POWER CO-OPERATION.

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smallest discovery can be made of the cause. I believe Ishall have all the cranage of the London wet-dock warehousesto undertake, which will be the grandest job perhaps everdone.”

More than twenty years ago the author promoted an Hy-draulic Power Co-operative undertaking in Manchester, andthe late Sir W. Fairbairn wrote in regard to it as follows:—

“ Your proposal to erect steam-engines and lay down pipesfor the purpose of working accumulators for supplying hy-draulic power to different localities of the city of Manchester,seems to have several advantages over the System now in usein the different warehouses where steam is employed. In thefirst place, it would remove steam-engines and boilers from thepremises, lessen the risk from fire and boiler explosions; andsecondly, it would supply the necessary power to work cranes,hoists, hydraulic presses, &c., in those depöts on principles ofincreased security.”

The experience of many years of the successful working ofhydraulic machinery and appliances in government dockyards,railway termini, docks, wharves, &c., has proved it to be amost economical, convenient, and safe method of transmittingpower over great distances, where the requirements are inter-mittent, as in the case of loading and discharging ships andrailway trucks, lifting and lowering goods at wharves andwarehouses, working dock-gates, packing or pressing goods,actuating tools and machines in works. For these and formany other operations the number of labourers can greatlybe reduced, as a System of power co-operation admits ofthe concentration of the whole engine and boiler power thatare requisite to supply hydraulic pressure to an entire dis-trict at one or two points, by which the power is accumu-lated, and is distributed, at the minimum cost and trouble.Independent engines, boilers, and attendants can be dispensedwith. The buildings and spaces occupied by these engines andboilers are rendered available for other purposes. The danger