Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-07
WAR FORCES USE
OF WHITE COAL
Alpine Streams in Dauphine Are
Producing 100000 Horsepower
for French Factories
By HENRI BAZIN

France.
PARIS. May H.
UIIIAT which was ancient Dauphine, an
| Il nexed 70 the French crown in 134'
: under tho rulership Of Philip ~, Is nov
Z and has been for very long the province o.
Iserc, geographically 30 called. yet neverthe
less always referred TO by the French
people as tho land of It's ancient name
Situated in the southeast Of France. Il
touches the valley Of the Rhone on the
west and north and the mountainous prov
inces Of Haute Apes, or High Alps, and
Savoio on tho west
Through tho economic exigencies OF the
war this historic ana picturesque section
OF France bids fair to abandon its archaic
sentimental name Of Dauphine for that of
'Le pays dc la Houile Blanche'--"The
Land Of White Coal"
For here through all the centuries, white
| coal has existed waiting TO be utilized
| industrally that wheels might turn and
| looms spin and cannon be forged through
| its potency. When / first heard the two
| words ! was puzzled, and until 1t was
| explained 20 me that white coal" is but
| tho idealistic term for water power, ] could
| well see tho genuine poesy OF the applica-
tion. For all about this beautiful noun
| famous country of Isere are numberless
! whito and frothing torrents, cascades and
| catarncts, springing from the heights Of
| the French and Italian Alps, constantly
! watered through their eternal SHOWS, con-
| stituting great natural energy now for
tho first timo being seriously used for in
| dustral purposes.
Old-Fashioned Methods
II was in and about Grenoble, a city now
| numbering $4,000 inhabitants and the
| principal center of Isere, that French in
| dustry centuries ago established Itself in the
early sleepy fashion Of days when time was
but the passing of hours and counted not
in tho cost OF production. ArmOr was made
in Grenoble, sliilfully and marvelously. as
early as 1850, paper Of finest quality from
1861, woven fabrics In wool and linen from
1921, and silk, rlvaling that Of Lyons, from
1925. Dating from the last half Of the nine
tccnth century, these last three Industries
had grown to points OF international indus
trial Importance, playing their prominent
part In tho economic story Of France.
From 1850 to 1900, Grenoble, and the
surrounding districts as well, became re-
nowned for fine glove making, the very
foremost position in the world being taken
in this industry through an eXquisiteness
and perfection of workmanship. During
the same period workers in many branches
Of the metal trade, and in particular the
manufacture Of plain and decorative metal
buttons now used all over tho world, added
their goody quota to the Industrial i'm
portance Of Grenoble and France.
From about 1860 the great quantities Of
oak which had long aboundcd in Iserc in
Nted manufacturers Of fine interior wood
work and furniture Limestone and cayey
matter, long virtually ignored throughout
tho province, became industTially utilized
through numerous manufactures OF varied
cements establishing themselves near plen-
hiVnTgn
branches Of industry were dependent save
In few instances, upon the indispensable
first essential OF coal mined in Isere. where
100000 tons were taken out yearly. and
until 1910 burned to the extent Of as per
cent within 100 miles of its origin Mean
whilo tho mountain torrents and waterfalls
rushed foaming white, upon their continual
way, some with a sheer drop Of II 500 meters,
others in two drops of from 800 to 700
meters with many of less, each wasting its
producing power They were but picturesque
adjuncts to the natural beauty of a beau
ttful country, and no more
But with the birth Of the twentieth CEN
tury the energy Of a few cataracts was for
the first time put to practical use, originally
in various electrical and metal industries
which had, since 1901, become a part of
the Industrial prosperity of Isere in gem
eral, and Grcnoble in particular.
Water Power Revolutionizing Industry
In 1914. at the time Of the German in
Vasion, $685. manufacturing establishments
could be counted in the province, of which
fewer than 20 per cent used water power
This proportion had been established In
the main, close to the liquid energy Of
mountain streams, there deriving their first
essential using the power raw" so to
speak, securing it upon the old-fashioned
grist mill drive principle whereby maxi
mum quantity Of water falling from a
height centralized within a minimum In
closure of metal or wood, that revolving,
caused machinery to revolve with il. These
were added to in 1906 and from that time
to 1913 by relatively small proportion
Of establishments, principally metal and
chemical industries, the latter new conner,
with capital enough to pay the kilometer
price for piping and carrying white coal"
to generate electricity I'm their own dyna-
mos But very quickly afterward gener-
ating plants for supplying electricity
through original water power began to d
velop, Offering service TO whomsoever D
sired ~ In August, 1914, six such planr
existed, and more we're in contemplation
With the war and its drive of necessity
toward the manufacture of munitions and
supplies new installations Of the generating
type, together with new mills and factories,
sprang up with a rapidity never before
known in France. These new establish
mcnts were all electrically driven from the
white coal" source the driving power
being delivered through conduitS on the
meter system. Most of the old factories
that had previously used black coal or
raw white also adopted the new method
Factories, mills and foundries increased, the
workers being largely of the women now
employed in France, supplemented by men
beyond military age and youths below IL,
as well as by many Spaniards and Italians.
The entry Of Italy into war with Austria
took away most Of the latter, but the total
Of workers was not decreased to any ma
terial extent, because the continued addition
Of women numerically filled the gap.
Statistics today show that the Isere cleo
trical appliance. metal and muniton indus
tries alone were using on January /, 1917,
the equivalent Of 10000 horsepower cleo
trcally derived from white coal" the
generating plants utilizing for light and
traction purposes 10000 horsepower, the
chemical-producing industries 800 900 horse
power. the paper and wood industries 30, 600
horsepower and the divers other industries
Of the province $4,000 horsepower, a grand
total of S71.O 900 horsepower.
All this in twenty months from the COM
pletion OF any plant arising out of the
eXigencies Of war There are actually thir-
ty-one generating plants in existence, some
working twenty-four hours per day They
light not only Grenoble, but every town
and village in Isere where a factory exists.