The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-06-16
BACK OF NlsoARA FALLS.
Remarkable Sight TO BE seen from
the Tunnel Under the Great
Horseshoe.

Three companies are now wcrklre
hard on the Canadian side Of the Nj.
aEara to prepare for generating eles.
uical power from the falls Two oi
these companies are controlled by
American capital, and the third exclu-
sively by Canadian and English can
ital. All expect to sell their product
on the Canadian side, and to distribute
power 70 points as much as 200 miles
distant from the falls. says the New
York Sun.
Each company has encountered some
interesting engineering problems Ia
the course Of the work. One company.
Tor example, has had 10 plan for roof
OF unusual strength over its power
house, because 1t is expected that the
spray from the falls In winter Will
thatch the roof with five feet Of solid
Ice.
No part Of the work is more Inter.
gsting than that undertaken By the
Canadian company The penstock, or
great trench, Of this company. at the
bottom of which viii be placed the
turbines that are to generate the pow
er, is 1900 feet from the center of the
Horseshoe falls
The great trench is TO be f50 feet
deep by 400 feet long, and 80 feet wide.
The problem presented was to dis
charge the water from the bottom of
this trench, after Il had passed through
the turbines and done its work.
The engineers decided that In order
TO accomplish this a tunnel should lie |
extended from the bottom Of the pen
stock 10 the eenter Of She Horseshoe
falls For this purpose a shaft about
ten feet square was sunk on the Cana
dian side little above the falls to a
depth OF about $50 feet
From the bottom OF THIS shaft was
dug tunnel 10 a point few hundred
feet above the center Of the falls to
meet the line Of the 1,900-foot tunnel
that Is 70 run directly from the bottom
~ the penstock 20 the center Of the
falls When this line was struck the
workmeu began tunneline directly to-
ward the penstock
In order 20 make the removal or tae
iehris easy there was dug from the
unuel leading from the ten-foot shat.
short tunnel to a point beneath the
alls and pretty close to the Canadian
ide. one may now stand At the mouth
II this tunnel within q few feet Of the
Whole mass Of Niagara's vast down
'our and looking through the roaring
heet see the dim. transfused light Of !
lay outside Those who have had this
Irivllege say II Is q wonderful sight
When the tunnel 10 the penstoclt
las been completed Il VIII be extended
rom the point OF intersection Of the
working tunnel from tie ten-focs I
haft 10 the center of the falls at a
epth Of about $50 feet. This whole
.90Q-foot tunnel will eventually be
shape with q vertical dlA-
1eter OF 20 feet
The horizontal bottom. paved with
old blocks Of stone. will be II feet
tide, Along this tunnel the waste
'ater from the penstock Will flow TO :
Iseharge itself into the volume Of the !,
horseshoe falls some feet above the !,
ottom. :
Already a considerable part Of tac II
innel TO the penstock has been dug 4
nd the debris is being daily dumped
the mouth Of the short auxiliary a
innsl opening beneath the falls near 4.
le Canadian side Il will take fvs !.
Ionths 70 complete the tunnel and :,
robably year TO get the power sta :,
On IN running order. i
When running full Il viii generate !,
4. 900 horsepower Engineers from 4,
Ifs dty who have seen the work In :
'ogress describe il as Of great inter- .
i and marvsllously ingenious ln the !.
~ means have been adapted to tue p
de 70 Be accomplished ;.