484 



NATURE 



[January 8, 1920 



the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario to 

 create the largest system of electric transmission in 

 the world. There are altogether ten plants belonging 

 to the commission in various parts of the province, 

 ^Sg''eg'it'"g 248,000 h.p., and supplying nearlv 200 

 municipalities, to which Niagara contributes the 

 supply for n8. The transmission lines comprise 

 455 miles of 110,000 voltage, double circuit, and 

 2100 miles of low tension. Such has been the achieve- 

 ment of the commission up to the end of last year. 



There is now in hand a most important extension 

 of this remarkable system. The Chippawa- 

 Queenston project, as it is designated, will within 

 a few 3'ears' time increase the serviceable capacity 

 by from 200,000 h.p. to 300,000 h.p., and, ultimately, 

 by 1, 000,003 h.p. The first instalment of the work 

 is expected to be ready by the spring of 192 1, at an 

 estimated cost of 5,000,000/. We gather the following 

 interesting particulars of the project from a recent 

 scries of articles in the Engineer : — 



Instead of the relatively small head (between 135 ft. 

 and 165 ft.) of the actual Falls, it is proposed to 

 utilise nearly the full difference in level, amounting 

 to 330 ft., between the surfaces of Lakes Erie and 

 Ontario. In order to effect this, a canal nine miles 

 in length will be excavated so as to connect the Wel- 

 land River with the Niagara River at Queenston, and 

 the Welland River itself will be widened and deepened 

 for 43 miles from its mouth. The channel thus formed 

 will deliver water to a power-house below the Falls 

 under a head of 305 ft., which will enable 30 h.p. 

 to be developed for each cusec of flow instead of the 

 14 h.p. per cusec which is all that is available from 

 the existing installation. The mean velocity of flow 

 will be 2 ft. per sec. in the Welland River and 6 ft. 

 to 7 ft. per sec. in the canal, resulting in a discharge 

 of 10,000 cusecs at low-water level. 



The canal route lies mainly in the solid rock of the 

 Niagara Limestone formation, with the remainder 

 (i^ miles) in earth and loose material. In rock the 

 cross-section will be rectangular, 48 ft. in width ; in 

 earth it will be prismatic, with a bottom width of 

 70 ft. and side-slopes of i in if, pitched with stone 

 facing. 



.\t the delivery end of the canal a forebay will be 

 formed in solid rock 1000 ft. long, widening to 300 ft. 

 at the extremity. Penstocks of riveted steel plates, 

 14 ft. in diameter and about 450 ft. in length, will 

 extend down to the power-house at the foot of the 

 river-bank. 



The initial generating plant will consist of x to 

 6 units of 50,000 h.p. each. On each turbine-shaft 

 there will be a 3-phase, 25-cycle, 12,000-volt internal 

 revolving field generator of 43,900 kilovolt-amperes at 

 a power factor of 85 per cent. 



Brysson Cunningham. 



THE ORGANISATION OF CHEMICAL 

 INDUSTRIES. 



AT the meeting of the London Section of the 

 Society of Chemical Industry, held at Burlington 

 House on Monday, Januarv 5, two interesting papers 

 were read by Mr. E. V. Evans and Dr. G. S. Wal- 

 pole on the present position of the chemical industrv 

 of Germany. The authors of these papers were 

 deputed to visit a number of important chemical fac- 

 tories in the Rhine Valley in the early part of last 

 vear. They are well-known chemists with consider- 

 able experience of chemical plant on a large scale. 

 The information which they were able to disclose was 

 valuable and suggestive. Mr. Evans and Dr. Walpole 

 described the German chemical factories as being 

 maintained in a state of perfection, but paralysed at 

 the moment through lack of labour and raw materials. 



NO. 2619, VOL. 104] 



They contrasted the huge and well-staifed factories in 

 Germany with the smaller equipments in this country, 

 and dealt in particular with the manufacture of dye- 

 stuffs and intermediate products which has been 

 developed in this country since the outbreak of war. 



During the war the demand of the country for 

 riiw materials for war purposes was so great as to 

 make it impossible to organise this new industry on 

 a scale adequate to compete with the German chemical 

 industry. The authors of the papers were satisfied 

 that the ability and knowledge of British chemists 

 were at least equal to those of their German competi- 

 tors, but they directed attention to the fact that it was 

 not possible in the long run for a number of firms 

 in this country, each producing a limited number of 

 products in comparatix ely small quantities, to com- 

 pete successfully with the huge German factories, all 

 amalgamated into one organisation and capable of 

 turning out in a relatively small number of places 

 the huge quantities of dyes required by the world. 



To enable this country to retain the trade in dve- 

 stufTs and intermediates which w'ere now being manu- 

 factured here, and to enable it to do a certain amount 

 of export trade in these commodities, there must be 

 an organisation comparable with that of Germany, 

 and time would be required to build up such an 

 organisation. Meanwhile, some protection against the 

 importation of German dxestuffs and intermediate 

 products was necessary, and the trade could rot 

 flourish until some of the existing Government restric- 

 tions were removed. 



The action of the Government in licensing the im- 

 portations of Grerman dyestuffs was a useful measure 

 and had been of great value. It is to be hoped that 

 these important papers will stimulate the chemical 

 trade of this country and the Government Depart- 

 ments concerned to study the better organisation of 

 chemical industries here and to put forward some care- 

 fully considered scheme. 



GEOLOGY AT THE BRITISH 

 . ASSOCIATION. 

 'T^HE break in the continuity of sectional procccd- 

 -•- ings due to war conditions had, to a great 

 extent, prevented those interested in geology throug'h- 

 out the country from keeping in touch with one 

 another, and full advantage was taken of the oppor- 

 tunity for reunion offered by the Bournemouth meet- 

 ing. .'Mthough arranged at short notice, the standard 

 of former years was well maintained in the com- 

 munications presented, and every moment of the week 

 was full of interest. 



The district has long been famous for its geological 

 features, and consequently much interest has been 

 taken locally in this branch of science. As a result, 

 the papers by Dr. W. T. Ord on the Tertiarv rocks 

 of the Hampshire basin and the erosion of Bourne- 

 mouth Bay, coupled with Mr. H. Bury's contribution 

 on the history of the Chines, gave rise to considerable 

 discussion. Important records of the rate of marine 

 erosion at the present time and in recent ye.irs were 

 contributed by many of those taking part in the dis- 

 cussion, and the Borough Engineer's measurements 

 taken a short time ago were confirmed by collateral 

 evidence. 



Mr. Reginald Smith's paper on the Post-Tertiary 

 geologv of the area round Bournemouth, with special 

 reference to the worked flints collected from many of 

 the beds, was introductory to a joint discussion with 

 Section H, and produced a very animated controversy. 

 .^n admirable exhibit of such flint implements was 

 arranged speciallv for this meeting by Mr. Scott, and 

 added point to manv of the remarks. 



A second joint meeting, namely, with Section D 



