Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-06-02
TO HARNESS UP NIAGARA.
The Gigantic scheme Soon to he Put in
Effect ut IA Cost OF Three Million
Dollars.

If the plans If the Niagara River
Hydraulic Tunnel, Power, and Sewer
company are carried out as arranged
at the present time says the New YORK
Times, the mighty power Of the Falls
of Niagara win be utilized for the gen
eral benefit Of mankind and for the
financial enrichment of the stockhOld-
crs in the enterprise. The company
was Incorporated by an act OF the leg
islature i'm March, 1886, and since that
time the efforts of the projectors have
been directed toward securing the
capital necessary to enable them 10
execute their designs. ltisnow claimed
that enough money has been secured
and that the work Of construction will
begin in July. The prospectus issued
by the company yesterday states that
the company was organized for the
purpose of utilizing the power of the
Niagara river by constructing II sub
%tcrrdncan tunnel from the water level
below the falls, about two hundred feet
under the high bank Of the river, eT-
tending through the rock 10 the upper
Niaraga river at IA point about oncmile
above the falls, where Il head Of l2O
feet is obtained. The tunnel is then to
extend, parallel with the shore OF the
river, one and onc-half miles Mt an
average depth Of 100 feet below the
surface OF the earth and at Il distance
of about 400 feet from the nayigablc
water Of the river, with which it is 10
be connected by mean Of conduits or
lateral tunnels.
The scheme is one of gigantic pro-
portions, and includes the establish
mcnt OF innumerablc mills ut the point
where the power is obtained, rs well as
distributing the power through electric
wires to other c%entcrS, where it can be
used in lieu of steam or local water
power. The power is to be obtained
from conduits leading to the main
tunnel. and not from the tunnel itself
or from the falls. The conduits Will,
il is contemplated, lead TO wells sunk
to the tunnel one hundred feet below
the carth's surface. In these wells
will be placed turbine wheels, which
are turned BY the weight Of the water
in the wells. Thus, it is said, the power
will he uniform, because the wells will
always be kept full, and as the wells
are supplied from the river there will
be no variation in the quantity Of water
available. The river itself, being fed
from the five great lakes, will always
have n uniform quantity from which to
supply the conduits. 1t is claimed that
the drain from the river by the con
d@its and tunnel will not take l per
cent. of the water in the stream; that
is, the depth of the river would not be
reduced one inch. The prospectus
states that since the incorporation Of
the company sufficient land along the
river has bee" secured, surveyed and
apportioned into mill sites fronting on
the river and on the line Of the pro-
posed tunnel, with ample streets and
dockagc, atiording approach by rail or
water to accommodate 23S mills of 500
horsepower each, or 10000 horse
power in all, which is the estimate Of
the engineers of the capacity of the
tunnel proposed TO be built.
This power would be creator than all
the other water-pOwer in the country
combined. The land secured by the
company is two miles and a half above
the falls. and beyond the limits Of the
government park land surrounding
them. The tunnels to run un0cr the
streets of Niagara village, ana all the
condu;tS will be located on the COM
pany's land. The estimated cost of
construction is 100000, and enough
patronage has already been secured. il
is said, 10 pay the dividend on the in
vcstmcnt, The city at Buffalo has
agreed TO pay $l0O.0 900 per anuun for
power for electric lights, and an cleo
tric smelling company in Cleveland
has made application for 10000 horse
power to be carried through wires.
IAc mills are to lie located SO far sbove
the falls that vessels of any draught
can come 10 the Wharves, thus %insusing
cheap water freights from the mills TO
tidew&tcr. II is claimed that the
volume of water ovcr the falls viii
not be lesscned hy the construction
of the tunnel; thar the beauty of the
landscape will not he impaired in any
way, since the mills 9ill give forth no
smoke. and that the Drain from the
river be less than Ip1lf the amount
taken from the lakes .y evaporation.
Ii the project proves 20 be "A success
it IL al.o intended to- use the power
in Lighting many of the larger citles IN
that locality by electricity.