Omaha daily bee., 1917-02-11
HYDRAULIC POWER
HELPS TO WIN WAR
France Develops Its Mountain
Streams Into Great Military
and Economic Machines.
CHEMISTS WORK WONDERS

Correspondence Of The Associated Press)
Paris, Dec. 0.-The water power Of
the Alps, the Pyrenees and the CEN
trail mountainous region is playing a
big role in the military effort of
France and will have an even greater
share in the after-war economic
struggle.
Many new hydraulic power plants,
born of war needs, are turning out
shells, chemicals and other necessities
for the army. Many others, born Of
the coal famine. and its lessons, will
replace steam power after the war.
France utilized IS per cent of its
total estimated natural water power
in 1914. 1t was utilizing more than
20 per cent in July OF this year and
the proportion is every day increas-
ing. Competent engineers fix at A.
100000 horse power the energy
France could secure from its water
falls at low water, while 5000
horse power is the estimate for aver
age seasons. The total steam energy
used in France before the war was
only about 3,500,0O0 horse power, d.
vided among about $4,000 establish
ments.
Vale of Aluminium.
The water power of the Alps has
given the name of the "Vale Of Alum
mum" to the valley of the Arc, where
$1,000 horse power is used transform
ing alumine into aluminium bars. La
Romanche in the wild valley from
Bourg d'Oisons to Pont de Claiz is
the valley of carburet and metallic
alloys" absorbing $1,000 horse power.
Electric steel plants are concentrat-
ing in the basin of the Arly, where
one concern has installed complete
mill with electric furnaces run by
turbines of 1900 horse power. Seven
important new plants are being built
in the region of Grenoble.
In the valley of the DURANGO new
plants aggregating $4,000 horse power
for the electro-chemical industry are
under way, while above Modane one
of the biggest chemical works in
France has acquired rights to about
10000 horse power of water fall that
will be utilized speedily.
Hydraulic electrical plants in CEN
trail France have saved the family
ribbon industry at St. Etienne. The
little home shops had begun to dis
appear-unable to compete with the
mills. Electric motors of quarter
of horsepower have set this domes-
tic occupation going again, keeping
at home men and women who would
otherwise be driven to the looms Of
the big mills. Little motors are used
all through that region for cabinet
making. Had they not existed before
the war, it would be necessary to in
vent them or something equivalent
for the use OF MANNED soldiers.
The electric motor is counted upon
also to solve the problem Of farm
help in regions accessible to current.
Cooperative societies are being
formed to buy current for distribu-
ton among its members: the instaila-
ton OF a power station is being con-
sidcred by one of them. A law to
encourage and help such projects is
now being considered in the Chamber.
Electric energy for Paris brought
fro mthe Alps is the most ambitious
project for the future. A dam, seven
ty-fve yards high, in the Rhone at
Genissiat, backing the water up four
teeen miles to the Swiss frontier. will
furnish a fall sufficient to operate a
power station of 32S,000-horsepower
and 100000 kilowatts. The energy is
to be transported to Paris in the form
of an alternating current under ten
sion of 10000 volts. The line of
transmission will be 3l2 miles long.
One hundred and twenty million
francs is the estimated outlay--the
cost of about day and half of war
to France.
This enterprise would alone
economic 100000 tons of the 20
100000 tons of coal France imported
annually before the war. Engineers
figure that current brought from the
Swiss frontier may be sold with suf-
hcient profit in Paris at 3 confines
kilowatt hour, an economy of about
so per cent on the cost of current
produced by steam before the war.