Discussion on “water-powers of the Southeastern Appalachian system”

One of the chief considerations in the transmission of power is a market. There is plenty of power available at many points where there is no place to which it can be economically transmitted where there is a demand for it. This necessitates the development of industries to match the powers. Many railroads, especially through mountain districts, follow streams. In 1892, when I was at Denver, at which time we had not thought very much about operating-railroads by electricity, it appeared to me that there was power going to waste along the line of railway up the Clear Creek Canyon, that would operate the whole system. Coal was brought from Utah, possibly 500 miles.