Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-04
STEALING THE FALLS
An Engineering Scheme to Divert the
Waters Of Niagara.
An Electric Power Plant Similar to
Built Upstream by Canadians.
From the Philadelphia Record.

Interest has been revived at Niagara
Falls in the water power privileges con-
| trolled by the Welland Power and Supply
Canal Company, a Canadian company in
corporated by special act of parliament of
| the Dominion for the purpose Of utilizing
| the water power of the Niagara river and
Welland canal for promoting manufacture
ing enterprises. The organization of the
Canadian Power League has had a ten
dency to arouse public interest to a great
extent in power projects and this interest
has given new life to the company referred
to.
The power plan of the company is very
similar in its idea to that now in process
Of development at Massena, N. Y, but 1t
Is recognized as being far superior to the
MaSsena project because just as large
volume of water will be available for pow
er purposes, while the head of water OBJ
tainable will be nearly four times as great,
meaning, Of course, greater power. Two
miles above the falls on the Canadian side
Is the little historic village of Chippawa.
and there the Welland river, or Chippawa
creek, flows into the upper Niagara. This
small stream has so slight a descent that
little deepening of its bed would cause it
to flow the other way. Therefore, it is felt
that by charging its channel it can be
made the outlet of a goodly portion of the
water that now passes over the Horseshoe
ran. Five miles from the mouth of the
river the body of water would, according
10 the scheme outlined, be emptied into a
canal that would carry it to a point on the
Niagara escarpment OF bluff. which is a
continuation of the Queenston heights
where fall of 80 feet would be obtained
the water to be carried in huge penstocks
from the canal basin or reservoir on the
top OF the bluff to the wheels below
The mountain huff to Wh icI Z &c
proposed to transfer the power resources
OF the Niagara runs along on both sides of
the river for miles. The scheme proposed
by the Welland Power and Supply Canal
Company is very similar to that of the
Model City Company on the New York
state side, with the slight advantage that
IN the Welland river it has channel for
its canal for a portion of the distance.
The canal they would construct according
10 their present plans, from the Weland
river to the bluff would be about 100 feet
vide, fourteen feet deep, its length being
several miles. 1t is estimated that 10000
morse power at least could be developed
1t Is estimated that capital of s., 200, 900
would be required to complete the project
ana put the entire plant in operation.
considering the variety of questions that
nave arisen as to the rights of companies
to divert water from the Niagara river
winch Is an International boundary, the
iight OF the Dominion to authorize the di-
version or so much water as is proposed
may be questioned. 1t is apparent to any
one knowing the relations of the Niagara
1iVer, Welland river and the line of the pro-
posed canal that if the new waterway was
made large enough the entire body of wa
Ter, at least the greater part of it now pass
ing into the river from Lake Erie, could be
made to flow through the new channel
ana thus the Dominion would be in full
possession of all the power developed from
the Niagara, not only robbing New York
state OF its great power development but
the world of that sublime spectacle, the
Falls of Niagara.
1t Is apparent that the commissioners of
the New York state reservation at Niagara
recognize the seriousness of the situa ton
Tor at their annual meeting held in New
YORK city on Thursday, November 49, they
adopted resolution authorizing Andrew
ID: Green, president of the board of COM
mlssioners, to take steps to secure by in
ternational agreement the protection of the
rails and the upper river. There is no
doubt that this step is taken because of
the proposed diversion of water on the
Canadian side. and because of the organiza-
ton of the Canadian Niagara Power
League TO promote the extended develop
ment of the water power of the Niagara
on the Canadian side of the river