The White Falcon - 20.01.1945, Blaðsíða 2

2
-ABROAD I\ ICELAND
One of the ducts of Reykjavik’s hot water heating system.
Reykjavik lias one. of
the largest, most unique
hot water heating systems
in the world. Only com-
pleted in December 1943,
it is already world-fam-
ous, being a model for pro-
posed similar projects in
many other countries, in-
cluding America.
Iceland abounds in nat-
ural hot spring wells, so
while the theory was
simple — merely pipe the
water into homes for both
healing and taps — it was
not actually so simple in
carrying out the plans.
Mr. Helgi Sigurdsson
and Mr. Valgeir -Bjorns-
son, top-flight engineers,
started working on plans
as far hack as 1933. It first
had to he financed —< not
an easy undertaking for a
municipality the size of
Reykjavik, for the com-
pleted Cost came to 30,000,
000 kronur (about $4,600,-
000). A- bond issue was
floated, however, and
funds were made avail-
able for construction,
which finally started in
1939. Then came the pro-
blem of materials. War
had just begun in Europe.
Nevertheless, orders for
supplies were put through
in Denmark. Just as the
ships were preparing to
sail, Denmark was over-
run with the Nazis, who
seized the ships. Undaunt-
ed, the entire order was
replaced in America. En-
route to Iceland, the ship-
ment was torpedoed. Ag-
ain the entire order was
placed with the same firm.
Again, it was torpedoed.
For a third, time, the ord-
er was placed, this time
successfully arriving.
Then came the problem
of workmen. Not many
were trained in such con-
struction. Only one man
was available who knew
how to weld the particular
type to be used. Only
a few others, among
the 1,003? employed on the
project, were skilled
workers. But such obstacl-
es were finally overcome.
Statistics, usually dull,
are interesting in this case.
There are more than 100
miles of pipe line (two
14” ones, steel-welded)
carrying the water from
the 34 wells which are ap-
proximately 10 miles from
Reykjavik. The7 system
serves 2,800 houses in
town, having 4000 outlets
(many houses having one
or more). There are two
main pumping stations
which force through 133
gallons of water per sec-
ond to the city. At the
well’s source, the water
maintains a steady temp-
erature of 190 degrees
Fahrenheit, which is cool-
ed off, via the pumping
stations, to considerably
less than that depending
upon the daily weather,
for consumption in the
home.
In distribution, the hot
spring water is pumped
into main street ducts
which in turn have indivi-
dual outlets to each home.
There the water is forced
into former coal-furnace,
hot-water radiators, pro-
ducing the same type of
heat, with the added ad-
vantage of no furnace
care, a steady even tem-
perature and no coal soot.
The same water, which is
of drinking purity, is also
piped into the hot water
faucets. The luxury of
having instant hot water
on tap at all hours,
need not be elaborated
upon. All water, for both
healing and tap, is
charged for by meters,
much the same as gas is
paid for in America.
While the cost of this
unique hot water system,
which supplies most of
Reykjavik, is still about
the same to the indivi-
dual consumer as his old
furnace-produced heat,
it will eventually he
brought down, after the
cost of construction has
been paid for, to a con-
siderably lesser sum for it
is a municipal project.
Such spring-water heat-
ing has been tried out
in other parts of the world,
Boise, Idaho, having a
somewhat similar system,
hut only on a small experi-
mental scale. This is the
first one actually to be
on a commercial basis.
Prior to the establishment
of the present system,
Reykjavik had a small
well near the outskirts of
town (for which Reykja-
vik was named, 1,000
years ago) which suppl-
ied about 70 familes with
piped hot water as far
back as 15 years ago.
As for the permanency
of the project, the hot
spring wells have been
here since the earliest
settlers in 930 A.D. and
it is more than likely that
they will remain anoth-
er 1.000 year’s at least.
i'cnutps as a snoeic absorber,” Club 14 held the first
of its “T. D.” parties Friday night for those who have
just returned from the States .... an idea that the fellows
seemed to like—all having a common bond—having just
gone through the same “experience” together. .. .There
were some might}7 “tall tales” told .... the buffet supper
was delicious .... the round table discussion interesting
....Suceesive parties should he equally welcomed ....
Club 14 has also initiated a series of “Camp Nights” each
week now .... Designed as a preventative for “hut happi-
ness.” they are just informal, unplanned evenings—all of
the club’s facilities being turned over’ to the men of one
camp to do with as they chose .... You can even sleep
in one of the upholstered chairs if you like .... Although
there are diversions if you are in the mood .... The next
party will he for Camp Hcrskola, 26 January .... the
next for Camp Monmouth, 2 February.
Back home, the new national anthem of the big, had
wolves is “I’ll Be Seizing You In All the Old Familiar
Places’* .... For members of the magicians’ union, sub-
stitute “sawing” for “seizing” . . . . The current shortages
there have brought on the usual heterogeneous signs,
some of the better ones being that of the restaurant own-
er who installed a permanent neon sign in his window
for “Waitress Wanted” .... Others, “The Silver Is Not
Medicine; Please Do Not Take It After Meals” .... “Ci-
garettes: 20c a pack; 2 packs for 35c; only one to a
customer.”
In what was a startling disclosure to the radio world,
it was announced last week that Lawrence Tibbett, Metro-
politan Opera baritone, would replace. “The Voice” Sinatra
on the Lucky Strike “Hit Parade” program .... Various
dissensions accounted for the change . . . . one being that
Swoonatra insisted in clinging to his “bed-room” styI(>
of singing while bis sponsor, Mr. G. W. Hill, favored a
more alive, peppy style .... Another was the change of
residence, “you know who” niovihg t'6 the .west coast
shortly after signing his contract, necessitating the use
of transcontinental phone lines for each broadcast ....
A new program “Assignment Home” (over CBS) is now
presented by the radio production unit of the Army Ser-
vice Forces .... It is the most effective program yet de-
voted to the presentation of wounded and returning vet-
erans’ problems .... Handling the subject from the stand-
point of the GI rather than from some self-appointed
“rehabilitation expert.”
*
Some days ago the ICE FRONT carried a story on
how a Washington, D.C. newspaper, for a hoax to test
the alertness of the population, dressed up its copy-boy
in an authenic Nazi uniform and sent him out into the
streets to see how far he could go unmolested or un-
noticed .... Well, you may remember that he got about
two blocks without anyone paying much attention to
him, until finally two FBI men did pick him up ... .
However, it is news to know that before his “arrest” he
solemnly saluted a U.S. Army Major, who promptly re-
turned the salute and sauntered on!
Reports from the 84th Inf.
Div. in Belgium indicate that
the German prisoners taken
in the recent Battle of the
Bulge are a tired lot who
don’t expect to win the war,
but who fear extermination
at the hands of the Allies.
Lacking in confidence, the
men are described as having
been weary and unshaven
when they went up to the
interrogators’ table at Div.
headquarters. One captured
Volksgrenadier sagged ag-
ainst th'e table and said, “I
haven’t had warm food for
four days. Here are my last
ten marks. Please give me
something to eat.”
As for the reason they go
on fighting, officers with the
84th Div. state that the Ger-
mans still believe whole-
heartedly in the propaganda
dispensed by Goebbels.