United States Congressional serial set Volume 4719

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 Excerpt: ...48 dams furnish about 89 mills with a total horsepower of 4,158, or an average of 47 horsepower per mill. In 1880, according to the United States census, there were in the Great Miami basin 218 mills, using about 7,191 horsepower, or 33 horsepower per mill. In twenty years there was a decline of 59 per cent in the number of mills, but only of 42 per cent in the total horsepower in use. In the Little Miami basin the table gives 24 dams, 2 of which are not in use, and the 22 remaining supply power for 28 mills, using 1,803 horsepower, or 64 horsepower per mill. In 1880 there were 59 mills, using 1,956 horsepower, which is 33 per mill. This is a decline of 52 per cent in the number of mills, but only 8 per cent in the total horsepower in use. On the Miami and Erie Canal, within the Great Miami drainage basin, there are given 14 mills using 860 horsepower, or 61 per mill. In 1880 there were 48 mills using 2,011 horsepower from the canal. If the above figures are correct, there was a decline in twenty years of 70 per cent in the number of separate powers and of 57 per cent in the total horsepower in use. The decline in the use of water power on the canal is no doubt mainly due to the falling off of navigation, which left many of the mills without sufficient means of obtaining supplies or of disposing of their product. The general tendency to use the more reliable steam power in preference to water power and the increase of competition were also factors in the abandonment of the small water powers. In the water powers supplied from the streams direct the principal and almost only cause in a number of places was the decrease in run-off from the tributary drainage basin and the increase in the variation of this flow. This is a cause Which has been expounded at such...