The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-23

Copyright, 1908, by Frank G. Carpenter)
 Victoria Falls "HE financial arrangements for har-
 messing the Niagara of the Zam- besi have been completed. Within the past few months a London syndicate has been formed, with a paid-up capital of s15,oOO,0OO and surveys are now mak- ing for the installation of one of the greatest electrical plants of the world. The various power companies of the Rand have been purchased, and the new syndi- cate practically controls the power pos abilities of South Africa. The works which it has in operation about Johan- nesburg and in the gold mines will pay something like $4OO,OOO year above their operating expenses, and it is planned to transmit the enormous force of Victoria falls by wire, not only to the Transvaal, but everywhere within a radius of 600 miles from this point.
 Five Times as Great as Niagara.
 have already written of the beauty and grandeur of Victoria Falls. They surpass Niagara in their scenic effects, and the engineers claim that they sui pass it also in the mighty force with which these millions of tons of water drop down upon the rocks. They fall with thunder like that of artillerq. The noise can be heard 10 miles away and the spray on a bright day goes up to a height of 1900 feet in clouds or pillars Of mist which are visible for 50 miles around. As to the exact force of the balls, this is a matter of scientific calculation. The engineers claim that they have possi- bility of 35,0OOO00 horsepower The pos sibilities at Niagara are put at 7000,000; and if these figures are correct the Vic toria falls as a working force are five times as great as our own. Not only the falls themselves but the descent of the river through 40 miles of gorges may pos sibly be utilized. At any rate, there is no doubt that they have here force greater than all the demands that can be created for many years to come, and that It may be used for the building up of an Industrial empire which will affect the whole of this part of the continent.
 Thirty-five Million Horsepower.
 Have you any conception as to what B5,O00,OOO horsepower means? If the total fall of Niagara could be used it would equal the latent power of 100000 tons of coal every day. This power here, at the same rate, would daily equal the force of 100000 tons of coal, so that, fgura- lively speaking, a million tons of black diamonds are dropping down into this gorge every 24 hours. In other words, the Victoria falls every two weeks supply an energy equal to that of the yearly coal output of the state of Alabama; and in pne year. if their volume were the same from season to season, they would al- most equal the force contained in all the coal mined in the-United States in that year. Our total product of coal is now s75, ,0O0 tons per annum.
 Whether these enormous figures are aorrect or not is of little matter. The horsepower now in use in the Transvaal Is less than 300,0O0, and all that we have developed at Niagara is not quite two thirds as large. This present syndicate plans to start out with 5000 horsepower, and it will have a quarter of million horsepower within not many years.
 How the Falls Will Be Used.
 During my stay here I have gone with the officials of the British South Africa company to the proposed power station and to the northern bank of the river above the falls, where the canal will be Sux. which will take the water and dron