The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-20
Water Power of the World

Forty per cent of the developed wat
er power of the world is in the United
States where water wheels having a
capacity of 9,243,O0O horsepower have
been installed, according to a recent
statement of the United States Geo
logical Survey, department of the in
terror The leading states in devel-
oped water power are New York, with
100000 horsepower, and California,
with iii 900. These state totals COM
pare favorably with those for some of
the most progressive countries in wat
err power development in Europe,
where France leads with 100000
horsepower; Norway has $4,000
horsepower, Sweden 100000 horse
power, and Switzerland 100000 horse
power. The largest percentage of
power has been developed in the New
England states, where the capacity of
the water wheels installed is 1881 600
horsepower mad the estimated poten-
tial power at low water without stOr-
age is 868,000 horsepower. In the Pa
cific coast states-Washingt Ore
gon and California--he capacity of
water wheels installed is 1,S93,00
horsepower and the potential power at
low water without storage is 1880,
900 horsepower. The largest water
power development in the world is at
Niagara Falls, where the plants in OPP
Grafton have Il capacity of $4,000
horsepower, of which 385.50O horse
power is on the United States side.
The capacity of the plants at Niagara
is being increased by 1880 horse
power in the United States and 100000
horsepower in Canada. Other large
plants are one of 10000 horsepower
on the Mississippi, at Keokuk, Ia, from
which power is transmitted to st. Lou
Is. and two plants aggregating 1855
horse power on the st. Maurice river
in Canada, from which power is trans
mitted to Montreal, Quebec and other
cities. Canada ranks next to the Uni
ted States in water power develop
ment, with 2,418,Q00 horse power, or
over 10 per cent of the worlds total.
Europe has one-third of the deveI-
oped water power in the world. Two
plants at Rjukan, in Norway. have a
total capacity of $4,000 horsepower,
and at Trollhattan Falls the Swedish
government has installed a plant Of
l55, 900 horsepower. At Lake Fully, in
Switzerland, the remarkably high head
of SAB feet is utilized. France, Italy,
German, Norway, Sweden and Swift
erland each developed more than
1000, 600 horsepower.
In Asia, Japan, with 100000 horse
power, and India, with only 10000
horsepower, are the foremost countries
In water power development.
$50
$4,000 horsepower, but is rapidly in
creasing this amount. Australia has
practically no developed water power.
The Island of Java has 5000 horse
power developed or to be developed by
plants under construction. Africa pos
sesses only 1900 horsepower of devel-
oped water power.
The total potential water power Of
the world is estimated at 439 million
horsepower at low water, of which 62
million horsepower is in North Amer
lea and % million in the United States.
Africa is richest in undeveloped water
power. with 100 million horsepower;
Asia has II million horsepower South
America 81 million horsepower. and
Europe As million horsepower.
The World Atlas of Commercial Ge-
ology, Part ii, Water Power of the
World. which has just been published
by the United States Geological Sur
vey, summarizes all present knowledge
of that subject. mentions briefly some
of the worlds largest water power de
velopments, and gives estimates by
countries and by continents Of the
developed and undeveloped water
power. II includes 81 pages Of text
and 10 maps, and is sold for 81 a copy.