Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - VII. Manufacturing Industries. Introd. by [G. Sundbärg] K. Åmark - Waterfalls of Sweden. By F. V. Hansen
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
waterfalls of sweden.
331
The Trollhättan Poiver Station.
prospects for Sweden’s water-power lie in its appropriation to electro-chemical
and electro-thermic industries, and those industries require very great amounts
of power. Thus for instance, at Svaelgfos and Rjukan in Norway, no less than
290 000 horse-power are consumed almost entirely for a single industrial
establishment of this kind, and the 18 000 horse-power output of the recently built
Ljunga Works is taken by a single lime-nitrogen factory. Nor has consideration
been paid to what the development of electro-technics can and must achieve half
a century onwards.
The direct valuation is not of so much consequence. The main importance
in estimating the value of water-power must be laid not on the direct earnings
but in a very special degree on the indirect profit. For the increased use of
water-power signifies increased independence of foreign fuel, increased industrial
progress, and increased economic strength,and increased self-reliance. And from
this point of view the water-power of Sweden constitutes a very material portion
of her national wealth.
In Sweden, with her dearth of coal, water-power has been used for
centuries: at first for the small, but very numerous mills, saws, and
hammers, afterwards for big industrial plants, for iron works and for mines,
textile and cellulose industry. Even before electric transmission of power
had proved to be a practicable possibility, which was in the nineties, the
energy of the waterfalls was transmitted over considerable distances. We
need only remind the reader of Polhem’s famous rod-and crank
transmissions (stång gångar), which are still in use in some places, as for instance
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
