Evening star., 1926-01-29
Project Has Wide Scope.


provides for the building of a power
dam at Chain Bridge and Great Falls
and the building of secondary storage
dams on the upper Potomac. the
Shenandoah and the Great Cacapon
Rivers.
The first unit proposed is the build
ing of the dam at Chain Bridge at
an estimated cost of l3,6O0,000.
The House District committee ad-
vised that the first unit should be
built by the Government without un-
necessary delay, but only after the
necessary lands and easements there
for shall have been acquired by pur-
chase or condemnation, or agree
ments made for such purchase. on
terms deemed reasonable by the Sec
retary of War. and not until guar
antics have been obtained in such
form as TO satisfy the Federal Power
Commission that the power can be
disposed of on terms that will protect
the investment of the United States
and conserve and utilize in the public
interest the water resources of the
Potomac River.
This provision has been changed
in the new bill as explained above.
Representative of prominent in
vestment bankers appeared before
the committee and stated they were
water and water power, and were
prepared to meet a part of the cost
for the installation of machinery and
generating equipment, provided they
could obtain a long-term lease TO;
the sale and disposition of the power.
They estimated that this portion OF
the construction would equal about
one-third of the total cost. The en-.
tire project of two power dams and
three auxiliary or storage dams
would cost S44 .421 900. The work
could be taken up progressively as the
need developed.
Needs of ID. {. Estimated.
1t is estimated that the needs of the
District for light and power in 1920
was 30S, 900, 900 kilowatt-hours. that
the demand for power is steadily IN
creaSing and that it will reach )O0.-
900 900 llilowatt-hours per annum in
| 1880 and 100000, 900 kiloWatt-hourS In
l945.
The Chain Bridge dam alone will, it
| is estimated by engineers, generate
AIS 900 900 kilowatt hours annually.
and the most conservative estimates
, Of this project show that with a saw
/ ing of only mills per kilowatt hour.
! from 500, 900 to 100000 per annum
would be saved to the light and pow
er users of the District of Columbia,
and that from 1880 to 194o there would
! be a saving to the people OF the Dis
! trict and nearby territory OF more
than $lO.00O.000.
The present lighting company has
| been generating power at a compare
| lively low cost, although the cost to
! the consumer is somewhat higher than
| in MANY other cities Of this section OF
the country. the committee reported
| But the present company must eX'
pend Sc 900, 900 in equipment to take
care of the estimated growth OF buSl
ness, which cost must enter into any
, future calculations on this subject
By the most conservative estimate
j mower can be delivered in Washington
| from this project at 3.75 mills. which
| is approximately mills less than 1t
can be generated by steam.
Small streams at the head OF the
| Potomac are now being utilized for
electric power, and subsidiary COM
panies Of the American Water Power
| Co. are now erecting an $S,0O0,oOO
| plant in this section, and an enormous
plant costing more than $4,000, 900
| has Just been authorized by the pub
lie service commission of Maryland
on the SusQuehanna River near Balti-
| more.
Development Is Essential.
To neglect this great project. situ-
| ated, as it is. close to the large CEN
! ters Of population, is not only waste
| full from the standpoint Of conserva-
| ton Of a great natural resource, the
| House committee report emphasized,
| but means a yearly economic loss to
| the people of the District, and its de-
| velopment. will be an example to the
States which would be of high value.
| When it Is considered that this
splendid natural resource can be de-
| veloped at an initial investment of
| not more than $13,000,000 in its en-
| tirety, and that investment bankers
after investigation by some of the
most prominent hydroelectrtc engi.