Middletown transcript., 1895-09-07

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burg Reduction Company, located nea
the Falls, for use in the manufactur
of aluminium. It is the beginning o
what promises to be one of the geates
industrial and commercial revolution
of the century.
The Falls Of Niagara, the ordinar
flow Of which, as it plunges, with {
depth Of about 20 feet, over the preci
pice into the lower rivera drop O
165 feet-is about 275,0O cubic fee
per second, have time and again sug
gested to men of science the thought
of an immense reservoir of power
waiting for the ingenuity of man t.
tap 1t, and meantime running to waste
The daily force of this majestic tor
rent has been calculated to be equal tt
the latent power of all the coal mined
in the world each day-somethine
over 100000 tons. Professor Unwin
the eminent English engineer, has
computed that it represents, theoreti'
cally, seven million horsepower, and
that for practical use, without dimin-
ishing the natural beauties of the cat
eract, it is capable of continuously de-
livering, through electric dynamos,
several hundreds of thousands of horse
power, for manufacturing purposes.
The actual application of this vast
water power to Industrial service in
factories began in March, 1886, when
the Legislature of New York granted
a Especial charter to eight citizens of
Niagara Falls for the construction of
a tunnel more than mile above the
falls by which 10000 horsepower
could be drawn from the stream with
out diverting over per cent. of the
total flow of the river, and without re-
ducing the depth of the water at the
crest of the falls by more than two
inches. The plan for doing this was
devised by Mr.. Thomas Evershed, a
veteran hydraulic engineer, who has
been for fifty years engaged in engi-
neering work on the Erie canal and
the Niagara river. Slightly modified
by the engineers called in by the COM
pany organized to operate the charter
this plan comprises surface canal $50
feet in width at its mouth on the mar
gin of the Niagara river, mile and
quarter above the falls. extending in
wardly 1,700 feet, with an average
depth of about 12 feet, serving water
sufficient for the development Of
about 100, 900 horsepower. The solid
masonary walls of this canal are
pierced at intervals with ten inlets,
guarded by gates which permit the
delivery of water to wheel pit in the
at the side of the canal.
This wheel-pit is 17S feet in depth and
is connected by lateral tunnel with
the main tunnel, serving the purpose
Of a tall-race, 1000 feet in length, with
an average hydraulic slope or six feet
in 1000, the tunnel having a maxi
mum height of 21 feet and width of 18
feet 10 inches, its net section being
1856 square feet. Its slope is such that
q chip, thrown into the water at a
wheel-pit, will pass out of the portal
in 81 minutes, showing the water to
have velocity of 264 feet per second,
or little less than twenty miles an
hour when running at its maximum
capacity. Over 1000 men were con.
tin nuously at work for over three years
In the construction of this tunnel,
which called for the removal of more
that 300, 900 tons of rock and the use
Of more than 16, 900, 900 bricks for lin
ing. The construction of the canal
and the wheel-pit. 178 feet in length,
with the power-house above it, were
works of equally arduous undertakings.
Over 5000, GOO has been expended al
ready upon the whole plant.
The developement of the power was
only one-half of the problem to be
solved. The other half of it was to
ind an effective and economic method
If transmission. The power being de- |
7eloped through the drop in the great |
by turbine wheels specially |
for the company, so as to pro
luce 5000 horse power each, various |
'ystems of transmitting it were consid-
,red. In December, 1891, under the
sdvice of Professor Rowland, of John
Hopkins University, Prof. John For
,es, of London, and Professor Sellers,
If Philadelphia, the company invited
plans and estimates for
developing its ell, ctrical power and
it both locally and to
Buffalo. The result was the adoption
# twc-phase alternating generator of
',0O0-horse power, developing about
900 volts, with frequency of 25, as
he best mode of producing the elec-
ric power. The form of dynamo en-
'loyed is novel one. designed by Prof.
George Forbes, and resembles mush-
ooms or umbrella, in which the stalk
,r handle is the shaft of the turbine
md the cap is the revolving part Of
he generator, serving the purpose also
# fly-wheel for the turbine.
The Pittsburg Reduction Works, at
Niagara, to which the first power de-
iyed from Niagara has just been de-
iyered, are distant $500 feet from the
power-house. The power
$ being sent over copper cables laid
lnder ground to the aluminium works.
Is sent out the currant is an alter
lating one and has to be transferred
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