The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-02-10
CAPTURING THE CATARACT.
NIAGARA FALLS 10 "HARNHeSEDsI
FOR MANS BENERIT.

H. Buffalo letter to tho New York
Press, the dream OF engineers
has been to "harnessA Niagara. {"
We'll, the dream has como trite. Mag
sra is In harness. To be- sure, tho
trace chains have not yet been hooked to
the whifiletrecs Of industry, but the COL
lar and names, tho Bride and bit are In
position and ready for the strain when It
shall come. The greatest cataract OF tho
world has been subdued, aud II, in
knowledge OF its captivity its roar Is
moro sullen than Of yore when it existed
only as an insurmountablo obstacle to
navigation and a wonder for sightseers
to grow solemn over, the smiles on tho
faces Of capitalists, the new jingle In the
pockets OF residents Of the village Of
Niagara Falls, and the complacent
prophecies OF tho Buffalonian that ton
years hence "Chicago will not be In 1t,
sir; no, sir, not on your life, " arc atone
mcnts.
1t is estimated that tho total power of
the great waterfall Is equal to that OF
15, 900, 900 horses. To any ono who has
seen it's mighty volume this does not
seem absurd. Tho present scheme will
only utilize less than one.hundredth OF
| hot - ..
length as may bo made usoful.
The effect OF this great enterprise may
not bo as great rs tho sanRuincs remark
| OF the Buffalo man who has beon quoted
would imply, but 1t will be very great.
or course many OF the manufacturing
interests which will bo attracted by
cheap power will gather In tho little
| town which hovcrs on tho brink OF tho
cataract, aud which has in the past been
notable principally for Its big hotels, its
| clamorous cabbies and its Indian bazaars.
But plan has been devised whereby tho
mower will be electrically transmitted to
buffalo with comparatively small loss, so
that this city will undoubtedly como in
for many OF the pudding's plums. The
village Of Niagara Falls itself has gone
wild with boom almost Western in its
| enthusiasm.
The first attempt to utilize tho water
power OF Niagara Falls was mado by
Horace A. Dey, who in 1850 built tho
old Hydraulic Canal running from above
the rapids to what are now known as
Shoclkopf's Mills on the brink Of tho
cataract. This canal discharges its
water into wheelpits only sixty feet
deep, which in turn discharge at o point
more than 100 feet above tho level Of
the river below the falls, so that moro
than three quarters OF tho possible force
is wasted. Tho old Hydraulic Canal
| gives in all only about 5000 available
horse power.
The now method Is tho same principle
differently applied. A canal has been
cut from above tho rapids as in Dey's
plan; but 1t runs only short distance
before 1t reaches the pits, which are 120
feet deep. A sheer fall through great
| pipes is thus obtained, which Is nearly
as great as tho height OF the falls.
Thus far tho work was comparatively
easy. The fun came In giving the water
n vent from the bottom ofthe wheelpits.
This was accomplished by tho construc-
tion Of a great tunnel through solid limo.
stone rock, from tho whealpits to below
the falls. Tho wator abstracted from
tho river thus flows for a short distance
through the canal, then takes Its big
tumble through tho pits down to the
turbine wheels, and then flows through
the tunnel to the rivers lower level.
This tunnel is S713 feet long, twenty
eight feet high and eighteen feet broad,
In semi circular form. 1t Is brickcd up
along its whole length, an undertaking
which has consumed 13,000,0 900 cubes
of baked clay, aud which, had it been
done by q single bricklayer, would have
occupied his entire attention for twenty
four years. 1t was thought to be bet.
ter plan to employ 1000 men in its con.
struction, however, and they have man.
aged to dig it and line it in little less
than three years, having kept hard at il
day and night. Tho total cost Of the
enterprise so far has been trife OF
$4,000, 900.
With the wheelpits already finished or
under way, the plaut will develop =
minimum Of 12O, 900 horse power. This
would be more than sufficient to run
seven of the largest steamships ahoat,
and steamships are not easy things to
run. 1t is highly improbable, however,
that the power from tho falls will be
utilized in ocean navigation.
But ii the dreams of the projectors of
this big enterprise como true, some
things almost rs remarkable as that
would be are likely to occur. Its pro-
motors have been devoting almost rs
much attention to studying how to trans
NIT the power as they have to studying
how to develop 1t.
In order to increase the power it will
be necessary only to dig new wheel pits.
The canal and tho tunnel n1JSS s5en enhisa hS Co.,
and that rs what the company places its
maximum capacity at. Of course there
are sneers, but the company has Niagara
Falls ard the engineers on its side, and