The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-02-01

~EATII.E. WASH, Jan. %, 1900, one
t lbe most wonderful features of the
sCe,4ie 5plendors af tie American cont
neu5 is undoubtedly contained in the
magnificent and e-inspiring cataracts of
Niagara Falls y mighty river flowing
9n from lake To AXE, and lake TO ocean
unb.Hg through qoIges aud defes--
rushing ever onward TO take that terrible
plGuge me hundred and sixty feet into the
seethi, vortex below-no wonder cultur-
ed people travel far to behold, and be-
holding wonder, at the work of Nature.
Ihe G. Instruction OF the great subterran-
eau cavern beneath the plunging river,
with its outlet far below the falls, where
electricity is generated for the use of man
utacturers and railways many miles dis
tant, is little less wonderful than the falls
themselves. Man is the child of Nature,
aud II IS not strange that he constructs
like ohdeis. or sometimes seems to ex-
Gel.
The completion of the electric Cavern
beneath the falls and the Installation
therein OF gigantic electric generators
was one of the wonders of engineering,
and was heralded far and near as one of
the greatest accomplishments of the nine
teenth century
But Washington State has another
wonder, and in some particulars, still
more wonderful than those of Niagara.
Snldualmie Falls are located east of the
CITY Of Seattle about 30 miles. on the
river OF the same name, rising in the Cas-
cade mountains and emptying into Puget
sound. For many years there has been
talk OF tauneling these falls for the pnr-
pose of generating cheap electric power
lai the cities on tine Sound. and wien the
york was actually commenced, very little
apparent interest was manifested in the
gigantic enterprise. snoquamie Falls
drop % Sheer height of 30 feet-more than
100 fee higher than the wonderful Mag
ara TIE body Of water is not near as
large, but sufficient Tor the purpose of
giving unlimited power. Like old Mount
Rainier, Snoqualmie Falls has great at
fractions for the brush of the scenic artist
and makes one Of the finest subjects for a
wild and fascinating picture Imaginable
just at the edge of the falls the railroad
comes creeping around the cliff which
apparently juts over its base-nearly
red ahnva lao
rocks which compass the whirling vortex
below.
Two years since local engineer, backed
and encouraged by Eastern capital COM
meneed the construction of power works
at the falls and the same has been sue
cessfully completed, the beauty of the
tails and their surroundings having in no
way been disturbed. Two hundred feet
ap the river, above the falls, a power
house is located and beneath it is sunk
well through the basaltic rock for dis
tance of 250 feet, sufficiently large to con-
tain large elevator and a 'penstock, ?"
~ feet in diameter, down which the
water is conducted to five water wheels
of unique type and alone peculiar to this
chamber 200 feet long, 40 feet wide and 30
feet pitch. Tie present horse power of
the plant approximates 10, 600. The mo-
tors weight 80 tons. There are three
Westinghouse three phase generator S,
each OF 800 kilogrammeters capacity,
which the water motors drive at 300 revo-
buttons a minute. The armatures are 96
inches in diameter and weigh approx
mately y, 600 pounds each.
The transmission circuits pass from the
transformer house at the falls to sub sta
ton at Issaquah, 10 miles distant, and
thence to Renton, II miles further. The
transmission lines are carried upon par
allel lines or poles 40 feet apart as far as
Renton. From here the lines branch off,
northwest to Seattle, total distance of
81 miles, and southwest to Tacoma, As
miles. Aluminium wires are used on these
the tie wires are also aluminium. The
Seattle line contains about 81, 600 pounds
of aluminium, and the Tacoma line u, 600
pounds. At Seattle the sub-station and
general business offices are located in a
substantial stone building, built for the
purpose, and this is completely covered
with electric lights, making mighty dis
play of great brilliancy. The October
number of "Power," published in New