The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-11
TWAS LADIES NIGHT
At tho Maine Academy Of Medicine
and Science.
A GOOD AUDIENCE AND PLEAS ANT
EXERCISES.

Greensmith, Chapman and Rev. Mr..
Galloupe Among the Speakers-A Ban
quet Ends the Evenings Exercises.
Ladies' Night" was appropriately OBJ
served by the Fellows of the Maine
Academy of Medicine and Science. The
meeting was called to order by Vice
President DR.. A. Z. p. Meserve and the
records of the last meeting was read and
approved.
The report of the Council was read and
it's recommendation carried out. The
following were elected to honorary fellow
ship: 6. B. Ballard, M. D., st. Johns
bury, VT; G. P. Frost, NJ. D., Hanover,
N. II. These were elected to fellowship !:
F. W. Barker M. D., Norway, Maine
G. M. Talbot, D.. D. S., and S. H. Jose,
ESQ.,. of Portland; James B. Wood, NJ
D., Calais; Hugh J. Chisholm, ESQ,
Portland.
The chair was then assumed by Presi-
dent DR.. S. G. Gordon, who, after brief
remarks called Vice President of Section
x, Science, f. B. Winslow to the chair,
who introduced the first essayist of the
evening, Mr.. James E. Greensmith,
president of the Section K, who read a
most interesting and instructive paper
entitled. "The Development of Niagara
Power
MR.. GREENSMITH'S PAPER.
Mr.. Greensmith suggesting. it as
seemed to him, the possible develop
ment of some of the splendid water
powers of Maine. Professor I'm
win states that the combined
power of the three falls of Niagara repre-
ssnts 100000 horse power Rumf ord
Falls, one of the largest powers in New
England has a capacity Of 10000 horse
power. ..As stated by FIancis l.
Stetson "The power which could be
exerted by Niagara. is equal to
| the latent power of all the coal mined in
the world each day, amounting to some
| 20, 600 tons"
Mr.. Greensmith traced the progress of
the work of Harvesting this mighty
power for the use of man, and spoke of
the organization of the Cataract Construo-
tion company. The Niagara tunnel was
commenced in September, 1890, and by
4 1892 had been completed distance of 600
| feet, and in 1898 the remainder OF the
/ tunnel was commenced. A wheel pit
was sunk capable of accommodating ten
turbines with their penstocks, and the
| tunnel at the bottom of the wheel pit
mile and one-third long connects the
wheel pit with the lower river. The
wheel pit is rectangular in form and 400
feet deep. The penstooks which conduct
/ %1>or h. ,.o1 49, 6ok ,x-I ~
at the bottom of the wheel pit are seven
feet in diameter, and give fall of about
1856 feet, so that the pressure of the water
at the foot of each penstock is about 162
tons. The work was so nicely calculated
that it was completed on time.
He gave an interesting description of
the manner in which the work was
| carried on. Even the material removed
as the tunnel progressed, was used in re-
claiming new land from the river. Over
800, 600 tons of rock was secured in this
way for the reolaiming work going on
above. The greatest speed attained was
113 yards in twenty.six and a half days
through solid rock. 1t was at first
| thought that the rock would form a
sufficiently good natural lining, but at
the suggestion of George Burbank, brick
was used 16, 100000 brick being required.
| So accurately were the lines for the tun-
mel run that though six different head
| ings were being worked at once, when
all finally broke through and connected,
| which the shaft stood vertically, and in
| stead of following the usual custom of
making the armatures, or inner portion
of the dynamos to revolve, and the field
or outer part to remain stationary, he re-
| versed the order of things and caused the
armatures to remain stationary, and re-
volved the field of the dynamos, then in
stead of using the fly wheel, this field
ring acts also as the fly wheel. Mr..
| Greensmlth here described at length the
construction of tine machines to be used
| in this branch of the work.
| 1t is expected that great many and
varied industries will locate near Niagara
| in order to take advantage of the cheap
power which the company will be able
to supply, and the model town of
Eschota, has been laid out. The distribu-
1 tion of tha electric power will not be con-
fined to the vicinity of the Falls, or Buff
falo, but already there are visions of sup
| plying Boston, New York and Chicago
with electric energy from a common
it was found there had been no error in
the workings. This remarkably accurate
line running was made with an iflstru :
ment called the solor theodolite, invented
| by Joseph W. Holmes of Batavia, N. T.,
who first tested it to determine the
boundary between Genessee and Erie
counties.
No wheel of American manufacture
was suited to the conditions in which they
would be used. the very high fall and the
requirements of 5000 horse power, and on
the recommendation of Clemens Her.
schal, of Holyoke, Mass, designs by
Fasech & PICARD of Geneva, Switzer-
land, were selected. The wheels were
made from designs furnished by the
above named firm by I. P. Morris & Co.,
of Philadelphia.
The next problem to be overcome was
the conveying to the surface the great
power these wheels were capable of gener-
atiDg, and the wheels are SO designed
that the whole weight of wheels and
shafting is balanced by the pressure of
the water which passes through, and
drives the wheels. The pressure of this
water is estimated to be from 149, 600 to
155, 900 pounds, and the weight of the
parts to be balanced is about 1852 900
pounds. The speed of the wheels is $50
revolutions minute. A fly wheel of ten
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