The water in this lake flows through the stream at the other end of the lake to the ocean. The water of the ocean evaporates to form clouds. Clouds drift over the land and drop their rain to replenish the lake. The difference in water level between this lake and the ocean is twenty feet. A difference in water level is what makes it a water power and it is what occasioned the building of our mill. This difference of water level corresponds in our electric generators to the difference in potential. The difference in potential maintained by our battery of five cells when not producing current is 7.5 volts. The difference in potential between the two ends of our coil, when the battery is agitating its magnetic field, is perhaps a thousand times as much, or 7500 volts.
The boys took their swim in the lake and afterward, while we were all on shore lying on the grass, they brought up again the question of the machine-shop. They were anxious to know if I had any plans in regard to it. I said I had been thinking about it a good deal over night but had been waiting to hear their plans. Well, they thought it would be good to have a turning lathe, but could not think of anything else unless it might be a grindstone run by power. I said I had thought of a Central Station Electric Plant. At this they all sat up.
"Hydro-electric stations are the proper thing now," I remarked. "On the Rio Grande River in Colorado they are constructing several plants where water power will be utilized to generate electricity for use more than one hundred and fifty miles away. For transmitting electricity to such a distance they step up the voltage, or electro-motive force as it is called, to 100,000 volts.
They are harnessing the Au Sable River in Michigan to generate electricity and transmit it at 135,000 volts e. m. f. to towns nearly two hundred miles away. Electricians use e. m. f. for electro-motive force, just as you boys use "exams." as slang for the motive force in school.
Of course we are aware that since 1896 some of the water power of Niagara had been converted into electric power to run street cars and factories and furnish electric light and electric heat as far away as Buffalo, twenty-six miles distant.
About $18,000,000 are now being invested in hydro-electric enterprises even in Mexico.
By this time the boys were all standing up and staring at me, while Harold inquired if I were talking in my sleep. "I have at any rate succeeded in waking you all up," said I, "and what I have said is not altogether a joke. Let me explain somewhat at length."