HARNESSING JORDAN.
POWER’FOR PALESTINE. (By Harold ; J. Shepstonc, FJR.GKS.) "What Palestine needs to-day is eheap electric power, and this is to be supplied by harnessing the Jordan. On this sacred stream three modern power-houses are to be erected, and the accompanying article describes how this work is now being carried out. Palestine’s most sacred river; the Jordan, so closely associated with Old and Now Testament history, will shortly be lined with modern power-houses, great dams, canals and huge reservoirs. This historic stream, which the Israelites crossed dry-shod while the Ark of the Covenant rested in the middle of the bed of the river—in whoso waters Naamau bathed and was cured of his leprosy, and where Christ was baptised, is being harnessed to supply the cities of the Holy Land with cheap electric power. In many respects the Jordan is a remarkable stream. Rising on the slopes of snowy Hermon in the antiLebanon range, it flows into Lake Hulch, or the Sea of Mcrom, as some call it, and thence into Lake Tiberias, or the Sea of Galilee, a district closely associated with Christ's ministry on earth. The waters of this historic lake arc to be maintained at a given level, so as to ensure a sufficient flow for driving the turbines of the two powerhouses which are being erected on the banks of the Jordan away to the South. It is from the sea of Galilee that the Jordan emerges as a rushing torrent, finally emptying itself into the Dead Ilea. Although the distance between these two points in a straight line is only 66 miles, the river, owing to its many windings, makes almost three times that distance. Then the drop is tremendous, over 2000 feet. For the most part the river flows between high banks lined with willow trees and tamarisk bushes, while intercepting its course arc picturesque islands. Owing to cataracts in the stream, the Jordan could never become a highway of commerce, being unnavigable except for short distances. It discharges over 5,000,000 tons of fresh water into the Dead Sea daily, which up to the present has not been utilised in any way. Now harnessing it will not only produce electric power, but irrigate vast unproductive areas in the Jordan Valley. Here, on what is to-day waste land, thriving agricultural settlements will arise, on which cotton and tropical fruits will be cultivated. Experiments have shown that in the hot Jordan Valley the cotton plant changes its character of an annual herb into a perennial bush. The erection of the power-houses is being carried out by the Palestine Electric Corporation from plans prepared by Mr. P. Rutenborg, a civil engineer, whose name has been much to the fore in Palestine development schemes. He has worked out a scheme for the completed utilisation of the power resources of the Jordan from the Hermon to the Dead Sea, including its main tributaries, the rivers Yarmuk and Jabbok. The work calls for the dredging and damming of the River Jordan, the creation of artificial lakes for storage purposes, the construction of both power and irrigating channels, and the erection of three modern hydroelectric generating, stations. A powerhouse has been erected at Jisr-el-Mujameh, seven miles south of the 8. of Galilee. Here, a modern construction camp has arisen, and named Naharaim (two rivers), some 600,workmen have taken up their residence here, and everything is being done for their comfort. They take their meals in a spacious dining-room which is run by the company, and sleep in the concrete bungalow's specially designed to counteract the heat. As this spot lies 700 feet below' sea level, it is warm in sum-
mer. A temporary power-house generating 640 horse power has been installed for lighting the camp and driving
machinery. Across, the yarm.uk a dan* is being, thrown. -It will bo 30 foet high and result in the formation of a lake with a water area of 1,200,000 square metres. A second dam will cross the Jordan at the Village of Halhamuch. It will create another reserand will raise the waters of the Jordan to the necessary level and permit them to bo diverted by a canal, 6000 feet in length, into the Yarmuk reservoir. The canal will pass under the Haifa-Damascus railway, as : well as dnder the Scmakh-Beisan road. A second canal 600 ft long, will carry the waters of the Yarmuk reservoir to the penstocks of the power-ho'uso at Jisr-el-Mujameh. This station will have an output of 24,000 horse power and is expected to be operating by the end of 1929 or beginning of 1930. The second power-house will bo erected at Abadiohj and will be fed by the flow from the Sea of Galilee. The Jordan outlet from this lake will be dredged to a depth of 20 to 35ft, and through this channel the Yarmuk and Jordan patera will feed the turbines of both power-houses. The third power-house will be north of the Sea of Galilee, the turbines here driven by the Jordan, the fall of this stream in its 12-mile course between Lake Hulch and the Sea of Galilee being no less than 600£t. These three power-houses, all of which will be operated by the waters of the Jordan and its tributaries, will constitute the first stages for the comprehensive electrification of the Holy Land. Fuel-pow’er stand-by stations forming an important element in the assurance of the continuity of the supply of electric energy have already been erected in Jaffa, Haifa and Tiberias, having an output of 1000, 1200 and 500 horsepower respectively. This scheme for the electrification of the Holy Land is unique in that it is designed to cover the needs of the whole country. In the near future every city, town and agricultural settlement will be able, to obtain electrical energy for lighting, heating and power purposes. Farther more, the Government will regulate the charges, and cheap power will be the result. It seems strange to think of the Holy Places, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth as being so modernised, and that the sacred way along which onr Lord passed to Calvary, is now lighted from the waters of the Jordan, in which-He wjis baptised. All this wonderful power has been lying dormant for thousands of years, until the race hv whom it was to bo developed, in God's almighty plan, had it in possession.
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Bibliographic details
Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 December 1929, Page 2
Word Count
1,057HARNESSING JORDAN. Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 December 1929, Page 2
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