The National tribune., 1901-05-30
Niagara in Two Aspects.
Electrical Repici

1t would be interesting to have the opin-
ions of the late Father Hennepin concern
ing Niagara Falls, If he could be resusci-
tated and brought again to the memorable
spot from which he, first of white men.
saw the mighty cataract. With the com
ing of civilization to the Lake country the
cataract began its career as an eighth
wonder Of the world and was visited by
increasing numbers of people annually I'M
til, at last, it became sort of Mecca to
which all good Americans and most of
our foreign visitors were sure to go sooner
or later 1t was and is a spectacle OF
the utmost grandeur and beauty, and is
one of the most impressive natural mani
festntiOns to be seen anywhere in the
world.
But within the last 10 years a new ele-
ment of interest has associated itself with
the falls. Half century ago a little of
the immense dOwnrush OF water was led
aside for the purpose of turning n grist
mill. Today electricity has made possible
the utilization of hundreds OF thousands
of horsepower from the cataract and the
diversion OF an amount of water that
would furnish d fair-siZed river for this
purpose. And the work has just begun.
without detracting from the beauty and
spectacular magnifcence of the cataract
there has been developed near il pOten-
tiHl usefulness, in the shape of water
wheels and dynamos. of such enormous
proportions as to command the attention
of the thinking part of the world-laymen
as well as engineers. For untold centuries
the waters Of the Great Lakes have roared
over the precipice of Niagara unchecked
and bringing no benefit to mankind except
in the way Of developing the eSthetic
sense by their extraordinary beauty. To
day about half million horsepower is
under development in works, either fin
ished. started or projected with reason
able certainty of completion.
Whatever may be the value of the falls
as spectacle the value of the kinetic en-
ergy of their mighty waters is incontest-
able and evident to all men. Niagara
Falls (the city,, was formerly a place OF
many hotels and curiO shops, infested by
predatory hackmen and guides, and bore
all the marks of show village. Its prin
Cipal industry was the stranger within its
gates. Today it is an energetic and grow
ing manufacturing community and the
center of production for many products
of great value and commercial importance.
Through the agency of electricity the
nearby cities of Buffalo. LOckport and
Tonawanda have shared with Niagara the
advantages of the power development
there, but it is the city by the falls itself
that has gained the most. There has been
some facetious discussion as to whether
IN tle growth OF the two places Niagara
will become a suburb of Buffalo or Buff
falo a suburb of Niagara. 1t seems likely
that the two places will swallow one an
other, somewhat after the fashion of the
snakes in the fable and that the result
will be one of the most important manu-
featuring centers in the world.
1t has often been asked lately whether
the people of the United States and Can
ada can afford to support Niagara Falls
as a spectacle, or whether it is not better
to utilize all of the water of the great
cataract for power purposes. This is a
question that will doubtless answer itself
in time. But to the engineer looking
ahead and seeing the prospective wants
of a great and increasing population and
viewing the waste of Natures energy at
Niagara there can be but one answer.
For today, at least. we have both the
cataract in its practically unimpaired
beauty, and the power-hOuse and factories.
Who knows but that our descendants, of
no remote generation, may see only the
power-hOuses?