The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-28
POOL
To CONSERVE
j. s. FUEL
Industry to Take Stock at An
nuaI Session in New
York Next Week.
BY JONATHAN BROOKS.
Cosmopolitan Nevvs Sarvica-

Sf1ACAGO, May zS.-Y eSCerQay,
when electricity was young, engi-
neers talked Of power. Today they
speak of superpower. Tomorrow it
will be power pool
The electrical industry takes stock
or its progress each year on the
occasion of the annual meeting at
New York of the National Electric
Light Association next week.
Superpower, Of which electrical
engineers speak most today, il be-
coming a reality now, and the great
national power pool" is on its way
Ito the everlasting industrial bene-
tit Of the country, these men saw.
It's arrival is timed for fifteen
years from today, or whereabouts.
Several States Linked Up.
Meantime, the superpower job
must be finished, according to r.
F. Schuchardt, of the Common
wealth Edison Company. ofGhicago.
Schuchardt, internationally knowrn
as an engineer today said:
"Superpower development in II.
linois and other middle Western
States has already gone forward on
more extensive scale than in any
other part Of the coutry. Illinois
is already criss-crossed with high
power transmission lines which con.
meet with each other, making pos
stble the generation Of electricitv
at the most economical points ana
Its delivery wherever needed. The
transmission lines of Illinois are
connected with those Of Wisconsin,
Indiana and other adjoining States.
The Middle West is q pioneer in the
inter-connectfon of transmission
lines in a systematic plan and on
a large scale.
THE inter-connection Of transmits
sion lines must be made on a great
er scale thSn ever before, In order
that the coal resources Of the ma
ton may be conserved and indus
try enabled to reduce production
costs.
1.-THE Industrial supremacy of our
country must be maintained so that
American labor and American in
vestments will get their fair share
Nof the worlds trade. The problem
concerns two elements of interest
coal and dollars. Inter-connectton
spells conservation of both.
Consider coal first. We are con-
Stunning about six tons OF coal per
capita a year. Compare that with
3.67 tons for England. 1.24 for
France and 10 for Russia. The
energy liberated by our coo, 000. 900
tons a year Is roughly the equivalent
of a years labor by 1900, 100000
healthy men.
1.-THE central power stations of the
country by constantly improving eff
ficiency, have already saved the ma
ton hundreds of millions of tons.
1t is by combining the load Of an
extensive area through inter-connec-
ton that large stations are made
possible outside the metropolitan
aseas. Inter-connection also permits
the highest use Of hydro-power with
resultant coal saving"
Conservation to Be Urged.
When the electrical experts con-
vene at New York next week they
will learn what dent their activity
is making in the natural resources
Of the country. The research depart
ment of their organization says they
will use this year 80 ,000, 900 tons of
coal, $4,000 900 barrels Of oil and 81
900 900 cubic feet of gas in produc-
ing power. That will be a Is per
cent increase over last year, and 1t
IL this annual wallop handed to
natural resources that is causing the
engineers to look beyond super
power to the coming power pool.
The country cannot go on forever
using up fuel at that rate, and must
turn to cooperative conservation and
hydro-electric development.
Therefore, the engineers say the
day is approaching when the cities
and farms of the great Mississippi
valley shall be supplied with hydro
electricity developed in the Rocky
Mountains and the Alleghenies.
They point to the great super power
systems in the West, where power
from five different States is fed
into a transmission system over
], 500 miles long. Inter-connection
OF power systems in the Middle
Atlantic States is underway, and a
gigantic power pool is being formed
In the Southeastern States.
In 1859, August Partz, a Dutch
inventor residing in Oakland, Cal,
applied for a patent for a mode
Of transporting electricity developed
In Yosemite valley to Washington
and New York. improvements and
developments in long-distance trans
mission OF electric energy, especially
as related to transformers and
methods of insulation have made
1t possible to transmit as high as
,O00,000,000 volts. Much electric
power is transmitted at 1000
volts. In California 100000 volts is
common practice.
Electrical engineers estimate that
at the present rate Of Industrial
development, a national electrical
power pool will begin to take prac.
teal aspects in fifteen years.