The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-29
TIE HA SKIN LETTER
PICTURESQUE MEXICO
I.--Its Source of Electricity
BY Frederic .. Haslsin.

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I.--Its Source
BY Frederic
IT is probable that in no place In
the world has there been accomplish
ed a more spectacular piece of en-
cheering than that which furnishes
electricity to the city OF Mexico and
all the heart of that republic. The
genius of engineers, chiefly Canadian
and American. has seized upon the
peculiar topography Of Mexico and
used the differences OF elevation at
the coast and slightly inland as 2
basis for their methods Of generating
unlimited electricity. So striking
have been the results attained that
all revolutionary factions have
seemed to hold this accomplishment
in awe. and 1t has escaped harm as
4 the region about it has shifted from
the possession of one leader TO that
of another.
The plant which generates electric
ity for the heart OF Mexico. which
1 pulls street cars in the capital city
which runs the stamps where Quec-
Ictaro still operates the Oldest silver
mines In America. which turns the
looms Of whatever industries as
survive on the great plateau. is To-
Gated at Necaxa, among the clouds.
To reach it one travels 10 miles
from Mexico City on narrow gauge
railroad. and climbs into the pre-,
cipitous mountains on q cog track
There he finds himself on the edge
iof the very roof OF Mexico. on the
brink of a continent. Back of hin,
is 2 chaos OF mountains. In front
are the lowlands and the Gulf OF
Mexico. Between the two there is
Il difference of elevation of 5000
feet. 1t should be remembered that
all the interior of Mexico is a great
plateau. and that there is but rim
of lowland near the coasts. Mexico
city is like Denver. Its elevation is
greater and therefore its latitude
does not make the difference it 9TH
erwise would. Its climate is temper
ate and pleasant One gets into an
! overcoat of summer evening at
/ Necaxa.
The rim of the plateau approaches
1.-THE Gulf Of Mexico as close as ten
miles in places and is at others a
hundred miles away. But to get TO
the coastal plain when on the rim
one must descend some 5000 feet
i series Of terraces-of titanic steps
/ heWn in the side Of a continent.
! Necaxa creek. n little stream out OF
1 the mountains, elected to go to the
1 sea by the quickest way it could. One
after another ii took the leaps down
the Intervening terraces. In doing
I so it created some Of the most beauti-
slflll waterfalls in the world. But it
! also suggested to the practical mind
of the engineer the possibilities OF
\ Harvesting these waters. converting
cir ofria fF711
a mere wire, could climb the steepest
mountains and travel away in con-
slant stream TO the point where ito
II services we're needed.
The engineers found that its first
{ leap over the precipice Necaxa creek
descended nearly perpendicular
!. idistrict Of 1000 feet. They figured
a. that if the water was sent through
pipes and the nozzles of those pipes
we're to set dynamos humming, much
power would be generated. They
could figure just the amount. They
knew the tremendous pressure of a
column of water 4 500 feet high.
They decided to harness this wild
stream.
II was found necessary to develop
means OF insuring the even flow of
water through the pipes that were to
generate the electricity. To accom-
nlish this Il great dam was thrown
across the stream just at the brink
OF the nrecipice. This is one of the
most remarkable structures of its
kind in the world. It is 1000 feet
long and about $50 faet high. In
building it, outer walls of stone and
concrete We're put up. Then the en-
gineers went onto the hillsides With
great hoses such as are used by fire.
men in the cities. There was a great
pressure of water back OF them. They
We're turned against the hillsides and
+ tore loose every fragment of earth Or
!. stone III their way. Water and
earth went scuttling down a trough
y and found their way between the
n outer walls Of the skeleton dam.
III There the stone aud dirt settled and.
n the water was drawn off It was the
VI newest method of transporting dirt
for the building of a great structure.
e Eventually a lake of considerable.
Dimensions was created behind this
dam. Other reservoirs We're created
lin other nearby canyons and. fed the
mother lake when 1t ran down. So
was a dependable supply OF water as
surad.
The visitor is shown this system of
dams first The he looks for the APP.
pearance of the water below. These
Il great pipes. six feet through, appear
!, from beneath the dam, are seen for
IA little while. then disappear IN the
J, solid rock OF mountainside. They ap-
pear again on the ledge 500 feet
below in the power house. Their
diameters here have been reduced
from six feet to thirty inches. The
thickness of their walls has been
II correspondingly increased, for the
taller the column ofwater the greater
its pressure Where the pipes emerge