desirable than the steam
trains.
The fuel situation. which N stead. |
Ivy becoming Increasingly difficult. |
viii result In great stimulus 20 the
development OF water power the
world over. without another source !
Of power. coal or oil are absolute
necessities. Car shortage or no car
shortage. coal must be hauled. lest
the nation freeze or perish from lack
OF the necessities made by ma.
chinery. IL IL safe TO say that the |
greatest need in America today is for !
more and cheaper power. And the !
development OF water power will rev. !
olutionize industry and make the
burden that the average man carries |
much easier.