Evening star., 1922-10-07
URGES HARVESTING.
OF OFPOTOMACPOWER.
Correspondent Cites Waste
Energy That Could Be UtiI-
lied BeneficiaIIy.
To the Editor Of The Star:

IL the EultOr OF 1ne St6r.
In my letter to The Star May % 1
suggested a method of harnessing the
upper part of the Potomac waterfall
to furnish a power that would be a
partial substitute for our expected
shortage Of coal. 1t has been stated
by our authorities that "non-essential
industries in the District of Columbia
will be forced to suspend" Some
years ago Congress appropriated
money to pay for an elaborate survey
Of the falls. 1t was a, very complete
survey, made by the Army engineers
The plan which they submitted did not
include the upper thirty five feet of the
deep that would cover a portion of the
canal, the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
and large tract of Maryland land. To
form this lake would require a dam
11o feet high near the District line.
would furnish 00.000-horse power and
would be substitute for 1000 tons of
coal now used by the District per day.
Bank Higher Than Water.
The bank of the canal is much higher
than the water in the river most of the
distance along the nine miles of fall.
penstock tunnel from the river above
the Aqueduct dam about 5000 feet
down the river with the dam would
give thirty-four feet fall This is not
included in the plan proposed by the
Army engineers at the southwest limit
of the District of Columbia.
Instead of the one dam / would sug-
gest several smaller dams at intervals
that could be placed so as not to food
the canal and save the expense re-
uired to relocate that. the branch Of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and
the land immediately west of the city
1t also would leave the banks of the
river and add much to the beauty of
the scenery. This would give the city
power from a 15O-foot fall instead
of lis feet, land conf1ne the water be-
tween the rivers banks. Besides, the
upper part could be built first and the
lower dams added when more power
Is demanded.
Comparison OF Cost.
AS far as I can learn from good
authorities five twenty-foot dams
would not cost as much as the 115-
foot dam proposed, but the expense
for machinery would be greater un-
less some of the machinery already
In the twenty or more electric plants
now in the city could be used. At any
rate. the water would not cost as
much as the coal which is now used
for power. 1t is estimated that it
would save approximately $4,000 per
day.
This plan would use all the water
in the river and the falls either for
the city supply or for power. and it
is probable that a double use can
be made of the water that will come
down in the conduit and pass to the
reservoirs. 1t will not be too late
to consider this question after the
other part Is completed.
No Power More Valuable.
Can we afford to let such a power
go to waste? There Is none more
valuable in the country. Its location
is most desirable. One billion gallons
of water have been falling $50 feet
every day the past 100 years. This
waste is equal to millions of tons of
coal. and the waste is still going on
at the rate of $4,000 per day. This
water power fully harnessed would
generate enough electricity to light
the city and suburbs, do all the cook
ing, and drive the trolley cars within
a radius of ten miles, and every home
would be able to heat one or two
rooms from the surplus. The Allwise
Creator designed the powers of ma
ture to assist the toilers of the human
race. WIN. H. H. PHILLIPS, Ph.D.