WAVE POWER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12445, 30 August 1902, Page 10

WAVE POWER.

TO THE. EDITOR. SikYour paragraph in to-day's Times re the above gives very little encouragement for the utilisation of the enormous force of the waves we see every Jay bring wasted all along pur coast. One cannot think without a feeling of regret that we should have to go bo fav inland for our source of power when we see those majestic .billow rising and falling in their perpetual state of turmoil at our very door. What your article says about tides may be true, but the same argument certainly does not apply to wave power, and it is a simple matter on the following lines to devise a 6cheme for the return of 1000 horse-power. • To start with 1000 horso-no\yer means a lift' of nearly 15,000 tons one foot, every I minute, or a lift of 1000 tons 15ft ovcry | minute. Now, I ask, How long does it take I to get a rise of 15ft amongst the breakers with every swell criming in at the rate of four or five per minute, and averaging from 4ft to 6ft high? Then imagiiie a vessel of 1000 tons oi- any floating body, held out to such a forco responding to every movement,' and so harnessed to gearing on tho. rocks that every quiver goes to make motivo power.. By this means we get our 1000 tons constantly pulling on power shaft moving , at the same rate as the waves—certainly not under 15ft a minuto,—yielding us tlio required 1000 horse-power. As for the failures you mention that have occurred before, they only provo tliat tho prize romain3 to be won,; and an effort made on these lines, either at tho rocks of St Clair or Peninsula, if carried out to & successful issue would be a permanent 6onrce of power at a third of the cost of tho proposed Lee 'Stream, and also one of the attractions of the oity.—l am, etc., Duncdin, August 26. Pisogbesb. ■