Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-10-23

which were established earlier to
furnish cities or important agricul-
tural centers with light and power.
The three last named waterfalls
are used exclusively for the manu.
facture Of saltpeter Norwegian
saltpeter it is called to distinguish
it from Chill saltpeter. Chile, it will
be remembered, was for many years
the only country where this efficient
and necessary fertilizer could be Sc
cured.
GREATEST POWER STATION IN
-. - WORLD.
OF these three waterfalls Rjukan.
fos is the most. powerful. With it's
l45,000 horse power it is the greatest
power station in the world. Not ev-
en- at Niagara falls is there a single
station developing as much power.
When the second Rjukan station is
completed an additional $4,000
horse power will be made available,
making a, grand total of 100000.
The magnitude Of this figure will be
realized when it is known that only
three years ago in the total number
Of horse power in all Of Norway was
only little more than half million.
The great pot-ike formation at
the foot Of this waterfall where for
merly a mighty spray rose into the
air, is now entirely dry. The terrific
din of the mighty giant is gone, and
not sound is heard except when
once in while the wind carries your
way the humming sound of the busy
wheels Of the factories. The poetry
of the past is gone. A new dawn
has come.
In order to furnish power the year
around the Mjosen lake away up in
the mountains had to be damned up.
In this mighty reservoir more than
5000 million cubic feet of water can
be gathered during the rainy season
in the spring. The splendid work done
here makes it possible for the power
stations located at various points on
the Mama river, which starts from
here, to furnish the factories with
the same amount Of power every day
in the year. The Mjosen reservoir
is the greatest in Europe, and is on
ly exceeded in the whole world by
the Assuan dam on the Nile.
About seven miles down the Maa-
ma river, at Skarsfos, is the inlet
to the first power station. From here
a tunnel not quite four miles long
leads through the mountain to the
distributing basin, blasted right out
Of the mountain, and from this bas-
in ten conduits, each with a d.
ameter Of six feet, lead the water to
the turbines, 1890 feet straight
down. When the factories are not
running the water is allowed to leave
the basin through special locks. Its
course is then more than, 1900 feet
straight down, a spectacle even more
grand than the Bjukanfos Of old.
WATER USED SEVERAL TIMES.
When the water has done services
at the power station it is again gath
cred and through a second tunnel
it is conducted seven miles further
down the valley where another basin
holds it until fnallv THROUGH a num-
Der Of conduits it reaches power
station No. 2, where it is utilized and
then liberated on it's way to the sea.
Even at that it has only completed
a little more than half Of it's course.
At Tinsjo it is again halted by a
dam, and a little further down the
valley, at Svalgfos, third dam stops
it, forming an extensive artificial
lake. The Svalgfos power station is
located far down in the valley at the
lower end Of this lake. 1t furnishes
10000 horse power to the Notodden
saltpeter manufacturing plant. On
the way to Notodden $4,000 horse
power additional are brought over
from the Lienfos power station.
Finally, after having been inter-
rupted in it's course by three dams,
and made to furnish more than 300,-
600 horse power, the mighty river
flows into the sea at Notodden. As
seafaring vessels cannot come up to
this city, barges are used for taking
the saltpeter product to Manstad, by
the Skien river, where it is stored in
huge store houses, until it is shipped
to various destinations. "A project
is on foot to enlarge the Skien-No-
todden canal, and when this is COM
pleted a number Of other waterfalls
in this part of the county will be de-
veloped.
This district is only one Of the
many that are able to furnish an un-
told amount Of power. The progress
made during the last FIVE years has