136 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



very lowest price at which our produce may be sent into the 

 market. 



The advantage of utilising water-power applies, however, chiefly 

 to Continental countries, with large elevated plateaus, such as 

 Sweden and the United States of America, and it is interesting 

 to contemplate the magnitude of power which is now for the 

 most part lost, but which may be, sooner or later, called into 

 requisition. 



Take the Falls of Niagara as a familiar example. The amount 

 of water passing over this fall has been estimated at 100 millions 

 of tons per hour, and its perpendicular descent may be taken at 

 150 feet, without counting the rapids, which represent a further 

 fall of 150 feet, making a total of 300 feet between lake and lake. 

 But the force represented by the principal fall alone amounts to 

 16,800,000 horse-power, an amount which, if it had to be produced 

 by steam, would necessitate an expenditure of not less than 

 266,000,000 tons of coal per annum, taking the consumption of 

 coal at 4lbs. per horse-power per hour. In other words, 

 all the coal raised throughout the world would barely suffice 

 to produce the amount of power that continually runs to 

 waste at this one great fall. It would not be difficult, indeed, 

 to realize a large proportion of the power so wasted, by means of 

 turbines and water-wheels erected on the shores of the deep river 

 below the falls, supplying them from races cut along the edges. 

 But it would be impossible to utilize the power on the spot, the 

 district being devoid of mineral wealth, or other natural induce- 

 ments for the establishment of factories. In order to render 

 available the force of falling water at this, and hundreds of other 

 places similarly situated, we must devise a practicable means of 

 transporting the power. Sir William Armstrong has taught us 

 how to carry and utilize water-power at a distance, if conveyed 

 through high-pressure mains, and at Schaffhausen, in Switzerland, 

 as well as at some other places on the Continent, power is con- 

 veyed by means of quick-working steel ropes passing over large 

 pullies ; by these means, it may be carried to a distance of one or 

 two miles without difficulty. Time will probably reveal to us 

 effectual means of carrying power to great distances, but I cannot 

 refrain from alluding to one which is, in my opinion, worthy of 

 consideration, namely, the electrical conductor. Suppose water- 



