The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-05-27
BACK OF NIAGARA FALLS.
Remarkable Sight to Be Seen from
the Tunnel Under the Great
Horseshoe.

Three companies are now working
hard on the Canadian side or the Nj
agara to- prepare for generating ele,-
tricaI power from the falls. Two OF
these companies are controlled cy
American capital, and the third exclu-
sively by Canadian and English cap
ital. All expect to sell their product
on the Canadian side, and to distribute
power to points as much as 200 miles
distant from the falls, says the New
York Sun.
Each company has encountered some
interesting engineering problems In
the course of the work One company,
for example, has had to plan for roof
of unusual strength over It's power
house, because it 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-
esting than that undertaken by the
Canadian company. The penstock, or
great trench, of this company, at the
bottom of which will be placed the
turbines that are to generate the pow
er, is 100 feet from the center of the
Horseshoe falls.
The great trench is to be $50 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 it had passed through
| the turbines and done its work.
| The engineers decided that in order
TO accomplish this tunnel should he
extended from the bottom of the PEN
stock to the center of the Horseshoe
falls For this purpose shaft about
ten feet square was sunk on the Cana
fdian side little above the falls to a
depth of about $50 feet.
From the bottom of this shaft was
dug tunnel to point few hundred
feet above the center of the falls to
meet the line of the 1,900-foot tunnel
that is to run directly from the bottom
of the penstock to the center OF the
falls. When this line was struck the
workmen began tunneling directly tc-
ward the penstock.
In order to make the removal of the
debris easy there was dug from the
tunnel leading from the ten-foot shaft
a short tunnel to a point beneath the
falls and pretty close to the Canadian
side. One may now stand at the mouth
of this tunnel within few feet of the
whole mass of Niagara's vast down
pour, and looking through the roaring
sheet see the dim, transfused light oil
day outside. Those who have had this
privilege say it is a wonderful sight
When the tunnel to the penstock
has been completed it will be extended
from the point of intersection of the
working tunnel from the ten-foc:
shaft to the center of the falls at
depth of about $50 feet This whole
1,9OO-foot tunnel will eventually be
horseshoe shape, with vertical dia'
meter of 20 feet
The horizontal bottom, paved witt
solid blocks of stone, will be IA fee
wide Along this tunnel the waste
water from the penstoclf will flow tt
discharge itself into the volume OF the
Horseshoe falls some feet above thu
bottom.
Already a considerable part OF ta'
tunnel to the penstock has been dug
and the debris is being daily dumped
at the mouth of the short auxiliar!
tunnel opening beneath the falls nea
the Canadian side 1t will take fiv'
months to complete the tunnel, AM
probably a year to get the power sta
ton in running order.
When running full it will generat
$50. 900 horsepower. Engineers from
this city who have seen the work il
progress describe it as Of great inter
est and marvellously ingenious in tn
way means have been adapted to tn
ends to be accomplished.