The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-06-17

At one time waterfalls in large
rivers were interesting only because
Of their scenic beauty and their very
existence was deplored because they
Constructed navigation. But man has
found way to harness these mighty
power producers and today they are
of the greatest value to the CONNER
cial world.
When it is remembered that two
cubic feet of water, weighing 1873
pounds, by falling a distance of only
six feet, will produce one horse power
of energy, it is easy to comprehend
that millions and millions of horse
power are wasted every minute by the
torrents Of water tumbling over
Niagara, the Victoria Falls, and the
Iguassu river and many lesser falls
throughout the world. This falling
water is guided by steel and concrete
penstocks to powerful water turbines
which whirl great electric generators
The current produced in this way is
easily transmitted for hundreds of
miles over small copper wires to the
cities and towns where it is used to
haul the railroad trains, to drive the
great manufacturing plants and to give
us light and heat.
Loyal as we all are to our country,
we must admit that even the mighty
torrent of Niagara ranks but third in
size when compared to the waterfalls
OF the world. The largest of the
earth's waterfalls. the Victoria falls Of
the Zambesi river in Rhodesia, are
$50 feet high and more than mile
wide, and were discovered by Living
stone in 1855. The water power of
these falls is estimated to he fully 3d.
100000 horse power, two and one-half
times that of Iguassu and FIVE times
! that of Niagara BY way of COMPARE
son it should be noted that the aggre-
/ gate water power Of the whole OF
Europe cannot greatly exceed $4,000,
600 horse power.
South America possesses water
1 fall which exceeds Niagara both in
width and in height and is actually
the second largest waterfall in the
world. This little known waterfall i;
that OF the Iguassu river, tributary o.
the Parana, and, like Niagara, it IL
situated at the boundary of two states
1 each of which owns half of 1t. The
total water power of the Iguassu Fall
4 which is 213 feet high and nearly two
miles wide, is estimated as about IA,
100000 horse power. This is approx
mately equal to the aggregate waite
tower of all Scandinavia, which j
rich in waterfalls, or about ten time
the total water power of Germany.
There is no other waterfall in tn
world which is at all comparable j
greatness with the Zambesi, Iguass
Tor the Niagara Asia, notwithstanding
lita colossal mountain ranges, Is con
paratively poor in large WATERFALL
which are found most abundantly i
Africa and North America The lars
est African streams especially are ir
lterrupted by many falls of consider
able height The Congo has severa
high falls which, owing to the grea
volume of the river, about sixtee
times that of the Mile, may be counte
lamong the most important sources Q
water power on earth. The Stanle
Falls in the middle reach of the rive
consist of seven successive falls, CT
|. total height of 16a feet and a widt
of nearly 1000 feet, and offer an e,
lceedingly rich source of power whic
, probably will soon be exploited.
Still more important is the tots
water power which the Congo d,
velops in the non-navigable sectio
: extending from its mouth to Stanle
Pool. Here the river confined in
camel only few hundred yards wild
, and with depth of water of nearl
500 feet flows with velocity of 4