The San Francisco call., 1904-04-10

laneOus Corporations at Albany on the
bill to increase the water rights Of the
Niagara, Lockport and Ontario Power
Company. Charles NJ. Dow, president
OF the Board Of Commissioners Of the
State reservation at Niagara, vigor-
ously objected to the measure. Among
other mtr---, he said: Owing to
the greater decIivity of the river bed
on the Canadian side, as well as the
wider expanse Of the Horseshoe Fall,
Il is estimated that only one-fifth OF
the whole volume of the river passes
over the American fall. Furthermore,
owing TO the difference in elevation
OF the Canadian and American river
beds. the American fall is the first
10 show the effect Of any subtraction
OF water from the river above. As
the general depth Of the water on the
fall is only about four feet. and as the
elevation Of the American fall is some
thing like six or seven feet above that
of the Canadian fall, it is apparent
that the American fall might be
made entirely dry while water still
poured over the Canadian fall. That
such a discrepancy would appear in
the event Of the diversion Of a suf-
fcient amount Of water is not simply
A theory: the fact was demonstrated
in IS4S. when the flow Of the river was
diminished by an ice blockade at the
foot Of Lake Erie. and on-a lesser
scale by more recent ice gorges.
From the foregoing IL will appear
that the diversion Of 20 per cent Of the
water OF Niagara River would be suf-
ficient to render the American fall as
dry as the once famous cataract of
Lsodore in England Now, let us see
what the State has already done TO ac-
cOmplish such disastrous result; The
reservation had hardly been created,
for the express purpose Of preserving
the scenery OF the falls, when the Leg
fslature began. with singular inconsis-
tency, TO give away gratuitously the
very water upon which the existence Of
the fall depends. Seven corporations
were granted charters to take water
from the Niagara River, between 1885
and 1894 besides another corporation
which is taking water without author
ity. making eight American corpora
tions which have either been authorized
OF are taking water without authority
from the river. There are two Can
adian corporations, for which the New
York Legislature is not responsible, Of
course. but the effect Of whose opera
tions upon the flow of the falls must
be reckoned with.
Some OF these corporations are lin
ited in the amount Of water which they
can divert. More are unlimited. One
limited American company alone is au
thorized to develop 200 600 horsepower.
requiring 6 per cent Of the volume OF
the river. With a similar development
by its cores sponding company on the
Canadian side the flow Of the river will
be diminished about one-eighth-sufii-
cient TO dry up the American fall, ac-
cording to one estimate. A similar de-
velopment by all of the companies in
existence would rob Niagara of one
third OF its volume and insure the OBJ
liberation Of the American fall beyond
a peradventure Electric World and
Engineer.
The large modern ice-breakers de-
pend for their efficiency upon their
ability to ride UP upon the ice and
break down the edge Of the sheet by
sheer weight, thus biting their way
through the sheet. Such action re-
quires that the hull shall be con-
structed with the greatest possible
stiffness. the vessel being subjected to
stresses which would break an ordi-
nary ship in two. With this great
strength there must be ample power,
the combination OF the two being
needed TO oppose the heavy resist
ances. Vessels of this kind are now
in active service in Copenhagen. Kiel.
Riga. Stockholm. Amsterdam and
other ports, besides many small boats
used as postboats and pilot-boats in
the Baltic. the German coast and the
Black Sea. A typical example of the
boats used in general service is found
in the SampO, operating in the port
Of Hango. in Finland. This vessel.
which was built on the Tyne. has a
propeller at each end. the bow engine
having 1900 horsepower and the stern
engine 1850 horsepower. She is 2O2
feet long and 1000 tons displacement.
with full draught OF eighteen feet.
This boat breaks through field ice
twelve TO sixteen inches thick at a
speed Of eight knots and she can work
through drift ice eight to ten feet
thick at rate Of two to three knots,
also breaking down larger packs with
out much trouble.
is the Ermack. built originally for use
in the Baltic, but also occasionally en-
ployed elsewhere. This vessel is 335
feet long, Il feet beam and 5000 tons
displacement, with a draught of 22
feet. She was originally fitted with a
bow propeller as well as twin screws
at the stern, this propeller, with its in
dependent engine. being intended to
aid in breaking up the ice. The bow
propeller was found useful for ,one-
year-old ice, but became choked land
useless in polar field ice, and hence
was removed before the vessel was
sent to the Arctic. In solid ice two
feet thick, with six to twelve inches
OF snow on top of it. the Ermack can
make a speed OF nine knots. while she
can charge and demolish packs of ice
twenty TO thirty-five feet in thickness
Especial interest attaches at the