Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-30
GIANT wonx OF . oIAo11n.
Ice E1slds Of IT Taesma Are Made to
Light Streets Hundred Miles Away.

Light Streets Hundred Miles Away.
From the Technical world.
Among the great mountain peaks on the
Pacific coast. that Of Tacoma 70 perhaps
best known. owing not only to its size but
to the immense ice-cap upon its summit,
FORMED by tho number Of glaciers which
exist there. 1t IL not only a great noun
tain, but beautiful mountain. since the
Ice formation glittering in the sunlight
makes 1t visible for a distance ranging
from sixty to eighty miles on a clear day,
50 that It can be distinctly seen In the
cities Of Seattle and Tacoma
While the peak Is sometimes termed Mt
Rainier, Tacoma. the title which the In
olans gave 1t. Is a far more appropriate
name for this peak. since Tacoma in q
and snow extending for miles upon its
slopes form the source Of several important
rivers, which not only nourish wide area
OF farming country, but have recently
formed a most important source of power
for the cities named, as we'll as for smaller
towns In this section of Washington. In
fact, from the glacial streams Of Tacoma
Is already generated a very large quantity
of electric power. which is being utilized
not only for power but for heating and
lighting as well. To give an idea OF the
diversity OF uses for the current it may
be stated that 1t operates the electric rail-
way systems in the cities of Seattle and
Tacoma, aggregating 1873 miles Of trolley
line, In addition to cable railways situated
In the hdlly portions Of these cities. Be
Sides this service, however, current is fur
nished for one OF the most notable inter-
urban electric railways In the United
States that extending between Seattle and
Tacoma where power is secured from the
third rail in connection with the multiple
unit system. This line is employed not
only for passenger service but for trans
porting freight and express material. and
fhn ponko al, ,txxvx<x
electric systems In the world. The horse
power required for q number of the larg-
est industries In the city of Tacoma, In
Guiding the shops Of the Northern Pacific
railway and the water works pumping
plant, Is also obtained from this source;
while Illumination Tor streets and buid-
ings. in both Seattle and Tacoma, depends
upon 1t to considerable extent The de-
that within few years Mount Tacoma will
be supplying fully $4,000 horse power to
the cities mentioned
While. as already stated. the glaciers and
snow fields of Mount Tacoma are the
source of several important rivers traverse
ing the western portion OF Washington, the
stream which generates the electric current
at present is the Puyallup, which originates
in two Of the principal glaciers. Owing to
the distance of the stream from its source
to the generating station, head OF water
Is secured which is enormous. considering
the volume Of water utilized. Consequently
the installation of machinery for generating
current and the system for distributing it.
present unusually interesting features. The
plan adopted was to divert the river from
Its natural bed, carrying the water by
means of f1ume ten miles to a reservoir
located on q high plateau. and thence dis
charging by means Of steel pipes against
wheels IN the power house. under head OF
S72 feet the water wheels so driven being
direct-connected to electric generators, and
the electric power so produced being trans
mitted at a pressure Of 30 coo volts, forty
frh mi tn md RI p yn mil
to Tacoma.
All water rights, and the necessary land
abutting on the river, from the point of di-
version to point Of return, were secured as
well as all land necessary for fume and
other structures, and actual work Of devel-
opment was commenced March /, 1903.