Electric Lighting and the Avon.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6648, 12 September 1889, Page 2

Electric Lighting and the Avon.

TO THE EDITOR. Sra,— Your correspondent "P. Rabbidge," in Saturday's issue of the Star is by no means the first who suggested utilising tha Avon for lighting Chrißtchurch. He is evidently a new chum, since it was suggested as far back aa seven or ei«ht years ago. If it were possible to get any quantity of horse-power from the river it would be a very easy matter lighting the town, but— the inevitable " but"— it is far from possible. Supposing the river were dammed in three places as mentioned would a greater fall be obtained than by one dam? At the best, a fall of four or five feet might be obtained, about 6000 cubic feet of water passing over per minute, which would give about thirty available horse-power. It must be remembered thi\t all the water could not be used, allowance must be made for by-wash. Tb« thirty horse-power would be obtained ST^uT'LJ? 16 * tbe late6t turbines. With thirty horse-power, 300 glow lamps of twenty-candle power conH be worked, or by using accumulators, say another 300 or 600 m aIL We can only reckon eighteen to twenty hours' real work per day, not twenty-four, on account of attending to machinery, <fcc That is for one ratlin the river of about fiv© feet. If it were poasiWa to get three falls of the same height, we could light three times the amount, or 1800 lamps— not, as "P. Babbidge " Bays, 3000. (Query : la therea fall of fifteen feet in the river between the Hospital and Manchester street bridge ?) If the river between these points were converted into three lochs, the intermediate parts would inevitably be flooded, as the sewers, are on a level with the river at present. With regard to accumulators, I have followed their development, and am much interested in them. Professor Bickerton casually mentions a new accumulator of great efficiency, but does not specify which it is. Is it the B.T.K. or the Julian accumulator? Will the Professor enlighten ua on this matter, as anything relating to the same is very interesting, especially as the subject of lighting Christchuroh bf electricity is being mooted?— l am, &c, • PRACTICAL.