The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-04

miles in length. A scheme is also pro-
posed whereby the rapids of the Nile
may be harnessed. At Assouan there
is a waterfall 40 feet high which might
be used to generate power for operat-
ing some cotton mills in Cairo. nearly
l. miles distant. Still another scheme
is the Harvesting of the rapids which
come down from lake NyasSa, in CEN
trail Africa. The last two projects are
simply in contemplation, but the utili-
cation of the Victoria falls will shortly
be an assured fact
WILL OVERSHADOW NIAGARA.
The Harvesting of Victoria Falls WILL
as an engineering feat, overshadow the
Niagara plant, for the reason that the
power will be utilized at such great
distance from the falls. Niagara, for
a long time to come, at least, will
transmit its opWer for comparatively
short distances. AS long as the COM
pany controlling il can dispose of its
total output within d few miles of the
falls, they will do so, because. While
from an engineering point of view il is
possible to transmit current all the way
around the earth. yet from CONNER
cial standpoint, the scheme loses value
because of the rapid increase IN the
cost the further you go from the plant.
Al Victoria Falls. however, the trans
mission will all be over 100 niles in
length, through stretches of wild cOun-
try forests which will be opened for the
first time, over level plateaus where
Lobengula carried on his savage war
fare, through ravines as wild and grand
as any in our own western country, to
mines tantalizingly full Of mineral
wealth which has been, except in a
small way, almost impossible to get out
because Of the insufficient power at
hand.
MANY THOUSANDS OF VOLTS.
It is also likely that the transmission
machinery will be more powerful than
Niagara, for the reason that the power
house can be located at a greater dis
lance below the upper river. The Vic
toria Falls are over 1000 yards wide,
and the river at this point drops sheer
into a huge assure in the earth's sur
face nearly 400 feet deep. II the general
plan of the Niagar plant is adopted,
the power house would be located on a
level with the lower end of the falls.
The tunnel carrying the water from the
upper river would supply the immense
turbines at greatly accelerated pres
sure The turbines. in order to take
care of this pressure al its full power,
would necessarily have TO be very
large, and if the electric generators to
be run in their turn by the turbines
are as large in proportion, the cleo |
tain would aggregate many thousands |
OF volts.
TIE POWER OF WATER.
The Zambesi or River Of Signs, ranks
with the Congo. and is the only means /
of communication with the interior. 1t |
is nearly 1,600 miles long, and has been |
the most important factor in the de- !
VeIopment of South Africa. It rises in |
the marshy country west Of Bangweolo, |
and passes through lake Dilolo at the |
extreme southwestern point Of the /
Congo Free State. 1t receives many /
tributaries on its way to the Indian
ocean, and drains during its course
over half a million square miles of ter
ritory.
has many cataracts, narrows and
rapids, and navigation is only possible
on stretches OF 100 and 200 miles. The
Victoria falls are 800 miles from the
sea. They were discovered by DR.. Liv-
fngston in 1866. After plunging down
into the chasm which is formed by an
immense crack in the basaltic rock,
and which, by the way, is at right an
giles TO the former course OF the river.
the stream is carried along in a narrow
channel for nearly 80 miles, between
steep basaltic rocks, which, at some
points. are scarcely 100 feet apart. The
power of this swiftly running water
can easily be imagined, and the cleo
trical horse power into which it can be
converted is great enough to become in
the course Of time one Of the most civil
iizing factors that Africa will probably
encounter.
HOW THE CURRENT WILL BE
TRANSMITTED.
The method of transmitting the power
will be the same as is followed in all
the big transmission systems of Amer
lea and Europe. The current obtained
from the dynamos at voltage OF, say
10. O00 viii be passed through enormous
which will. as they say in
electrical circles, step it up 10 an ay- ]
arage of probab bly, 10000. This enormous
power viii then be transmitted by pole
line across country, the force and ma ,
ture OF the alternating current easily
overcoming all resistances which may I
be encountered on the way. At the {
point of distribution-let US say at Blu
uwayo, $50 miles from the falls-the I