The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-22
A Paap Into tho Future,

A Peep Into the Future.
~ The Chicago Herald issued recently a
special copy Of its daily of date Nov. 25,
1882, which, in its way. was extremely
unique and interesting. A dispatch
from Pressuretown, Niagara was head
lined Niagara Drying Up" and was
as follows:
The diminution OF water-power Mt Nj
agara Falls-an. evil which has been
foreshadowed for some time in the Her
ala dispatches from this points ut
last becoming a very serious matter. 1t
threatens the Interruption of manufac-
turc throughout the United States. For
the past two days, dispatches have been
pouring in from the most remote indus
trial centers, such as New Orleans, San
Francisco and Portland Oregon, COM
planning that the force supplied by bthe
Universal Electro-Dynamic Waterfowl
or Company ut Niagara is inadequate to
the movement of the heavier machinery
in those cities. In New Orleans the
manufacture Of sorghum molasses has
been almost suspended and in California
nearly 500, 1000 Cinnamon, have been
laid off from work in the Pacific Slope
! Shoe and Last Company's factory.
The Herald correspondent called this
morning upon Mr.. Orrin Potter Edison,
the Observation-Disclosures of the Water
power company, and from him ascer-
tanned that the difficulty is due to the
extraordinary consumption of water at
Chicago. Lake Michigan it seems, since
Chicago's enormous development has
been so reduced that the source Of the
nations industrial energybids fair to be
cut off at its very fountain head. In 9TH
or words, Niagara Falls are running dry
and unless something is speedily done
to avert the calamity the national Elec-
tro-Dynamic Water-Power works ut the
falls will have to stop and the wheels Of
American manufacture will stand still
for very lack Of motive power to turn
them. '7s-i-' - - ~
"A balloon inspection of the falls yes
terday revealed that some 1000, 000.-
900 gallons Of water had been diverted
since the last official examination and
at the point where the rotary-disc comes
in contact with the magnets under the
falls the friction had become SO slight
that it was scarcely appreciable. the
main cause of the continuance Of motion
in the entire system being the impetus
impaired by the revolutions of the large
drive-wheel, whose axis projects from
the upper edge of the precipicc. This
| wheel has o sweep equal to twice the
height of the falls, and its force is there
fore very considerable. Furthermore il
has been swinging now without inter
ruptiop for over half y century, by a
- 20 81 .rs rs,>I<. Df
petual motion, does not easily stop
Since the solution Of the perpetual mo-
ton problem the efficiency Of the,water-
power service has been very greatly en-
HANGED, but the question now is whether
the perpetual motion principle will be
sufficient for the projection Of mechan.
ical energy on scale SO elaborate as
that involved in running the machinery
of the entire country.
The company is now considering the
feasibility of drawing in water from
Hudson Bay through the subterranean
channel discovered in 1886 by Professor
Colbert Elius, but it is probable that the
work would require at least three days
and, i'm the meantime, should the ma.
chinery stop the manufacturers of the
United States would suffer q loss which,
1t is estimated. would not fall far shor,
of $40. 007, 100000. This, though but q
bagatelle of the national productivity, !:
loss not to be courted, to say the least
and the waterpower management will
1 put forth the most streuous efforts Il
/ avert it.
Another rather liscomfiting phase OF
the difficulty is that not only would
manufacturing throughout the country
be interrupted, but the electric light,
which though it is not generally known
derive all their power from the falls.
would be extinguished both in this coun
try and in Europe and in Australia ~
we'll so that the world would be il
darkness rs in that imaginary era
when faN
The bright sun was extingushcd, and the star
Did wander darkiing In the eternal space.
This. however, would not be an insup
cradle difficulty, for since the perfection
of Professor Stellar's back acting sola
refiectivator IL has been found possible
TO bring sufficient of the suns ray
around from the other side of the eartl
ut night TO mitigate all but the most in
tense darkness. The chief inconvcni
ence in event of the extinction of tn,
electric lights, therefore, would be il
the theatres and large buildings. sucl
as hotels, into which as yet the Profes
sor has not succeeded in diffusing hi
borrowed illumination. However. thu
superintendent of the Niagara Falls sys
tenn mentions the progress of this brancl
of science as likely TO result finally in
solution of the water-power problem
for should the electric light be suppressed
ed by nocturnal sunlight one channel o
demand upon the force of the falls viii
be removed and the increased powe
thus secured might be applied to tn
movement of machinery.
+ However, it does seem little har'
on the moon to ''get left so efectually
! When a Boston young lady wishes t.
express that she has the ''blucs." she