Evening star., 1915-03-29
PICTURESQUE MEXICO
Its Source of EIec-
tricity.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

1t is probable that in no place in the
world has there been accomplished n
more spectacular piece of engineering
than that which furnishes electricity
to the City of Mexico and all the heart
OF that republic. The genius OF engi-
neers. chiefly Canadian and American,
has seized upon the peculiar topogra-
ply of Mexico and used the differences
of elevation at the coast and slightly
inland as a basis for their method of
generating unlimited electricity. So
striking have been the results attained
that all revolutionary factions have
seemed to hold this accomplishment in
awe. and it has escaped harm as the
region about it has shifted from the
possession of one leader to that of
another.
The plant which generates electricity
for the heart of Mexico, which pulls
the street cars in the capital city,
which runs the stamps where Queretaro
still operates the oldest silver mines in
America, which turns the looms OF
whatever industry has survived on the
great plateau. is located at Necaxa,
among the clouds To reach 1t one
travels 11O miles from Mexico City on
narrow gauge railroad. and climbs
into the precfpitous mountains on
cog track There he finds himseif on
the edge of the very roof of Mexico; on
the brink Of continent. Back OF MIN
is a chaos of mountains. In front are
the 1ow1ands and the Gulf of Mexico.
Between the two there Is dlhefeihee
of elevation of 5000 feet
1t should be remembered that an tne
interior of Mexico is a great plateau,
and that there is but rim or ioWianu ;,ila
near the coasts Mexico City Is like
Denver It's elevation is greater ana
therefore it's latitude does not make
the difference it otherwise would. lts
is temperate and peasant. ohe
gets into an otercoat of summer
evening at Necaxa.
The rim of the plateau approaches
the Gulf Of Mexico as close as ten miles
in places and is at
Plateau's Rim others a hundred
c,.4n.e miles away But
Close to Gulf. to get to the coast
al plain when on the rim one must de-
scend some 5000 feet At Necaxa this
descent is made by a series of terraces
of titanic steps hewn in the side of
continent Necaxa creek, little
stream out Of the mountains, elected to
go to the sea by the quickest way 1t
leaps down the intervening terraces.
In doing so it created some of the most
beautiful waterfalls in the world. But
1t also suggested to the practical mind
of the engineer the possibilities of har-
Messing these waters, converting their
power into electricity which. on a mere
wire, could climb the steepest noun
and travel away in a constant
stream to the point where its services
were needed.
The engineers found that at its first
leap over the precipice Necaxa creek
descended a nearly perpendicular dis
tance of 1900 feet. They figured that
if that water was sent through pipes
and the nozzles of those pipes were to
set dynamos humming, much power
would be generated. They could figure
just the, amount. They knew the tre-
mendous> pressure of column of wa
ter 1000 feet high. They decided to
harness this wild stream.
1t was found necessary to develop
means of insuring the even flow of wa
ter through the pipes that were to gen
crate the electricity. To accomplish
this a great dam was thrown across the
stream just at the brink of the preci-
pice. This is one of the most remark
able structures of It's kind in the world.
In building it. outer walls of stone and
concrete were put up. Then the engi-
neers went onto the hiIlsides with
great hoses such as are used by fire
men in the cities. There was a great
pressure of water back of them. They
were turned against the hillsides and
tore loose every fragment of earth or
stone in their way. Water and earth
went scuttling down a trough and
found their way between the outer
walls of the skeleton dam. There the
stone and dirt settled and the water
was drawn off. 1t was the newest
method of transporting dirt for the
building Of a great structure.
Eventually a lake of considerable di-
was created behind this dam.
Other reservoirs were created in other
nearby canyons and fed the mother
lake when it ran low. so was depend
able supply of water assured.
The visitor is shown this system of
dams first. Then he looks for the ap-
pearance of the water below Three
great pipes. six feet through. appear
from beneath the dam, are seen for a
little while, and then disappear into the
solid rock of the mountainside- They
appear again on the ledge 1900 feet
below the power house. Their diameters