Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-29

tricty. Where does II come from? From
the mountains How is It NADER By water
power.
Here in Mexico was my chance to see
for myself and discover just what there is
in water power, which has made my friend
Clifford Pinchot so anxious TO withdraw,
for the good of all the people, water power
sites in the United states.
A brook Turned Into Horses.
Here is what 1 saw: A little purling
mountain brook turned into 5000 Juggling
horses, all to be stopped by the turn of
one mans finger. and all to be set going
again instantly by the turn OF the same
finger. Curiously the most interesting
thing to me wes to see the same little
mountain brook turned loose again, no
bigger than before, after the electricians
were through with It.
Here Is what learned I suppose It will
make all the high school pupils who read
this laugh, but in way II was new to me.
Height in a column of water is a tre-
mendous thing For / found that four
columns Of water, two and three ourths
| inches In diameter were hauling 800 forty.
passenger street cars around the City OF
Mexico. What did II was this-those little
columns Of water were ten times higher
than Niagara-they reached up in the air
1000 feet.
Greatest Power scheme in World.
y II anyone has read so far ask him to
follow me out into the mountains to see
what Is said to be the most modern de-
velopment OF water power site in the
world. Taking a narrow gauge train from
the Mexican capital. we moved out across
the Mexican plateau, which Is for all the
world like a vast plain, and after ITO
miles OF leisurey travel came to that place
| in plateau where the drop begins TO the
| sea, a drop from the capital 20 the Gulf
OF Mexico OF $500 feet. The fall il un-
mistakable. and II is soenically wonderful.
/ The ordinary locomotive is dropped and
the Shay type, one with all wheels oogged
for safety, is substituted.
| AT the bottom OF the gorge tumbles a
! little mountain stream, precisely the same
as one comes across frequently In Colorado
In very few minutes the great artificial
| lake which the little stream feeds is
reached. II fills the canon Through the
surface Of its water appears the occasional
tower OF a church or the black walls which
| mark the site Of a former village The
| outlines of the company's property are
marked up TO the slopes OF the mountains
by great white monuments Of stone. This
artificial lake which lies up underneath
the caves Of the Mexican roof was planned
! with economy. for the dam which holds its
waters back was constructed at a narrow
| place in the gorge.
Passing this lake. we reach another
canon and another rivulet, which in is
turn Is feeding another lake. To the righi
and left are these artificial ponds each fec
by its brook. ana further down than all
OF them and connected with each OF then
1 by great steel pipes. Ia the key to tn,
system, Necaxa. great body Of water
confined by a great earthen dam.
Dam Twelve Hundred Feet Long.
This dam is 19OO feet long and $50 fee
high. Its toes are OF rock and concret,
and its center OF rock and clay put IL
hydraulieally. that Is while wet. A thou
sand Mexican wOrxnien were elamberins
about over this dam completing II thii
week. each group under a foreman. ans
All Of them under one head bOss. The dan