1908


f


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC


Copyrighted  1907-1908

BV

Daniel  W.  Mead


State  Joi'rnal  Printing  Compaky
Madison,  Wisconsin


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC


124530  ^^

NOV/  2  4  1^00  ^f-^  '''


PREFACE


In  the  development  of  a  water  power  project  the  engineer  is  fre-
qently  called  upon  to  do  more  than  design  and  construct  the  power
plant.  He  may  be  required  to  report  on  the  adequacy  of  the  supply,
the  head  and  power  available  and  the  probable  variations  in  the
same,  the  plan  for  development,  the  cost  of  construction  and  opera-
tion, and  the  advisability  of  the  investment.  A  study  of  the  entire
project,  therefore,  becomes  essential,  and  each  factor  must  be  care-
fully considered  in  detail  to  assure  ultimate  success.  Each  of  the
features  of  the  development  is  of  equal  importance  to  the  commer-
cial success  of  the  project.  The  majority  of  the  failures  in  water
power  development  have  occurred  from  causes  other  than  structural
defects,  and  a  knowledge  of  these  other  important  and  controlling
factors  is  therefore  quite  as  essential  as  a  knowledge  of  design  and
construction.  It  must  be  said,  however,  that  in  respect  to  some  of
these  controlling  factors  current  practice  has  not  been  what  it  should
be.  This  has  resulted  in  many  over-developments  and  illy  advised
installations,  from  which  the  power  generated  has  not  been  equal
to  that  anticipated,  and  in  many  poor  financial  investments  amount-
ing frequently  to  practical  failures.  The  engineer  has  given  much
attention  to  design  and  construction  but  too  little  attention  to  the
other  fundamental  considerations  mentioned  above  on  which  the
success  of  the  project  depends  to  an  equal  extent.
