The Morning News

THE CANOOCHEE RAPIDS.

A Survey With a View to Utilizing them for Motive Power.

Percy Sugden, civil engineer, has returned from the Canoochee, where he made a preliminary survey of the rapids, recently purchased with a view to furnishing water power for Savannah.

The levels, as far as they were taken by Mr. Sugden. show an available net fall of forty feet, allowing fully for operation of turbines. The depth on the rapids was found to be five feet, with a velocity of 100 feet in thirty-two seconds, or three and one-eighth feet per second. The width of the river is about 125 feet. This would indicate a water power of nearly 10,000 horse power for twenty-four hours work. The water in the river is very clear, and from the bluffs the rock could be very plainly seen for a distance of 300 or 400 yards.

The survey was on the Bryan county side. which is considerably lower than the Liberty county side. How much the above power can be increased by artificial dams can only be ascertained by a more thorough examination. There is still a lower level some four miles below, where the water could be used again; but this was not examined by Mr. Sugden, as he is satisfied that there is a vast power at the rapids, more water than can or will be utilized for a long time to come.

Mr. Sugden also found all the material necessary to utilize the power--a rock foundation with an abundance of clay and timber on the land to build dams, and any quantity of rock to face and blast the dams. The location is healthy and high. There is no doubt about the power being there, and no difficulties beyond proper engineering, Mr. Sugden says, exist. The practicability of the transmission of the power of electricity is an established fact, one firm offering to transmit 99 per cent. of the power here, and if carried underground in insulated. pipes to guarantee the line for ten years without repairs.

The conversion of water power into electromotive force, which can be distributed to considerable distances with little loss, having now been demonstrated as practicable by numerous plants erected and in successful operation, it is reasonable to suppose that this system will have some effect upon the selection of sites for new towns, particularly such as are to thrive upon manufacturing industries. In the far future, perhaps, when coalbeds are to a great extent exhausted, the location of a city near a large water power may be the controlling factor in its growth, and the power may even be used for heating its dwellings. The amount of heat which may be represented by a waterfall is very strikingly illustrated in the able article--contributed to the September number of the Engineering Magazine, by Coleman Sellers, in which he says that the theoretical value of the water that passes over the crest of Niagara Falls has been represented as requiring all the coal that is now being mined in the world daily burned as fuel to make steam sufficient to pump back the same quantity of water."

It can be easily shown that the work usually performed by this fall of water is, according to the above estimate, sufficient, if converted into heat, to represent the heating capacity of about one-tenth of all the coal mined in the world at the present day.

As to the Canoochee scheme the problem is a commercial one. The existing uses and demand for electricity is great in Savannah, and if all the projected city and suburban railways are built there will be seven lines using electricity. As soon as the city extension becomes taxable in 1893 the city lighting will be doubled. At present close to $1,000,000 is spent for electricity.

With the demand the financial success of the undertaking is also assured, As this will be the cheapest power in the market it will obtain a fair share of employment. Money for such purpose, with a prospect of success. can be obtained north without trouble--all that is needed is to put the project in proper shape.