St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-24
CAN IT Be DONE !?
A Chicago Mans Little Scheme to Har-
= ness Niagara Fails.
WHY NOT ST. ANTHONY j?
A Plan Which Night Utilize the Entire
Water Power and Transmit 1t
Miles.

G. M. Bartlett. a Chicago engineer,
has invented plan by means of which
the water power of Niagara Falls can
be utilized for manufacturing and other
purposes. The scheme is perfectly
applicable TO any locality where there is
considerable depression IN the rivers
bed. There is no reason why it can not
be applied to st. Anthony If it proves
success in the trial that Is contemplated
being made in the Niagara river. AS
the plan is to transmit the power by
electricity to any point within a radius
of fifty miles, it will be possible to fur
nish all the power needed in the fac
tories of the twin cities and leave the
banks of the great river unmoleSted to
the lovers of the esthetic, for parks and
drlveways. The proposed scheme to
be applied to Niagara fallSis something
as follows:
THE PLAN OF OPERATION.
The bed of Niagara river at the foot of
the falls is said to be 100 feet from the
bed at the brink of the cataract. Mr..
Bartlett proposes to first tunnel series
of tail-raceS from the river bed at the
foot of the falls a distance of from 200
to 600 feet up the river, on either the
American or Canadian side. These
completed. he will commence eXcava-
ting on direct line to the upper bed
of the river. When the work has
reached given point between the
upper and lower beds, coffer-damS look
600 feet in dimensions will be employed
for the purpose of obtaining space in
the former 10 continue the excavation
from the upper bed of the river,
and the same will be prose-
cuted until a junction is made
with the excavation from below.
This completed, heavy iron beams will
be anchored in the solid stone walls COM
posing the sides of the shaft, to
prevent clOgging by debris, ice, ETC.,
caught in the river current in its course
from Lake Erie. The same course of
operations will be continued until a tun-
forty-two feet has been eXcavated from
the American to the Canadian shore.
Ten feet below these girders water
tight reservoir will be constructed of
durable material, extending longitude
nally from shore to shore. 1t will be
forty feet in width and otherwise suffi-
cient in size for the service. 1t will
be supported in the center by the
bottom of the excavation and securely
held in place. Six feet below the re-
servoir the workroom of the hands will
be built on another set of Orders, also
morticed into the rocky sides of the pas
sage. From the working floor double
row of iron pipes, five feet in diameter,
will be located at distance of sixteen
feet apart throughout the entire length
of the tunnel, extending from top to
bottom. The interior of each will be
equipped with turbine wheel of the
latest improved pattern, and each OF
the pipes will connect with the reser-
yoir by means Of ten-inch pipes, sup
piled with valves to regulate the
flow of water. Dynamos to the num-
Der of 100 will be placed at the
bottom Of the shaft. By opening the
valves flow of water Of incalculable
force will pass through the ten-inch
pipes into the five-foot pipes, starting
the turbine wheels. and the power thus
applied to the dynamos is transmitted
over wires to any given point within a
radius of fifty miles, where it cali be
utilized as very cheap substitute for
steam or other m olive agency.
Ii the plan were carried out success
fnlly. it would be possible to run all the
machinery of the Twin Cities by day
and light their homes and streets by
night