S36 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



for measuring water was 100 square inches, to be measured 

 through an aperture in thin plate 50 inches wide, 2 inches deep, 

 and under a head of 3 feet from the surface of the water to the 

 center of the aperture; but in 1859 a series of measurements 

 were carefully made under the direction of the late James B. 

 Francis, using an old canal lock as a measuring chamber. These 

 measurements showed that the old standard corresponded to 

 about 5.9 cubic feet of w r ater per second. As a result 6.0 cubic 

 feet of water per second, under 20 feet head, was taken as a new 

 standard constituting a mill pow 7 er. On this basis a mill power 

 is equivalent to 13.63 gross horsepower, which, at $200 per mill 

 power per annum, costs $14.67 per gross horsepower per annum. 

 At 75 per cent efficiency the annual rental for w T ater per net 

 horsepower becomes $19.57. In regard to just what is paid for 

 by the annual rental, both at Oswego and Cohoes, it may be 

 remarked that the foregoing prices are for water in the raceway, 

 the company maintaining the dams, headworks, and main race 

 ways, the lessee taking the w 7 ater at the face of the raceway and 

 maintaining his own head gates, flumes, bulkheads, wheels, and 

 any other appliances necessary for utilizing the w r ater in the 

 production of power. 



The waterpower at Lockport. owned by the Lockport Hy- 

 draulic Company, is formed by the drop of the surplus water of 

 the Erie canal through a distance of 58 feet. A run of water at 

 Lockport does not appear to be very well defined, but the rental 

 charge ranges from $12.50 to $16.67 per effective horsepower 

 So far as known to the writer, just w T hat constitutes an effective 

 horsepower has not been defined. 



At Niagara Falls the rental price of undeveloped hydraulic 

 power has been fixed at from $8 to $10 per gross horsepower per 

 annum, the party renting the power taking the water at the face 

 of the head race and making its own connection with the dis- 

 charge tunnel. Electric power by a two-phase alternating cur- 

 rent as it comes from the generator is sold in blocks of 2000 or 

 3000 horsepower, at $20 per net horsepower per annum, the pur- 

 chasers furnishing transformers, motors and all other electric 

 appliances. In small blocks the price has been fixed somewhat 

 higher. 



