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This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiqu^ ci-dt»a(j . ae> ft »ao'aci'aq ' ftg ' Q i :^ft(»a i (ga@agftO'aq'ftO ' aq^oaoa ' f I h"^ A r^ III ^^ ill ^Bte 4' V dii «anw ^^- > «9 ^. 4 \ ro Mo/sr '^f£AA rr-^ \ \ \ \ ") \ \ \ s \ \ \ \ rf <>' \ r» -J dii L » tm r i m m - ■n^n^itm ■BteMMMBMBik k 4: '/ >^ A ■( ^ ^ a £ L L £ f%4ilr ^tlES^ DISTANCE FROM MONTREAL 30 \ Scale 360 Fee^ tc One Inch Montreal 1^!^ February 1870. ..*i*i >"'•"«(«.-... ^^^•^^ EAL 30 MILES On e In ch (QC^c**e^t' •i— L G- J. C £B HA R or, J 'J \' V /' nBn*l-.*«'!lW«*'i-'*'!"""« ''•■" ♦'■ ' '"' '' ■'^' ^teian^^ O O R O C ^ £ R ,*>"•' ro V' v^\\\ ^^^ ^O/^ ^^G/Vy S T MA K r / N . • -siTT^^tT- t • / V< -* W^ ^ I,- V \ r R U DEL ifii nam iiiiMiir lii ijiOi i ;' imiH i ft it uf iiii" i IFF 1^^^^ TSr^WPBHHBBBap •■ITllBft 1 REPORT ON WATER POWEE AT ST. JEROME, P. Q. liY WILLIAM MALSBURG, Civil Engineer. P0«tvnU: PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL, 23 ST. NICHOLAS STREET. 1870. ^mm^^ |V)3V i Montreal, 1st February, 1870. To G. Laviolettb, Esq., Mayor^ St. J^rSme, P. Q. Sir, — At the request of the gentletnen interested in the development of the water power on the Riviere du Nord (North River), at and near the Village of St. J6r&me, County Terrebonne, Province of Quebec. I proceeded to that place with the view of making such exam- inations as would enable me to arrive at the knowledge of the amount of power which could be brought into use. Being also advised that what was most particularly required for the present was a preliminary survey with plan and report, giving such results as would sufficiently wairrant tiie carrying out of the proposed im- provements. In view of the extent of the work detemuned on for the present, I first made myself generally acquainted with the character and regimen of the river for a number of miles above and below the village, and examined the different points advocated by various parties as suitable sites for mill dams and null lots. These different points are shewn on the annexed lithographic plan, from No. 1 to 13 inclusive, as also the different rapids, miUs and mill dams. The village of St. J^r6me and proposed termini of Montreal and Northern Colonization Railway. Reference ynll be made to the above plan from time to time, in present report, when required for demonstration. Before proceodin.i; witli the report, I beg to call your attention to the following abstract, taken from C. Legge'3, Esi^., C.E., report on Montreal and Nortiicm Colonization Railway : — " A few remarks on the -water power of St. Ji'rumo may not bo out of place, in ccmscqucnce of tbc intimate relation wbicb exists between its profitable employment and the construction of tho railway. '* Tho North River, which furnishes tlio power in question, takes its rise in several lavgo lakes in tho interior of tho country, tlraining a largo extent of territory, and flowing in a southerly direction to St Jiirume, where it turns suddenly and runs in a south-westerly direction, discharging into tho Ottawa river, near tho Village of St. Andrew's. " At the Village of St. Jerome, and for tho distance of six miles, there is a fall of 30") feet, divided over that space by a succession of cascades or currents, developing a power of 120,000 horse-power, at the lowest stage of the water in a dry season, or about twelve times as much power as exists at the City of Lowell in tho United States. . . , " In all my experience as an hydraulic engineer, I never saw a more favorable locality for employing tho water by a succession of dams at different points along the river, thus causing it to repeat its uRcful effect at ^loast a dozen times within the distance of six miles. The bed of the river in many places is of rock with adjoining banks admirably adopted for the efficient distribution of tho power for useful purposes in mills and factories. Passing along tho beautiful banks of this river, and stopping from time to time to examine points which Avould give joy to tho hydraulicians heart, and which, by the expenditure of a few hundred dollars, could be converted into splendid mill sites. With the rich undulating agricultural country stretching off to the south, east and west, and Hanked on the north by the Lauren- tian Mountains, with their undeveloped mineral wealth, the specta- tor would be deeply impressed Avith the facilities given by Provi- dence for turning the riches of this region into a means of support for the teaming population yet destined to occupy this favorite country. The writer himself could well sympathize with the enthusiasm of tho Rev. Mr. A. Labelle, the cstoemod curd of the parish, who is now devoting his entire energy to the development and useful employment of this great motive power for the good of his fellow countrymen. Who will not wish success to his eflforts and at the same time extend tho aid necessary for the purpose, simply in the construction of the Montreal and Northern Colonization Railway from Ilochelaga to St. JdrSme. More especially by doing so the city of Montreal and intervening parishes will reap so great a reward in this as well as in other respects already alluded to. An elaborate survey of the river at this point is now in progress, and when completed tho entire plan of water power will be arranged and reported on. Tho report, accompanied by lithographic plans, will be widely distributed through Canada, Great Britain and the United States, with tho view of drawing the attention of manufacturers and capitalists to the great advantages offered for the investment and employment of capital. The success of this enterprise depends in a great measure on the construction and carrying out of the railway scheme as a prelimi- nary. Without it no outlet can be had or adequate market obtained for the products of the power utilized. At the present time a fractional amount of the power is usefully employed at St. J drome, but its results are confined principally to the locality. There are now in operation two grist mills of ten run of stones, two saw milb, one shingle machine, one carding mlil, and a cloth factory turning out 200 yards of tweed per day. If brought within two hours of the Montreal markets by a cheap rail connection how soon all this would be augmented, Montreal becom- ing tho Boston and St. Jdr6me the Lowell of the Dominion. The village is situated on the north side of the river, and from the picturesque and beautiful scenery by which it is surrounded would become, during the summer months, the resort of tourists and pleasure seekers. The population amounts to 1400 inhabitants as given in the Assessors Roll for 1869. It may be well to remark that since that period the material increase in the population, together with that derived from emigration, will have considerably augmented the figure. - a2 ■ ' i.; 'I! 1i After reading the above elaborate abstract we shall proceed with the following brief references to the diflferent mill sites. I may mention that on deciding on the position which offers the greatest amount of advantages, we must consider : 1st. The point adapted for laying out mill sites, with head and tail races on either side of the river on which power is to be distributed. 2d. The one which will overflow the least amount of land. 3. The point which will, give ' a mill pond capable of acting as a reservoir during low water. 4th. The point best adapted for a dam to serve as a permanent bridge to unite the two shores. 5th. The site where the water power would be utilized to the greatest extent. In directing my attention to the different sites which have been advocated as suitable for dams you pointed out the leading places on the river, which for convenience sake I have numbered from 1 to 13, inclusive, as before mentioned. Before describing the mill sites, and estimating the horse-power developed by the different falls in the River du Nord, we must first ascertain the number of cubic feet of water passing down the river. At a suitable point between dams Nos. 8 and 9, three accurate cross -sections of the river were obtained, and the surface velocity of the current carefully measured in three places. From this we ascertain the average sectional area of the points to be 2118 square feet, with an average velocity of 1-63 feet per second. Multiplying the sectional are a 2118 square feet, by the average velocity 1'63 feet we find a total quantity of 3452 cubic feet of water per second, passing down the river at its present stage of low water. If we now assume, for the purpose of estimating the power which may be developed at the different points, supposing all other condi- tions of the mill dams satisfied, that the sites are located from Nos. 1 to 13, and we take the above figures to calculate the noininal horse-power at each dam, that is to say multiply the number of cubic feet of water which flows in a secofid by the height through which it falls, and the' product by the weight of a cubic foot, the result is then divided by 650 if the time is in seconds, or 33000 if in minutes. Applying this rule to dam No. 1, with fall of 9 feet, the following result will then be obtained : 3452 cubic feet x 9 feet, by 62 i lbs. / 550 lbs. Equal, 3531 nominal horse-power. The above rule will apply to the different dams to estimate the nominal horse-power of each. Dam No. 1 with 9 foot head.=equal 3531 h.p. nominal. it 2 (( 12 <( a il 4707 u « ((, 3 a 7 a a i( 2746 (( (( u 4 a 7 a t u il 2746 u (( « 5 n 10 u u il 3923 (( (( il . 6 u 10 a <:( 11 3923 a (( <( 7 a 12 u u « 4707 li (( tt 8 il 8 li (( (( 3120 li (( (( 9 a 12 a u (( 4707 il (( (( 10 a 6 a u <( 2353 u u ({ 11 a 6 a il (( 2353 u u u 12 u 7 il li (( 2746 11 (( (( 13 a 12 u n « 4707 11 (( Total amount to be utilized as per above would be 46,269 h. p. nominal still leaving a balance of 73,374 h. p. — for future use. We shall now proceed and describe the different mill sites. Site No. 1. — By referring to the annexed plan you will perceive that there are 14 lots of 50 feet in width by an average depth of 100 feet each, situate on Mr. Plouffe's property on the south side of the river. These lots are alimented by means of a head race run- ning inland. These lots to have tail races to convey waste water to the river. The land being comparitively level this site is admirably adapted for mill lots fronting on the public road to the village. The north side of the river presents high and steep embankments, bat not to lose the great amount of power there, it would be advisable to connect the two shores by means of a permanent bridge over the dam, thus giving access and egress to the 13 lots of this site. The head race to supply these lots will be constructed in the river, cov- ered over with timber and planking so as to serve as a roadway to the different mills. The waste water from the mills, etc., will be discharged into the river by means of tail races passing under the head race. 8 The average horse-power for the lots on both sides would be about 130 horse-power nominal. Site No. 2. — These lots are situated on the property of Mr. Sanderson on the north side of the river and number 27. Supplied by a head race running inland, these lots to have necessary tail races to carry off surplus water. The average horse-power for each lot will be about 174 horse-power nominal. Site No. 3. — No. 3 is situated on the south side of the river on the property of Mr. J. Bte Chartrand, and contains 14 lots of 50 feet in width by about 100 feet in depth, supplied by means of a head race running inland. The waste water to be disposed as before mentioned by means of tail races. The average power of each lot will be about 196 horse-power nominal. Site No. 4. — There are 13 lots of 50 feet in width ijy about 100 feet in depth, in this site situate on the property of Mr. J. Paquin on the north side of the river as shewn on plan. The motive power is supplied to these lots by means of a head race running inland, the waste water to be disposed of as before stated. The average power for each lot will be about 21 1 horse-power nominal. Site No. 5. — This site will be situated on the properties of Messrs. St. Francois and P. Labelle on the south side of the river, and will contain 32 lots of 50 feet in width by about 100 feet in depth, supplied by a head race running inland, the waste water of which will be discharged into the river by means of tail- races, &c. ; the average power for each will be about 122 horse- power nominal. Site No. 6. — The site will consist of 19 lots on the south side of the river, and 25 lots on the north side, these lots to be supplied by means of a head race running inland and another constructed in the river as shewn on plan and to have tail races as before stated in such cases. The lots on the south side are situated on the properties of Messrs. Lafontaine and Dupras, which is well adapted for the purpose. The lots on the north shore are situate on the property of Messrs. Godon, Depati, Dechesneau and Gauthier. The average power for each lot will be about 90 horse-power. Site No. 7. — Site No. 7 consists of power on both sides of the river. , . »'.i'r On the north side there are 11 lots on the property of William Scott, Esq, supplied by a head race running inland, the waste water to be disposed of by means of tail-races from each lot. This spot is most admirably adapted for construction of mills, factories &c., the shore and property inland for a considerable distance pre- senting nearly a level surface. The south side of river contains 12 lots situate on the property of Mr. Dupras, supplied by means of a head race constructed on the river ; these lots can haxe access and egress to the public road on which they butt ; the waste water will be carried of by means of tail races passing under head race, average power for each lot will be about 204 horse power nominal. Site No 8. — This site is situate on the property of J. Thimens, and consists of 12 lots supplied by head race constructed in river, with necessary tail race built underneath to carry off surplus water. These are laid out on plan at 50 feet in width by about 100 feet in depth, the average power for each lot will be about 260 horse-power nominal. Site No. 9. — These lots are situate on the properties of Messrs. Godfroi, Laviolette, Longprtic, Brierc and Langwell, and No. 17, By referring to the plan you will perceive that the situation is one remarkably well adapted for magnitude of power and facilities for construction. The present dam could be used as it is or raised to a height of 12 feet, in which case the power for each lot would be about 260 horse-power nominal. These lots would be supplied by a head race, built inland, with all necessary tail races for tlic discharge of waste water. Site No. 10. — This site could either be located on the property of Mr Pilon, on the south side of the river, or on the island belonging to Mr. Cote, in which case the head race could be made to run inland while on the other hand it must be constructed on the river. There are 12 lots at this dam, with an average power of 210 horse- power nominal each. Site No. 11. — This is situate on the property of Mr. Cot6, and consists of 15 lots starting from the old dam, formerly used l)y GodtVoy Laviolette, Esq., and supplied by a head race running inland with all necessary tail races, &c., &c., the average power for each lot will be about 156 horse- power nominal. 10 .1 Site No. 12, as shown on plan, is located on Mr. P. deMontigny's property and consists; of 23 lots supplied by head race running inland, these lots t» have tail races, &c., to carry off surplus water. The land at this point is nearly level, and can have direct communication with St. J^rSme by means of a road to join the Queen's Highway fronting the above property. Power for each lot about 119 horse power nominal. Site No. 18, consists of 21 lots situate on the property of Mr. Trudel, on the south side of the river. These lots are 50 feet in width by 100 feet in depth, supplied by a head race running inland, and having all necessary tail races, &c., &;c. The number of these lots could be augmented by extending further south ; the average power of each lot will be about 224 horse-power nominal. After describing the different mill sites it would not be amiss to compare the difference of cost between steam and water power. Suppose we take in one case a steam engine of 25 horse-power nomi- nal and in the other case a water wheel of the same power, and estimating 300 working days per annum the following will be the result : En^nes of the above construction with fixed boilers and the necessary connections complete will cost 12400.00. $2400.00, a7^ 168.00 Depreciation if working 24 hours continuously will be 20 ^ per annum 480. OG En^ne man 600,00 Tallow oil and waste 81 . 00 Coal at the rate of 4 li s per indicated horse-power per hour is 321 tons $6.00 1926.00 113255.00 If we now assume that the first outlay for water power will cost $37 per horse-power 25 $925 at 7 j^ $65.00 To this add de^TCciation of flumes which will last fifteen years, say, $400 at 1^ 28.00 Tyler wheel 25 horse-power under 10 feet head extra shaft 20 feet long • 25.00 Depreciation and attendance 10 ^ 40 . 00 Annual cost of water power 158 . 00 Or $6.32 per horse-power for the 24 hours' work, which is really the correct method of computing the results, as the water power would otherwise be rumaing to waste during the night, the compa- rison will, therefore, stand as follows : Cost of steam power per indicated horse-power per annum. $130 . 00 Cost of water power per nominal horse-power, per annum. $6 . 32 If the comparison is for 12 hours per day the result will be per annum steam power per indicated horse-power. $72. 84 Water power per nominal horse-power 5 . 12 From the above results if would appear that to obtain for the 24 hours an equal amount of steam power to that yielded by the dam it would require an annual outlay of $5982.60, or if steam power is employed for 12 hours per day the annual expenditure will be $3362.09. These conclusions are sufficient to show the vast diflference of using steam as a motive power, and should not be entertained as 1 ong as the Riviere du Nord flows before your doors with fine facilities for its employment. In conclusion I would say to every capitalist or proprietor of real estate in your section of the country, take stock in the Montreal and Northern Colonization Railway, and have it in operation at once. Then by publishing throughout Canada, England and the United States the peculiar advantages of the locality, and the liberal inducements you offer to parties requiring power, and my wora for it your water powers will all be taken up from Site No. 1 to 13 in a very short space of time. Will you kindly convey may thanks to C. Legge, Esq., for the assistance and data rendered me in the above, and also to Mr. J. H. Leclairc, and others during survey. Finally accept for yourself and colleagues my thanks for the polite attention bestowed on me when at St. Jdrome. I have the honor to be. Sir, Your humble servant, WILLIAM MALSBURO, Civil Engineer. ia^'^ ^M ^