Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-25
TRIUMPH OF ENERGY
Victoryof American Industry
in India.
TRANSMITTING POWER
ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY
THE FALLS OF THE CAUvERY
Carried to the Kolar Gold Fields
Ninety-Two Miles Away-obstacles
That Were Overcome

| largest transmission of power by means OF
| electricity that has yet been attempted in
| the east. The enterprise. which was mainly
| conducted by American skill and industry,
| is made the subject of an interesting re-
| port by Mr.. VIM. T. Fill, United States
| consul at Bombay.
| The site of the generating station is at a
| fork of the Cauvery river, the falls from
| which the power is derived-and which are
| known the Buna Chukki and the Gan
| gan Chukki-being located in the east and
| west branches of the river, respectively,
about half Il mile from the north, or down
| stream end, of the Island of Sirasdmn-
| drum.
| The whole course of the Cauvery is about
| Ats miles and is navigable only for small
| boats. The crafts in use circular baS
| ketS, nine to fourteen feet IN diameter,
| covered with buffalo leather.
| The native brings produce in them down
| the river, but is unable to navigate them
| in returning on account of the swiftness OF
the stream. He therefore takes them to
pieces and carries the leather back his
| head.
| For twenty mile. above the island of Sir
aSamndrum the river forms the boundary
| between the native state of Mysore and
| the presidency of Madras the two branches
| formed by the island uniting about one and
! Cne-half miles below the falls and after
| course of some twenty miles enter the Brit
| lsh territory of the Madras presidency.
| The progress which has been made in the
| United States in electrical transmission of
power over long distances. and the utiliza-
| ton of such power for mining and other
purposes. had been watched closely by the
| engineers connected with the Mysorc gov
| ernment.
In June, 1899. the idea of working the IA
! nous kolar gold mines. ninety-two miles
| distant from Sirasamndrum, with electric
| power generated at the falls was conceived
| nv A Jolly ia I ~ pipiara p T.
| the depty chief engineer to the government
of Mysore. This idea was cordially sup
! ported by the officials.
In August, 1899, Captain de LOtbnicre
was sent by the Mysore government to
! Europe and America for the purpose of dis
| cussing the scheme with experts In those
countries of drawing up necessary plans
| and specifications.
The Contract Placed.
IN August. 1900, the contracts had been
placed-that for the supply and erection of
| the entire electrical plant for generation.
| transmission and distribution with the
General Electric Company of New York.
while the contract for the hydraulic plant
was placed with Messrs. Fischer Wyss &
| Co. of Zurich, Switzerland
The staff sent on: from the United States
| by the General Electric Company consisted
| Of sixteen men, the first party of whom
| arrived in India shortly before Christmas,
| 1900 the remainder following at intervals
| during 1901.
In constructing this great line American
| engineers had to deal with some peculiar
| problems For example to prevent the
| white ants eating the poles. iron sockets
| seven feet high were set up to raise the
edible wood out of the ants exploring
| range The wild elephants of Mysore mad
also to be taken into consideration. After
| careful measurements of the trunk-reaching
| abilities of the elephants, the wires We're
| strung SO high that the hugest cannot
| ground the current.
Work Done by Elephants.
| A central depot near Bangalore was es-
| ia blshed, from which the material was
| distributed to the falls. to the gold fields
| and along the transmission line. Is the
| nearest railway station to the falls WAS
twenty-eight miles distant It may be easily
| imagined that one of the most difficult fea-
| lures of the work was the transporting of
| the heavy machinery, some single pieces of
| which weighed six and eight tons. over
| this distance and in this connection valu-
| able assistance was rendered by the Mysore
government in the loan of their large oxen
| and trained elephants. Three Of the latter
were often used in drawing single piece
| of machinery. and at other times seven
| yoke Of oxen were to be seen doing similar
! service. assisted by two elephants pushing.
On account of the large number of ma
| tives employed in connection particularly
| with the hydraulic and building work. spe-
| cial precautions were taken by the Mysore
government to prevent an outbreak OF
| plague. cholera or smallpox, and, although
cases did occur from time to time. the mea-
sures taken were successful in preventing
| any serious epidemic or spread Of these
| diseases. though the work was several
| times interrupted for short periods.
Completion of the Task.
| In spite of these Interruptions, however,
| and often somewhat unusual conditions in
! other respects which were encountered,
| the entire plant for generation, transmits
! sion and distribution, together with the
| buildings containing it, was complete in all
| respects at the beginning of June, 1902, and
! on the 9th of that month water was first
| admitted to the penstocks.
The preliminary testing occupied some
| two weeks, and on June 80 the British resi-
dent at Mysore formally opened the plant
and power sent over the ninety-two
| miles of line to the kolar gold fields. Com
merCial service to the mines was taken on
| June ID and has since been uninterruptedly
maintained.
| Mysore is a feudatory state of British
| India and ranks second in point of inn
| portance of the native states. The rulers
are styled mahara jahS and are of Ra iput
ancestry. The present ma hara jah has but
| lately attained his majority and succeeded
| in full possession of the throne. He is a
prince of much promise His wealth and
| education especially lit him to rule a re-
| gion over which his ancestry have ruled
from time out of memory. Personally the
| consul has Il very pleasant remembrance
| of his first interview with the ma harl ia H.
The progressiveness of the government
| Of Mysore in undertaking this work
| scarcely be fully appreciated outside of
| India, and the consul says that it is
| pleasure to be able to record the fact that
| they are being we'll repaid for the display
! Of this spirit, the gross returns which
| they are receiving from the plant being ap-
| proximately s5o,o0o per month of which
| the operating expenses amount to a very
| small percentage.
The Plant Described
The generating plant consists of units
| of $50 kilowatts each, directly connected
| to the shaft of water wheel, and exct
| ing units similarly driven Three phase
| alternating currents generated at a
| frequency of % cycles, and a voltage of
| 2,O90 in the generating station in the gorge
| from which cables to the trans
| former station the bluff above, where
| the voltage is stepped up to 5000.
| At the other end of the transmission
| line, which is in duplicate. the stepdown
| transformer station is situated where the