The Indianapolis journal., 1903-08-02
DAMMINGNIkGARARAPIDS
AMERICAN AND CANADIAN CAPITAL
UNITED FOR THE PURPOSE.
Spectacular Work, Which Bristles
with Startling Suggestions for the
Men Engaged in 1t.
BROOKLYN Eagle.

Brooklyn Eagle.
1t was Jest about three months ago that
group of men stood on the shore by the
rapids above Niagara's Horseshoe falls.
when Jacques Foisy, girdled by frail rope,
went o6t into the stream and drove a spile
into crevice in the rock. To-day a party
of New York mechanical experts are super
intending the hazardous task of damming
the rapids above these falls. The work is
part of plan for developing 125Ooo horse
power electrical energy, and the cost; when
complete and ready for the power to do its
work, will be close to S7,ooo,0o0 The syndi-
cate is known as the Electrical Development
Company of Ontario. and some of the best
engineering men of America have been
called into requisition. They will beat
back the rapids. dam their flow, dry up the
bed of the river above the falls for twelve
acres. erect Il new channel for part of its
course. Then they will sink a shaft of 160
feet and create the power through thus
diverting the water into it. To carry away
this water after it has been used tunnel
200 feet long will be built at depth of III
feet below the bed of the rapids. The exit
of the tunnel for the discharge Of the tail
race water Will be under the very brow of
the falls.
",
along with the speed of racer, the task OF
stopping this torrent above the falls Is
perilous one. To-day the tourist who visits
| there hears a new sound. 1t used to be the
| boom of the water alone but is added
| the dull chuck-chuck OF heavy machinery,
| the shrek of pony engines, the rattle OF
| derricks, the falling or stones and the thud
| of beams in their tumbling. 1t seems al
| most like sacrilege to enter this sanctuary
| of nature. but the spirit of commercialism
| does not stand on ceremony, and demands
4 a
| been wasting itself in foam.
| IT is estimated that il will take three
years at least to complete the work and
| when accomplished the feat will be one
| unique in the annals of engineering. The
| money is being supplied by Canadian cap
| italists, but the work of construction is in
full charge of Americans. Beverley Value,
| member American Society of Civil Engin-
| eers of New York, is the resident engineer,
assisted by William Thornley,. Both men
| were formerly identified with rapid transit
! work in New York. +. S. Pearson, of New
| York, is the consulting engineer, and l..
| Cooper, also of New York, is the chief
| hydraulic expert.
| SPECTACULAR WORK.
| The work of constructing the Golfer dam
| is spectacular one. 1t bristles with start
| ling suggestionss Ahead is the roar of the
falls the drop, the rocks, the whirlpool
rapids and the DEVILS Hole. Behind is the
ceaseless torrent battling against the inva-
/
run at will. Inch by inch the dam forces
| it's way into the current each foot from
| shore making the water deeper, the rush
more terrific, and the battle between man
| and nature more singularly earnest. One
| foot, two feet, ten and now twenty-four
| feet is registered as the depth or these
solid walls of water that roar against the
| dam, drenching the little corps of adventur-
| Gus workers with its spray.
| 1t is a little corps of workers of neces-
sity, for 1t is not work on which great
| force of men could be available. 1t is the
| Gideons band, the selected few who are
| employed here. 1t is not work that can
be hurried. Each step, each movement, has
| outpost work on this dam were secured
| with much difficulty. Lucrative wages We're
| offered, but one wrong step means death
| to the worker, death in the falls and then
| the whirlpool rapids to play with the
| body for a while.
The dam will, when completed. be 300
| feet in length. The cribs will be 24x16 feet,
| and each one will, it is estimated, be
| weighted with 225 tons of stone. When the
work was commenced, many, attracted by
| the offer of excellent pay, came to apply
| for the positions Most of them listened to
| the falls, glanced at the rapids and left.
! Some worked while the dam was being built
| near the shore, but left as ii poked its mar
| row nose out into the stream. To-day the
most dangerous part of the work is being
| carried on by French Canadian river men.
/ These are the men that the Canadian poet,
| DR.. Drummond, of Montreal. so we'll de-
| scTibes. They are men who from child
| hood have lived near to nature either in the
| woods telling trees, or riding the logs and
| driving them on through deeps and shadows
| TO the mill. The roar of the water OF Nj
/ agara is music to them. They do not fear
| but rush where the average man would
| hesitate to creep. They leap where most
/ men would crawl. The rolling log for them
| is as certain as the wire to the rope walk
| er the horse to the cowboy. When the
| waters are their widest they are at home;
| when the wind whistles over it's crest in
| hurricane they are not ruff1ed They speak
| the French language, they are as tractable
| oigtous as their strength and bravery.
| The work is at all times perilous, but the
| climax is reached when Jacques Foisy takes
| the soundings in advance of the DAMS
| course. The last soundngs revealed
| depth in the rapids of twenty-four feet.
Three beams Were placed out in these rap
ids, secured by ropes and Fosy, attired
| in his usual costume and without even re-
| moving his overais, leaped out upon them.
| If the ropes should break, if he should slip,
| Il the beams should Overturn, and if one Of
| those angry waves should rise just a little
| higher But Foisy thinks nothing of all
| this, but commences to lower the iron bar
| that is marked off in feet and inches. Seiz-
| ing this bar the current endeavors to wrest
| it from his hands. Under the most favor
| able conditions. and with feet well planted
| upon the firmest land, to take the soundngs
/ of Niagaras rapids would be a perlous
| task. but here stands Foisy on three dane
| ing timbers lowering the rod more at ease
F, than the spectators on the dam above.
| Vigorously he battles with the water and
| then the bottom struck he marks the spot
| and leaps lightly back to the crib. Then
| Mr.. Thornley, finds that the iron bar has
1