HOMES IN ICELAND
HEAT FROM HOT SPRINGS PROJECT ONLY DELAYED BY WAR. REYKJAVIK, Iceland, September 18. The war- is delaying Iceland’s ambitious program to utilise one of its few natural resources—a project to harness its numerous hot springs to heat homes and business houses. In a warring world, wth the bcllingerents hard put to find shipping space for war supplies—and needing raw materials to make implements of bat-tle-neutral little Iceland simply hasn’t been able to obtain the necessary iron pipes and machinery to complete this peaceful enterprise. Iceland, geologically speaking is a young country; formed by a series of volcanic eruptions which piled hundreds of basaltic-layers on top of each other. So the rugged, barren country has no deposits of coal, oil or gas. Its few trees are stunted in growth and are a slight source of fuel. Farmers in some districts produce peat. But urban -Iceland -must import its fuel, as well as most of its building materials. Many homes, schools and hot-houses in -rural areas, as well as the American Army’s largest hospital, already are heated by scalding hot water from nearby springs. The water in most of Iceland’s hot springs remains at its unusually high temperature the year ’round, irrespective of weather conditions.
Some of these springs are only a foot or two in diameter. In areas where •they are found, the Icelandic housewife doesn’t have to worry about fuel to cook the family dinner. She merely puts the food in a pan and lowers it into a hot spring.
The project to tap these springs to heat Reykjavik was launcched about 10 years ago when the City Council purchased a large group of hot springs some 10 miles away.
Several years elapsed before the Government was ■ able to negotiate loans with Danish banks to finance the project. A Danish engineering firm was employed in 1937 and at last the work began. It progressed slowly, but now concrete conduits to house .the iron piping have been constructed from the springs to the city and through some of its streets.
Delays in obtaining materials persisted after outbreak of the war. Eventually enough pipes and machinery to complete the job were purchased from Germany, Belgium and Denmark and assembled at Copenhagen. A ship -carrying them was almost ready to sail for Reykjavik when Germany invaded Norway and Denmark in April 1940.
.After the United States joined Great ritain in militady occupation of the island. Iceland turned to America -for help, and sent a Government commission to purchase materials anew. .
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 November 1942, Page 4
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420HOMES IN ICELAND Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 November 1942, Page 4
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