St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-03-09
HARNESSING NIAGARA.
Wonderful Machinery Employed In
the TransmiSsiOn of the Power
Of the Falls.

Miss Gertrude NJ. Bacon describes in
-Cassells Magazine the arrangement by
which power is transmitted from the
falls at Niagara: About a mile from
the falls, on the outskirts of the lit
tile town. stands a handsome gray
stone building known locally as the
power house-the headquarters of the
Niagara Falls Power company. Wait
ing on its threshold the suggestion
arises of being at the entrance of a
gigantic hive. for from within there
issues dull and ceaseless hum as of
bees in. swarming time. or when the
bloom is on the lines. Entering. this
noise. is found 10 proceed from sundry
members of the noble brotherhood of
dynamos; ten of them, standing in
regiment down the long wide room;
maybe the biggest dynamos in the
world. as this. is undoubtedly the larg-
est esectric station-for they repre-
sent horse power of 5000 each. or a
grand total of $4,000 between them.
Some half OF these are at present in
motion. their field magnets spinning
round at a terrific speed. $50. revolu-
tions in a minute. If a fly could con-
tri,e. which is inconceivable. to take
its stand on this whirring periphery
he would be travelling. at the rate OF
two miles every &c seconds. The out
come of all this tremendous mass OF
machinery is a current of 1I,cC0 volts.
transmitted. the most of it, along ca
bles, to the town of Buffalo. 20 miles
off. there to light houses. work fac
tories. and drive street cars with 8
tiny fraction of the force of the great
falls so far away. The transmission OF
its energy to such n distance is one
of the most remarkable features OF
trio station incapable of producing cur
rent at such high voltage" or electric
tension could send its power, without
enormous loss, along the so miles of
cable that connects the Niagara power
house with its outlying customers.
And now as to how this wonder is
achieved. and how Niagara has been
harnessed to such utilitarian labors.
without, be it noted, showing any visi-
BILE trace of machinery upon it's face;
for it was an all-important part Of the
original contract with the electrical.
company that its works should in nc
wise disfgure or interfere with the
scenic effects of the falls. Just behind
the power house the visitor may see
the end of small canal, 500 feet wide
by 13 feet deep. dug from here to Q
point on the Niagara river some 5Ot
yards distant, which is ~ miles above
the falls. By means of this canal a very
small portion of the. water that woulo
otherwise go over the cataract-far toe
small q quantity to make any percepti
BILE differences diverted from its
course and brought to the doors of the
electric station to be employed to best
advantage therein. The current il
this slow-flowing canal is, naturally
quite inconsiderable and incapable o,
performing any serious mechanical
feat, but the potential energy of the
water consists in the fact that it is
accumulating increasingly. moment by
moment at height Of 160 feet above
the level Of the river beneath. The
force it would otherwise waste in seek
ing that level over the falls in the or.
binary course it is here obliged 10 turn
to useful account, before it is allowed
to rejoin the Niagara river and aid in
its wild race along the rapids towards
the quiet shores of Lake Ontario.