The Washington herald., 1921-11-05
FOUR RESERVOIRS
AND TWO DAMS ON
POTOMAC URGED
Survey Covers Region
/, From Washington to
Boston.
STOP WASTE, is AIM
Secretary Fall viii Submit
Data of Engineering Study
r To President.
STOP WASTE, is AIM

Washington in 1s25-a city beau
tifuI. with millions Of lights ana
it's Industries and public utilities
run by hydro-electric power.
Such is the plan included in the
superpower survey, an engineering
study of vast proportions conducted
by the United States Geological
Survey, which Secretary of the In
esfior Fall will today submit to
President Harding.
Adhering to the policy of the
present administration to econo-
mize. the investigation carried on
by the Geological Survey was for
the purpose of securing ways and
means to economic in fuel labor
and material resulting from the use
Of a comprehensive system for gen.
Grating and distributing electric
power to transportation lines and
Industries In the larger cities along
the Atlantic Coast, from Boston to
Washington.
Vast saving In Coal.
With the new system in opera
ton by 1925, according to A. H.
Horton, chief of the division of
power resources, over 100000 tons
of coal will be saved in Washing
ton alone.
If the new system is adopted by
1925 twice as much power will be
available through the hydro-eIec-
trio plan than Is now produced at
power plants where coal Is burned"
Mr.. Horton explained last night.
The elimination of the use of
coal in the Capital would, Of course,
prevent the present loss due to the
accumulation of SCOT in the stores
and public buildingh, which in
themselves amount yearly to q con-
siderable amount"
According to Mr. Horton, II IL the
plan to electrify street car lines, in
dustriaI plants and every home in
Washington With power obtained
from four reservoirs and two dams
within a few miles from washing
ton along the Potomac River.
Water Held In Reserve.
Two great dams at Great Falls
and Chain Bridge, with a combined
; head Of ais feet and win q gem
Grating capacity of 125,0o0 kilowatts
hourly, will, 1t Is said, supply the
entire electric power for the Capital
City. A reserve supply Of water for
these dams will be held in four res
eryoirs with a combined capacity
Of I3,ooo, 900. 900 cubic feet.
The plans were drawn up and the
Investigation maze, according to
Mr.. Horton. not to promulgate
Government-owned enterprise, but
for the paramount purpose Of So
liciting the interest of individuals
and corporations in the several cities
where II Is hoped the project will
~ to
corporation may be formed. The
government, It II said, will only
act in an advisory capacity, II such
a corporation can be organized and
the huge project begun.
The report Of the committee In
charge of the work of investigating
and making the necessary surveys
will be issued today.
Would Make Cheaper Current.
According to the report. the SUI
perpower project makes Its appeal
10 the general public as a means Of
saving coal and Of Increasing the
productivity Of labor. To connect
an the large generating plants in
the several cities maintained by wa
ter power in one great system means
more and cheaper electric current
Looking ahead toward 1880, the
report continues, the ordinary citi-.
zen also ought to profit directly by
the superpower system because 1t
promises a reduction OF cent a
kilowatt hour in the first cost Of
the current as put on the transmits
sion lines.
The North Atlantic Coast region,
to which it Is proposed to supply
more and cheaper electric current
was selected for the particular
sstudy which has just been COM
,leted, it is said, because its indus