HARNESSING THE SEVERN

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1924, Page 4

HARNESSING THE SEVERN

Twice in twenty-four hours three hundred million tons of water sweep up and down the estuary of the Severn, and competent engineers assure us that, if these groat tides are harness-

ed, they will provide 500,000-horse power continuously during a ten-hours day, says T. C. JJridges in the “I)ailv -Mail.’'

Such a force is sufficient to lift seven million tens a foot each minute, and is far greater than the power at prosent taken from mighty Niagara. Today Niagara yields (iiily 000-horse

power. 'To obtain similar power from fuel it would he necessary to hum no less than fifty thousand toils of coal weekly, so that the water-power yielded by the Severn would save the country two and a half million tons of coal a year. Power from the Severn could easily he conveyed ns far as London, and would he of untold value to all the hig towns in the AVertem Midlands. As for the scheme itself, every detail has been worked out, aiid the host authorities assure us that no special diUieultics are in the way. The es* tuarv at the point chosen for the harragewir two and a hall miles wide, hut a great natural causeway, known as the English Stones, presents a natural foundation for the work. Given the necessary funds the barrage could lie limit, ami, whiit i*. more, would give employment to twenty-live thousand men for seven years. It may I;..; ailded that a turbine has Ire ell illvented by a Frenchman which will work in salt water. lit these cirslinstanees it is not wonderful that Mr Tom Shaw, Minister of Labour, states that, if the committee now completing investigations reports favourably, the Government will give facilities lor the building of the barrage. So far, so good, hut it you talk to Bristol people about the Severn scheme you will sunn discover that there arc liens in the path. Bristol iierseli tit one time devised a big scheme for burraging the Avon, hut in B.’OO Sir Benjamin lhiker reported against this llis opinion was that the dam would completely silt up the river 'The same objection holds good with regard to the Severn barrage. 'I ho Severn, and the Wye aho, bring down vast f|ii:inlities of mud in Hood time, mud which at present is distributed across the,.wide tidal ilal.s. The new dam would interfere with the scour of the river, and Bristolians arc of the linn opinion that it would endanger the whole of Bristol’s great carrying trade, which amounts at present to about ‘2\ million lons a year. Apart from this objection, there is the <| Host ion of cost. Be I ore the war it was estimated that the barrage tmild he built for eight millions, hut to-day it would mean an expenditure of at least twenty millions. So from the first the scheme would lie saddled with an interest charge of a million a ycc.i. Mud and money, these arc the principal objections to the Severn scheme. It remains to he seen whether they can lie overcome.

! ENGINEEDS WOli KING OFT DETAILS. LONDON, May 20. The executive of the Labour Party met last evening. A number of technical aspects of the unemploymentquestimi were ccoiis-idered-anti suggestions were made lor constructive schemes. The Severn barrage scheme h.v which it is proposed to utilise the titles lot* the production of cheap electric powei was referred to. It was stated that experts had considered the proposal and found it pra'-tieahle, and that engineers were now two-king out more precise details. It was thought that the preliminary work might he completed within it year of starting work. The Channel tunnel proposal was also discussed. The Government held that it would have to he assured that oon-itlcrahle pressure existed in the House in favour ot it helore proposing to pul it into operation.