402 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. V., No. 119. 



would be produced in the wire, which would 

 take energy from the Niagara end at the rate 

 of 26,250-horse power, and only 5,250-horse 

 power would be lost by the generation and dis- 

 sipation of heat through the conductors ; and 

 thus 21,000-horse power would be available at 

 the cities above mentioned. According to Sir 

 William Thomson's calculation, it will be seen 

 that eighty per cent of the energy would be 

 thus transmitted. He also supposed that the 

 solid copper wire was supported, like the ordi- 

 nary telegraph- wire, upon poles, and found 

 that an electric spark would not be produced 

 between wires electrified to the difference of 

 potential of 80,000 volts, unless they were 

 within three-quarters of an inch apart : there 

 could not be, therefore, great difficulty in the 

 insulation. The cost of the copper conductor 

 was reckoned at $185,000 ; and the interest 

 upon this at five per cent is $9,500 a year. 



At the time these remarks were made, great 

 hopes had been excited by the invention of the 

 Faure storage-battery ; and Sir William Thom- 

 son closed his address by a glowing picture of 

 the possibility of keeping a Faure battery of 

 40,000 cells constantly charged, we will say T in 

 New York, and applying a methodical system 

 of removing sets of 50, and placing them upon 

 local supply-circuits, while sets of 50 are re- 

 placed upon the main conductor. 



The electromotive force of a Faure cell is 

 in the neighborhood of 2 volts ; and 50 cells 

 would give 100 volts, which would be sufficient 

 to supply several arc-lights. Thus the great 

 electromotive force of 80,000 volts could be 

 subdivided. Unfortunately, however, it has 

 been found that the Faure battery is not per- 

 manent, or even fairly so. It can be said, 

 without exaggeration, that its working-life is 

 less than a year, and during the time of its 

 best estate it cannot be depended upon. 

 Many attempts have been made to perfect the 

 Faure cell, and other forms of electrical ac- 

 cumulators ; but no form of storage-battery is 

 a commercial success at this present writing. 

 • It is not, however, beyond the power of inven- 

 tion to devise a system of what are called step- 

 down djmamo-machines, b}' means of which 

 the great difference of potential of 80,000 

 volts can be subdivided and utilized on differ- 

 ent circuits. A number of small dynamo- 

 machines could be connected with the great 

 copper conductor leading to Niagara Falls in 

 such a manner that the energy transmitted by 

 this conductor could be distributed over a large 

 extent of territor}-, either in the shape of light 

 or power. 



The distribution of light from a great central 



station has already been accomplished. The 

 system of village-lighting devised by Edison 

 can now be studied by those who are interested 

 in the employment of the energy of Niagara 

 Falls for a similar purpose. The limitations 

 of distance apply to the present central electric- 

 lighting stations ; and those who are sceptical 

 in regard to the great plan of utilizing Niagara 

 Falls as a source of energy make a strong 

 point when they ask why the system of great 

 central stations has not been rapidly increased. 

 It is true that abundance of water-power takes 

 the place of coal ; but the cost of the long con- 

 ductors, the maintenance of the insulation, and 

 the interest on the cost of any method of sub- 

 division, must also be considered, and may be 

 found to offset the cheapness of the source of 

 the energy. We imagine, moreover, that few 

 towns or cities would be willing to depend for 

 their light on a seat of energy so remote as 

 even fifty miles, to say nothing of three hun- 

 dred. An accident to the copper conductor, 

 due to the falling of a tree, or to - some 

 mischievous action, could plunge a cit}~ into 

 darkness. If the conductor were placed 

 underground, defective insulation would enter, 

 and produce the same result. Even if the 

 system of utilizing Niagara Falls as a source 

 of electrical energy should be adopted, a sup- 

 plementary sj'stem of lighting would have to 

 be maintained in every city. 



It is not safe to assume, that, if this large 

 scheme of utilizing Niagara Falls could be 

 made successful, business enterprise would 

 already have moved in this direction ; for 

 capital, it is well known, is extremely conser- 

 vative. The true reason that large sources of 

 water-power have not been utilized for electric 

 lighting on a large scale, is due to the fact 

 that the small details, and what are called the 

 small items, assume great proportions, and bid 

 fair to consume all profits which come from 

 a saving of coal. Thus the city of Buffalo 

 could have been lighted by the utilization of 

 the water-power along Niagara River ; and we 

 cannot believe that the failure to do so has 

 been due either to the opposition of the gas 

 companies, or to the lack of imagination of 

 capitalists. In short, the facility with which 

 energy in the shape of coal can be transported 

 from place to place counterbalances at present 

 the cheapness of a very remote source of 

 energy in the shape of a waterfall. 



The reasons for and against the utilization 

 of the energy of Niagara Falls as a source of 

 light apply also to the question of the electrical 

 transmission of power, with this exception, 

 that the electrical transmission of power has- 



