Comparing the expansion of electric water-power systems with those operated by steam, when located in different cities, Hartford and Springfield may be taken on the one hand and Fall River and New Bedford on the other. The use of water-power in electrical supply at Hartford began in November, 1891, and has since continued to an increasing extent. Throughout the same period electrical supply in Fall River has been derived exclusively from steam. In 1890 the population of Hartford was 53,230, and in 1900 it stood at 79,850, an increase of 50 per cent. At the beginning of the decade Fall River had a population of 74,398, and at its close the figures were 104,863, a rise of 40.9 per cent. In 1892 the connected load of the electric supply system at Fall River included 451 arc and 7,800 incandescent lamps, and motors aggregating 140 horse-power. By 1901 this load had increased to 1,111 arcs, 24,254 incandescent lamps, and 600 horse-power in motors. The electric supply system at Hartford in 1892 was serving 800 arcs, 2,000 incandescent lamps, and no motors. After the use of transmitted water-power during nine years the connected load of the Hartford system had come to include 1,679 arcs, 68,725 incandescent lamps, and 3,476 horse-power of motor capacity in 1901. At the beginning of the decade Hartford was far behind Fall River in both incandescent lamps and motors, but at the end Hartford had nearly three times as many incandescent lamps and nearly six times as great a capacity in connected motors. As Fall River had a population in 1900 that was greater by thirty-one per cent. than the population of Hartford, and the percentage of increase during the decade was only 9.1 lower in the former city, water-power seems to have been the most potent factor in the rise of electric loads in the latter. Electric gains at Hartford could not have been due to the absence of competition by gas, for the price of gas there in 1901 was $1 per 1,000 cubic feet, while the price in Fall River was $1.10 for an equal amount.
Water-power began to be used in electrical supply at Springfield during the latter half of 1897. In that year the connected load of the Springfield electric system included 1,006 arcs, 24,778 incandescent lamps, and motors with a capacity of 647 horse-power. Five years later, in 1902, this connected load had risen to 1,399 arc lamps, 45,735 incandescent lamps, and a capacity of 1,025 horse-power in electric motors. At New Bedford, in 1897, the electric system was supplying 406 arc and 22,122 incandescent lamps besides motors rated at 298 horse-power. This load, in 1902, had changed to 488 arcs, 18,055 incandescent lamps, and 432 horse-power in capacity of electric motors. From the foregoing figures it appears that while 82 arc lamps were added in New Bedford, 393 such lamps were added in Springfield. While the electric load at New Bedford was increased by 134 horse-power of motors, the like increase at Springfield was 378 horse-power, and while the former city lost 4,067 from its load of incandescent lamps, the latter gained 20,957 of these lamps. During all these changes electrical supply in Springfield has come mostly from water-power, and that in New Bedford has been the product of steam. Population at Springfield numbered 44,179 in 1890 and 62,059 in 1900, an increase of 40.5 per cent. In the earlier of these years New Bedford had a population of 40,733, and in the later 62,442, an increase of 53.3 per cent. In 1902 the average price obtained for gas at Springfield was $1.04 and at New Bedford $1.18 per 1,000 cubic feet.