Fig. 2.—Snoqualmie Falls Transmission Lines.

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In the field of illumination electricity competes directly with gas, and in the field of motive power with coal. During the past decade it is well known that the price of gas has materially declined and the price of coal, barring the recent strike period, has certainly not increased. In spite of these reductions electrical supply from water-power has displaced both gas and coal in many instances.

Moreover, the expansion of electric water-power systems has been decidedly greater, as a rule, than that of electrical supply from steam-driven stations. An example of the fact last stated may be seen in Portland, Me. In the spring of 1899, a company was formed to transmit and distribute electrical energy in that city from a water-power about thirteen miles distant. For some years, prior to and since the date just named, an extensive electric system with steam-power equipment has existed in Portland. In spite of this, the system using water-power, on January 1st, 1903, had a connected load of 352 enclosed arcs and 20,000 incandescent lamps, besides 835 horse-power in motors.

Comparing the expansion of electric water-power systems with those operated by steam, when located in different cities, Hartford and Springfield may be taken on the one hand and Fall River and New Bedford on the other. The use of water-power in electrical supply at Hartford began in November, 1891, and has since continued to an increasing extent. Throughout the same period electrical supply in Fall River has been derived exclusively from steam. In 1890 the population of Hartford was 53,230, and in 1900 it stood at 79,850, an increase of 50 per cent. At the beginning of the decade Fall River had a population of 74,398, and at its close the figures were 104,863, a rise of 40.9 per cent. In 1892 the connected load of the electric supply system at Fall River included 451 arc and 7,800 incandescent lamps, and motors aggregating 140 horse-power. By 1901 this load had increased to 1,111 arcs, 24,254 incandescent lamps, and 600 horse-power in motors. The electric supply system at Hartford in 1892 was serving 800 arcs, 2,000 incandescent lamps, and no motors. After the use of transmitted water-power during nine years the connected load of the Hartford system had come to include 1,679 arcs, 68,725 incandescent lamps, and 3,476 horse-power of motor capacity in 1901. At the beginning of the decade Hartford was far behind Fall River in both incandescent lamps and motors, but at the end Hartford had nearly three times as many incandescent lamps and nearly six times as great a capacity in connected motors. As Fall River had a population in 1900 that was greater by thirty-one per cent. than the population of Hartford, and the percentage of increase during the decade was only 9.1 lower in the former city, water-power seems to have been the most potent factor in the rise of electric loads in the latter. Electric gains at Hartford could not have been due to the absence of competition by gas, for the price of gas there in 1901 was $1 per 1,000 cubic feet, while the price in Fall River was $1.10 for an equal amount.

Water-power began to be used in electrical supply at Springfield during the latter half of 1897. In that year the connected load of the Springfield electric system included 1,006 arcs, 24,778 incandescent lamps, and motors with a capacity of 647 horse-power. Five years later, in 1902, this connected load had risen to 1,399 arc lamps, 45,735 incandescent lamps, and a capacity of 1,025 horse-power in electric motors. At New Bedford, in 1897, the electric system was supplying 406 arc and 22,122 incandescent lamps besides motors rated at 298 horse-power. This load, in 1902, had changed to 488 arcs, 18,055 incandescent lamps, and 432 horse-power in capacity of electric motors. From the foregoing figures it appears that while 82 arc lamps were added in New Bedford, 393 such lamps were added in Springfield. While the electric load at New Bedford was increased by 134 horse-power of motors, the like increase at Springfield was 378 horse-power, and while the former city lost 4,067 from its load of incandescent lamps, the latter gained 20,957 of these lamps. During all these changes electrical supply in Springfield has come mostly from water-power, and that in New Bedford has been the product of steam. Population at Springfield numbered 44,179 in 1890 and 62,059 in 1900, an increase of 40.5 per cent. In the earlier of these years New Bedford had a population of 40,733, and in the later 62,442, an increase of 53.3 per cent. In 1902 the average price obtained for gas at Springfield was $1.04 and at New Bedford $1.18 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Springfield contains a prosperous gas system, and the gross income there from the sale of gas was thirty-one per cent greater in 1902 than in 1897. During this same period of five years the gross income from sales of electrical energy, developed in large part by water-power, increased forty-seven per cent. For the five years of general depression, ending in 1897 gross annual income of gas sales in Springfield rose only five per cent, and the like electric income nine per cent. In the five years last named the electrical supply system was operated with coal.

The application of transmitted water-power in electrical supply has displaced steam as a motive power in many large industrial plants that never would have been operated from steam-driven electric stations. An example of this sort exists at Portland, where one of the motors operated by the electric water-power system, in an industrial plant, has a capacity of 300 horse-power. Every pound of coal burned in Concord, N. H., is hauled by the single steam railway system entering that city, which railway operates large car and repair shops there. Some years ago the railway installed a complete plant of engines, dynamos, and motors for electric-driving throughout these shops. These engines and dynamos now stand idle and the motor equipment, with an aggregate capacity of 590 horse-power, is operated with energy purchased from the local electrical supply system and drawn from water-power.

Another striking example of the ability of electric water-power systems to make power rates that are attractive to large manufacturers may be seen at Manchester, N. H. One of the largest manufacturing plants in that city purchases energy for the operation of the equivalent of more than 7,000 incandescent lamps, and of motors rated at 976 horse-power, from the electrical supply system there, whose generating stations are driven mainly by water-power. The Manchester electrical supply system also furnishes energy, through a sub-station of 800-horse-power capacity, to operate an electric railway connecting Manchester and Concord. This electric line is owned and operated in common with the only steam railway system of New Hampshire, so that the only inducement to purchase energy from the water-power system seems to be one of price.

In Buffalo the electric transmission system from Niagara Falls supplies large motors of about 20,000 horse-power capacity in manufacturing and industrial works, and 7,000 horse-power to the street railway system, besides another 4,000 horse-power for general service in lighting and small motors. Few large cities in the United States have cheaper coal than Buffalo, and in Portland, Concord, and Manchester coal prices are moderate. In the Rocky Mountain region, where coal is more expensive, the greater part of the loads of some electric water-power systems is made up of large industrial works. In Salt Lake City the electrical supply system, which draws its energy almost exclusively from water-powers, had a connected load of motors aggregating 2,600 horse-power as far back as 1901, and also furnished energy to operate the local electric railway, and several smelters six miles south of the city, besides all the local lighting service. As good lump coal sells in Salt Lake for $4.50 per ton, slack at less than one-half this figure, and the population there by the late census was only 53,531, the figures for the load of motors are especially notable. At Helena energy from the 10,000 horse-power station at Cañon Ferry operates the local lighting and power systems, two smelting and a mining plant.