Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-11

the southern end of the continent the South
African Development Company Is making
encouraging progress with funds obtained
by the sale of bonds. The road Is one OF
the greatest enterprises ever undertaken
quite as great az the Siberian railway.
Cecil Rhodes, the empire builder, first sug-
gested the scheme and organized the move
ment. People thought he was insane, but
he was only wise and far-sighted and pro-
gressive beyond his generation. The road
is not intended to carry through freight or
to be a money-maker of itself, but 1t Will
be the most powerful agency that could be
devised in the development of the dark
continent. There are other railroads in
Africa The French are building extensive
ly In Algiers and down on the coast of
Guinea and they propose to construct line
across the Desert of Sahara. There are
schemes to develop the desert, to irrigate
vast tracts of land between Algiers on
the north and Timbuctoo on the south, and
the railway is intended to cross between
those points.
The Germans are doing good deal also
in the way Of development. They have sew
eral lines of road running up from the coast
into the interior of the territory which they
control Mr.. Gardner F. Williams, for the
last eighteen years general manager OF
the De Beers Diamond mines. who is now
a resident of Washington, says that while
there has been very rapid development IN
South Africa since the Boer war, the only
great enterprises recently established are
two dynamite factories, one at Modderfon-
tein, with a capacity of 100000 cases q
year, and another at Somerset West OF
about the same capacity. Everything IN
the Rand is English. There Is no American
capital invested in mines. although there
are many American engineers and business
agents of American manufacturers, some
Of whom carry large stocks OF goods, prin-
ha
Fra zero Chalmers the Allis-Chalmers. the
General Electric Company. the Westing-
house Company, the Ingersoll Drill Com
pany and others. A great deal OF american
the big mining companies have agents IN
New York who ship direct to Cape Town
and Port Elizabeth. An average OF two
ships month, cargo carriers only, leave
New York for South Africa, the distance
being about the same from London, IN
the neighborhood of 5000 miles, but pas
sengers from the United States are com
PEELED to go by way of England. The best
steamers make the journey in sixteen and
a half days, stopping at Madeira Islands
The journey has been made In fifteen days.
Electricity From Victoria Falls
There has been q great deal In the papers
lately about wonderful electrical plant that
is soon to be operated at Victoria falls.
on the Zambea river, to furnish enough
power for all the mines In South Africa.
Mr. williams says that Victoria falls is
doubtless capable of furnishing any amount
OF power and the water above and below
flows In such q way that 1t can be easily
handled but he is not sanguine as to the
Immediate realisation of the plan. No
plant has yet been erected, none has been
contracted for and the enterprise Is merely
in the talking stage. English. German.
French and American engineers have all
been making examinations and estimates,
and they calculate that not less than Co.,,
600 horsepower Is available. while 10000
horsepower would meet present require
ever involves problem, OF economy-how
far electricity can be transmitted In COM
petition with coal. Johannesburg 10 be-
tween 600 and 100 miles distant, and there
the power Ii mostly needed. Power II now
sent 140 miles from the Yuba river to Oak
land Cal. and at several other places 1t II
carried more than 100 miles, but seven
times that distance would involve q great
deal Of wastage, and, although the water
Is free and the construction would not be
very expensive, yet between the fails and
Buluwayo these IL q COED seam OF bitumin-
Gus coal nine or ten feet thick. from which
the local market and the railways are now
supplied. There II also unlimited coal
within fifty miles OF johannesburg. Hence
the electrical engineers who have been
WINGED Of It's practicability and have not
recommended anything
The water In the zambesi river varies IN
volume with the rainfall IN the interior.
1t is not steady and regular like Niagara.
The difference between high Weter and low
i very great, but the tall II 90 high and
- Uzde that q ooucroto wall could be ex-