The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-02-03

10 five lee, higher than the rocky
floor 81 The outlet 81 Lake Erie, and,
is the true rock.rim Of the
lake, AT the Goat Island end OF the
rim the depth Of the river at mean
water is only hall a foot 70 iooti be-
yond Sister Islands it is two and a
half feet to somewha; deeper, In the
middle OF the river the rocky ridge
is barely covered at mean water, and
AT a low water, such as occurred IN
1891, il is quite bare. Between the
end Of the reef and the Canadian
shore the depth reaches 70 eight and
nine feet
The American channel is less than
three ieeS deep at mean water, and
ius, above it there is reef where
the depth is only foot and a halt
This reaches nearly across the chan
mel to the main New York shore.
The roek-rim is the danger line.
The Chicago canal has been using
4.0O0 cubic feet OF water second;
but with its immediate perspective
use Of 10000. Lake Erie will be low
cred nearly SIX inches, and the BASIN
above the upper rapids to more than
half this amount Two power COM
panies on the New York side have
canals reaching to greater depths
below the river surface than the rock
rim. The effect Of these openings IS
10 enlarge the river channel Just
as if two holes were made in the
side Of a watering-trough, with the
supply still running over the rim,
which holes would lower the over.
flow.
Zone Of the companies on the Can
adian side has extended the basin
into a winged dam deepened in the
rocks, and the eifec, Of taking the
water from it is very much as If a
hole were made in the bottom OF the
watering-trough, still further low
ering the overflow. Thus it is seen
that all the water taken from the
river before it passes the roek-rin
tends TO lower the level OF the basin
and is not a case of diversion from
one channel 10 another, so that The
overflow eventually must cease where
the rim is highest and thus the dis
tribution Of the water on the fall;
must be cut off in places, doing greaf
damage to the cataract.
"The mean discharge Of Niagari
river is 10000 cubic feet second, Q
which only 10000 feet go over til
American falls. The low-water dis
charge may fall to 10000 cubic fee
This may be converted into horse
power, as each foot falling from tn
basin TO the bottom OF the catarac
corresponds to about twenty-tou
gross horsepower, from which con
siderable allowance must be made TO
transformation into useful work. Th
water to be Withdrawn before
reaches the rapids is q to Is percef
. OF the total volume at the mean stag
and u to 81 at very low stages. b
) the total diversion from eyerywhei
! will reach 40 to a per cent. OF ii
1 river"
DR.. Spencer reported that a peri(
+ Of high water prevailed during ii
: last two years, and, in consequenc
K the diversion produced no appare
effect. He declared, however, tn
i the water was falling, and that the
Z will be a diminished supply
S Since 1890" he reported, the wat
# has fallen sixteen inches or more
+ the rapids, so that the higher roc
e appear above the surface where fc
e merly none was seen. The rocks a
4, appearing more and more. The da
= ger is upon us, for on the Goat
! land side the depth Of water Is Il
more than six to twelve inches, ]
e ward the Canadian side the river
= deeper, but, in addition to the lowe
ing Of the water level in the upp
basin, some 10000 cubic feet 81
ond will be taken near the foot OF t
rapids by the two other Canadi
power companies, which will dai
age further the sheet of water at t
great cataract.
Already great damage has be
done on that side. The Canadian q
thorities have filled in the river, tn
reducing the breadth of the falls
AIS feet and leaving bare wall wht
formerly there was veil Of wat
If this had been done as diyersi
: by all the power plants, it would ha
: broken up the river into few Sc
: tered streams, which would have be
4...4 -a,,,;,der ~ the damage