Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-10
WATER POWER OF
FRANCE UTILIZED
DURING THE WAR
New Hydraulic Plant S
Erected in Alps, Pyrenees
and Mountainous Region
in the Center of Country.

Paris, Jan. I0.-The water power of
the Alps. the Pyrenees and the central
mountainous region is playing a big
role in the military effort of France
and VIII have an even greater share N
the after-War economic struggle.
Many new hydraulic power plants.
born Of the war needs, are turning out
shells. chemicals and other necessities
Tor the army. Many others. born OF
The coal famine and It's lessons will re-
place steam power after the war.
France utilized Is per cent of its
total estimated natural water power il
l9l4 She WAS utilizing more than n
per cent in July of last year and the
proportion is every day increasing.
Competent engineers tN II 100000
horse power the energy France could
secure from its waterfalls at low water.
while 100000 horse power is the esti +
mate for average seasons. The total
steam energy used in France before
The war was only about S.50o.00 horse
power divided among about $1,000 cs-
adjustments.
VALE OF ALUMINIUM
The water power of the Alps has
given the name Of tho VALE of Alumni
mum" to the Valley Of tho Arc. where
$1,000 horse power is used transform
Ing alumne into aluminun bars. la
komanchc III tho wild valley from
BourC d'OisonS to Pont dc Clair is the
valley Of carburct and metallic alloys,
absorbing 5000 horse power. Electric
steel plants are concentrating in the
basin of the Arly where one concern
hss installed i complete mill with ele,-
trjc furnaces run by turbines Of 1000
horse power. ScNcn important new
plants arc being butt IN the region Of
Grcnoblc.
IN the valley Of tho Durance nes
plants agsresating $4,000 horse power
FOR the electro industry are under WHY
while above Modane one uf In biggest
chemical works in France has acquired
rights to about 10000 horse power OF
water fan that will be utilized speedily
RIBBON INDUSTRY 3AvED.
Hydraulic electrical plants in central
France have saved the family ribbon
industry of Saint lGticnnc. The little
home shops had begun to disappear :
auablc TO compete with the mills. Elcc-
tric motors of a quarter of horse
power have set this domestic occupa
zion going again. keeping al home men
and women who would otherwise be
driven to thc looms of the big mills
Little motors are used all through that
region for cabinet making. Had they
not existed before the war il would be
necessary to invent them or something
equivalent for use Of MANNED soldiers
The electric motor il counted uppa
also to solve the problem Of farm heir
IN regions accessible to current. Co
operative societies are being formed te
buy current for distribution among the
ynCmbcrs, The installation of a power
station " being considered by one oi
sholn \ LAW To encourage and he'll
turl projects is now being consderce
III the chamber,
ENERGY FOR PARIS.
Electric energy for Paris hrouSh
from the Alps Is the most ambition!
project for The future. a dam 70 sar'l'
high III tic Rho,le al C;cnissiat, back
anr The water up II miles To the swiss
frontier will furnish n fall suftictch
80 operate a power station of 325.e0i
7lof5e power and 10000 kiowatts I'll,
"n"rcX is Ia he transported to Paris 4
ihc form Of an alternating current IN
,ler tension Of i2000o volts. IN
Inns If transmission VIII be IL mil
long.
cne hundred ana twenty nliioa
france is The estimated outlsy-sthe eos
ot about a day and half of war Il
France
This enterprise would alone eeona
rni1c 500 mo tons of the 2o,0oo.o 900 ton
If coal France imported annually be
fore tho war Engineers figure tha
current brought from the Swiss from
tier may he sold with sufficient proti
IN Paris al I eontimes u kilowati hour
IN economy of about 80 per cent II
fhc cost of current produced by stean
before the War.
BY some freak of nature, Ole day II
Hartford. Conn. the lowest and high
est temperatures were at IL: 10 o.cleel
The coolest WAS at IL 10 a. M, she
the mercury dropped TO 50 degrees. fh
highest WIS at l2:t5 y. m, When III
mark was 81 degrees.
-e>->----
An extremely hard artificial Wood .
German invention is made vi sa adu.
and chloride of magnesium.
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