The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-14
HARVESTING NIAGARA.
how TIE WORK OF TIE POWER
COMPANY Is GETTING ALONG.
The Great Tunnel Under the Village to
Carry OFF the Waste Water-Turbines
and the Distribution of Their Power.


apace and in little over a year part Of the
great force Of the falls will be used TO turn
the wheels Of industry and play its part as
a factor In modern civilization. Up to
l725, when the first rude saw-mill was
erected at the falls, nothing was done to
utilize this great natural power. And even
after this first pioneer effort 1t was more
than hundred years before any considera-
bic effort was made to reduce this mighty
force to obedient and useful service The
locality was far in the back woods, and al
though the pioneers uhereabouts contem-
plated the possibility of doing great things
with the waters they were unable to dem
onstrate its practicability.
From 1916 to 1856 the question of doing
something on an extensive scale at Niagara
was continuously agitated, ana at length, in
the latter year, John Miller acquired from
the heirs of Augustus Porter, who in 1904
had taken up the land adjacent to Niagara
Falls, and The falls, too, so far as his gov
eminent would let him, "a right for canal
ing for hydraulic purposes" But nothing
was actually done until the late Horace H
Day acquired the rights of John Miller and
constructed the present hydraulic canal in
1873
This canal has a capacity sufficiently
large to furnish 5000 horse power, and
since it was first opened it has leased power
TO several large mills, which have been
uniformly prosperous. The prosperity of
this enterprise demonstrated that a very
much larger undertaking could be made to
pay, and the works now in progress Of com
pletion will have a capacity Of 10000
horse power.
THE POWER COMPANY.
When the state of New York and the do
minion of Canada determined to acquire the
property Immediately adjacent to the great
falls and convert the banks into public
park where visitors could go freely and un.
molested by the "fakirs" and pirates who
formerly exacted tribute from all who
visited the cataract Thomas Evershed was
one of the engineers employed by the COM
mission to make the surveys and advise
what was best to be done so as to preserve
the magnificent natural wonder from van
dalism and unitarian Dissertation. Mr.. Ever
shed pointed out how the water power could
be used without spelling the falls and
a company was organized and obtained a
charter and concessions from the state Leg
islature. These privileges were given with
the provisions that none Of the tunnels
should infringe upon the state reservation,
and that the tOwnspeople should have the
right, under proper regulations, to drain
their houses and streets into the tunnels OF
the company. The charter, as a whole, is
liberal and comprehensive, aud also gives
the company the right to buy, sell and lease
lands, most important consideration when
it is borne in mind that the company pro-
poses not only to lease power, but to furnish
mill sites as well.
The first purchase was 200 acres, but this
was found to be inadequate. By the time
the company had got its finances in such
shape that it could buy what was needed,
there had been O most material advance in
the value of lands all the way from Niagara
to Buffalo; but the company was obliged to
purchase even at these high figures, though
the appreciation was entirely due to the
efforts Of the company TO construct the
works which were to give cheap, constant
and permanent water power to manufac-
turers in the neighborhood. Last January
title to more than 200 additional acres was
acquired and these lands have been laid out
as a village
AS to the work itself it was determined to
build large canal at the upper river level
above the falls. This canal is 1900 feet
long, 200 feet wide at the river and narrows
to 100 feet at the island end. By means Of
pits in which turbine wheels will be placed
the power will be obtained, which Will be
points as distant as it will be found econom-
ical to send it. For long while men have
been working night and day, and the pro-
gress has been gratifying and in accordance
with the estimates of the engineers.
BUILDING THE TUNNEL.
The building of this canal was matter Of
course, and there were no considerable en-
gineering difficulties in the way. The same
may be sa of the immense tunnel which
goes from the canal to the lower river, and
serves as a tail-race to take off the water
which has communicated its power to the
turbines and needs an outlet.
This tunnel is elliptical IN shape and is 30
feet high and IS feet wide 1t is through
solid rock, directly under the village of
Niagara Falls, and empt1es into the river
below the falls.
This spot Is most picturesque, is quite
easily reached by a a foot path over the
rocks from the foot of the elevator stairs to
the Maid Of the Mist landing. The end of
the tunnel is els feet below the top of the
high bank of the river and it ascends to the
point where the canal empties into IL at a
grade OF thirty-six feet to the mile The
head of water thus obtained is 140 feet
Though the tunnel goes through the solid
rock, it has been thought best by the en-
gineers, SO as to make assurance dOubly
When tine work Of this great tunnel was
begun, two shafts were sunk to the proper
level and work begun on the headings In
both directions from each shaft, and also
from the end of the tunnel on the lower
river. Thus five gangs Of men have been
kept at work and the progress has been
satisfactory. Without mishaps and unfore-
seen detentions the whole 1000 feet of
tunnel will be finished by September of
1892, and the managers are SO satisfied that
the present progress will be maintained
that they have already entered into q con-
tract to deliver 3, 900 horse power to one
corporation next autumn. and they are
willing to make other similar contracts.
An international commission was ap-
pointed to devise the best plan for the utili-
cation of the water power, and while elaho>
rate ports have been looking to the adop-
ton of electricity and also compressed air,
the power company has not definitely settled
which force it will use in transmitting its
entire cataract force, but at first there will
be a central station first for the generation
of about 5,00O-horse power by compressed
air, another one Of 5000 horse power by
electricity. The possible extension of either
one of these to the amount of 100, 000-horse
power, added in units of $500 to >, 0O0-horse
power to either, one by one, in whichever
direction proves the most profitable and is
called for by the manufacturers, will be a
matter for the future to determine.
TEST OF POWER.
The two POWERS of 200 horse each, to be
first generated, will enable the company to
fill the immediate demands upon it and at
the same time test the two methods and dis
cover which is the cheaper. The best en-
pineers are inclined to believe that electricity