COTTON SPINNING AND WEAVING 



35 



suggested to Mr. Delmiro Gouveia, the idea of utilising this force for 

 the purpose of establishing a sewing thread mill in competition with 

 English yarns of this description, for supplying water for drinking 

 and industrial purposes to surrounding villages, for erecting cotton 

 seed oil mills and other industries and finally for supplying electric 

 current to the country near and far. Pernambuco, Maceio, Bahia, etc., 

 are within the range. 



The " Paulo Aflfonso Falls " were acquired by this gentleman at 

 the end of 1910, through the purchase of the land on both sides and a 

 concession was given to him by the Government of Alagoas (Decree 

 No. N.499, 29th December, 1910), according to Avhich he had to under- 

 take to grow cotton, cereals and fodder crops by means of irrigation, 

 and to lay water-pipes for the free supply of drinking water to the 

 population. On the other hand the Government of Alagoas granted 

 him exemption from law of appropriation, exemption from Municipal 

 and State Taxes on all irrigation machinery, cables, dynamos and for 

 all other machinery necessary for the undertaking ; further 40 per 

 cent, reduction on the State Export Taxes on all agricultural 

 products ; these advantages to expire in 1950. 



The force which could be developed by this huge waterfall has 

 been estimated by various people at about 1,000,000 h.p., but a con- 

 servative calculation figures the available h.p., at the lowest water- 

 level, at 600,000. So far, one turbine of 750 h.^j., one of 500 and a 

 third of 250 are working and are ample for the present requirements. 

 The large turbine is by Pickard Pictet, Geneva, and the two smaller 

 ones by J. M. Voith, Heidenheim (Germany). A 24 km. water-pipe 

 has been constructed for the supply of water to Pedra. An American 



Part view of the Paulo AfJonso Falls 



