New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-08
NIAGARA IN HARNESS.


be cut 400 feet wide, running north and north
west to the top Of the bluff above the town.
Running the canal In this way. from above the
upper rapids to below the lower, will give an
available waterfall Of about three hundred feet.
nearly double that of Niagara itself. To gain
some conception Of the magnitude Of this col
lOssal undertaking, the chief engineer supplies
us with an estimate OF 5,522, 900 cubic yards OF
soil and rock TO be removed, at a contracted
cost Of 81, 900. The water from this canal,
utilized to generate electricity. will supply the
town with light heat and power The power
house is to cost 100000. and is to generate
100000 horse-po OF electricity.
MANUFACTURING FACILITIES OFFERED
The promoters of this huge industrial under
taking do not seem able to say enough OF the
manufacturing facilities offered. The ship canal
will give direct access 70 grain, lumber and iron
from the lakes. with the important advantage
that these and other raw materials Will thus
start in at thu top Of the foundries and mills
which will be built below the bluff. so that all cost
OF hosting will re avoided The tail-racc OF this
big power plant Is to be In the form OF another
canal giving access to vessels from Lake ontario
and lumber from Toronto. Mr.. Love- the pres.-
dent, talked long and enthusiastically or THESE
and the other advantages, the nearness 10 the
coal fields OF Pennsylvania the fine limestone
and building sandstone to be quarrled In tne
bluff above the town. and the excellent quan'y
of brick and clay to be obtained In the imme,
date vicinity. Experts have highly commended
these materials, which are 10 be obtained AT
remarkably low cost. Experts from Pittsburg
have declared that iron should be manu-
featured for 81 80 less per ton at MODEL cry tnan
in THE Smoky City and steel for 50 less per
ton. 1t has been experimentally demonstrated
that the Niagara water is well suited for use In
paper mills though not suitable. 1t Is said. for
c1ft hn cot ION ind OF rN
The wood pulp industry is especially favored
here, being In easy communication with Tona-
wanda and Toronto.
A FAR-SIGHTED POLICY.
But with all their warm enthusiasm and en-
ergy the promoters of the new town appear to
have adopted a remarkably far-sighted policy In
many respects They giving away factory sites
and contracts for free power for forty years. de-
pending for their profits on the rise In value OF
certain real estate, which they Intend TO retain.
and more largely upon the surface and elevated
roads, lighting and heating facilities. and the
commercial supply Of power 70 the city. All these
will cost the company little or nothing. and II
will be able to supply the public at very low
prices and still 10 realize large profits The writer,
wishing to examine the new project from every
point OF view. spent some days In studying the
situation OF the town. driving over the country
above and below the bluff. and also In preparing
n series OF suggested improvements 10 be carried
out when the town came to be In active opera
ton. on subsequently interviewing Mr. Love,
he was able 10 verify from personal knowledge
much that was claimed for the natural advan-
tagcs Of the site. and was surprised TO find that.
without a single exception. all Of his suggestions
had been forcstalled In plans OF the company, In
some cases by much more advantageous meas-
ures To look over the entire site and surround
ings to follow the line of the canal on which $40
900 has already been expended. and TO examine
the ten miles OF water frontage Is long task but
one that leaves the examiner impressed with
sense Of the possibilities contained In so small
a tract OF land
A strong spirit OF cooperative interest be-
tween labor and capital seems to possess the
incorporators. They have been laughed at as
disciples of Bellamy. The charge is hardly just.
however. They do plan to keep their laborers
as far as possible out Of the control Of the
labor orga nizations. and to exclude the saloons.
To what extent these efforts will interfere with
immediate financial success 1t Is hard to say
They likely TO be drawback AT hrst
though undoubtedly. great advantage In the
end.
MORE THAN PLAN.
So far the Model City has been spoken OF
simply as plan. 1t has already advanced be-
yond that stage however. AS has been said
some 90 900 acres Of land have been purchased
or optioned, the streets Of the town proper
have been laid out by survey contracts for the
canal have been filed. and two large factories
have already been erected on the ground. 1t
now remains to place the bonds covering the
cost of the canal, and negotiations are pending
which are expected within thirty days to place
the necessary funds in the hands OF the com.
pany The contracts stipulate that the canal
shall be finished In fifteen months from me
resumption of work. so that manufacturers
can feel sure that there will be no unnecessary
delay. After ten years Of thought and labor.
the Model City of the Niagara Power and I'M
provement Company. ii is now called, seems
to stand on the threshold OF a wonderful future
Failure appears impossible. for should IT
be found for time impracticable to complete
the proposed canal few months VIII so far
advance the other two Independent power sup
plies. less than ten miles above the location.
that the factories and residents OF the town
can obtain all the power they desire, ana IL
cannot take long to place the bonds Tor an
enterprise which guarantees. by exceptional
natural resources, such unlimited prohts WITHIN
a few years.
Considering, then. the past usefulness or the
Hydraulic Canal and the Improvements now pe-
ing ntroduced considering also the capabilities
of the Cataract Construction Company, with It's
electrical power already developed and to be de-
veoped and. in addition to these. the proposed
development Of a power of 100000 horse-power at
Model City. we have within the boundaries OK a
single large city a possible power development
Of $40 horsepower. at a cost 50 low as 10
revolutiOnize the industries for which II Is avail
able No paper or -four mill burdened with the
TRANSPORTATION and other cost Of its fuel and
care of it's own engines and in most cases. also,
with the cost of transportation for Its raw ma
teras seems likely to be able to compete with
the mills Of this great manufacturing centre
where power Is to be had for the asking. where
cost of hosting in most cases is eliminated, and
where transportation from the East. the West
and the South Is more convenient than at any
other location in the country. The future OF
Niagara Falls Is. indeed. hard to prophesy but
it may be said with perfect safety that before
largest milling and iron manufacturing cities OF
the world