Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-17
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

Norway" says Mr.. Roeber, SIS the cost
Of electric power, which is three to hve
times lower in Norway than at Niagara
Falls" Notwithstanding this objection
of Mr.. Roeber, nitrogen Is now being
made at Niagara Falls. In explaining the
attitude of his society. Mr.. Roeber said
Niagara Falls which are the pride OF
every American electrochemist and
should be the pride of the whole Ameri-
can nation suffers seriously from the
power famine due to the cessation OF
power development by international
agreement between the United States and
Canada This agreement is based on the
alleged will of the people Of both coun-
tries to have the falls preserved as
scenic spectacle on the principle Of con-
pie
Our ancestors who knew nothing Of
the principle of conservation Of energy,
of transformation of different forms Of
energy into each other, looked simply
at the material side of the falls and saw
beauty and had right to see beauty.
And IL we force ourselves into such
one-sided attitude of mind, we can still
see beauty. But If we stand as modern
men at the falls with a free attitude OF
mind, we don't see simply water, we see
power. We see the possibilities Of using
this power for electric power transmits
sion for lighting. traction and industrial
purposes on a wider area We see the
even greater possibility Of storing this
power in electrochemlcal products and
utilizing them all over the land in all
walks of life
IF we look at the falls with this at
titude of mind. which Is the natural ono
for us. every cubic foot of water that
goes laundering over the falls unutilized
appeals to US as waste and nothing but
waste. II we could look at Niagara
Falls with the eyes Of our ancestors it
would be different, but in fun possession
of our extended senses which an engf-
neering age has given us. the falls OF
Niagara-as much Of them as is not
utllized-must simply impress us as a
waste of immense proportions. And just
the element of bigness which was an
element of beauty to our ancestors has
necessarily become to us the reverse,
emphasizing only more emphatcally the
criminal negligence OF letting waste on
veloped, Niagara Falls remains spectacu-
lar even to the modern man, Dut II IS
no longer beautiful.
The perverse mind of Nero could en-
joy the spectacle OF Rome burning. a
savage tribe could naively enjoy con-
flagration that would consume for spec
tacular purposes a million tons OF coal
a week We let the equivalent waste go
on In water power and hear IT called
saving beauty for the people.
when that time has come, the rams
of Niagara running dry, will reveal TO
the world immense beauty, health and
wealth scattered by electrical ana chemi-
cal means all over the country. while
the grandeur of the whirlpool Rapids,
unchanged and undiminished. will have
a higher esthetic value. deeper mean
ing of beauty than they can possibly
have for us. The world will then smile
at the esthetic scruples Of 30 many
well meaning people of our own time and
will wonder what all that talk OF saw
ing natures beauty was about.
The various attempts that have been
made in the past to increase the amount
of water at Niagara Falls for power pur-
Washington a very clear idea of tho
situation and it may be said that any at
tempt to destroy the falls will be vfgor-
ously fought by the American civic AS
ISOLATION. the National Federation of
Woman's Clubs and other organizations
which have fought for the preservation
of the scenic beauty Of the falls. 1t is
felt in the nations capital that the power
problem in this country Is not 30 press
ing as to take away from the people
one of the few remaining wonderful spec
tacles of nature. The chemists who
know SO much about economic problems
have evidently not calculated the OPP
position that will come to their plans
from the thousands of sentimental young
people in the United States. For where
will the honeymooners go II Niagara
Falls becomes dry territory?
A miracle in federal government has
just come to light-army engineers report
to Congress that
Potomac River there is one section
49,, in the United States
and the Canal. where the people
do not care to have Uncle Sam improve
their river facilities. AS rule, any
part of the country that has a creek or
run Is always willing to allow the fed
eral government to spend all the money
it desires, but the people living in tho
territory drained by the historic Potomac
river, from Washington to Cumberland.
Md, a distance of 1876 miles. not only re-
fused for the most part to attend the
meetings held in several villages, but
in one instance. at Harpers Ferry, sew
eral days after the time set for the meet
ing, the citizens sent to Washington
protest against tho Improvement on the
ground that it would not DO the town
any good
This is the modern answer OF the rep
resentatives of one of the Oldest trans
portation routes in the United States.
for in the days of George Washington.
canal between Washington and Cumber-
land was planned as the main artery
of commerce to extend into what was
then known as the west 1t was in 1772
that Washington. a member of the house
Of burgesses of Virginia, secured an act
by that house providing for the opening
OF the Potomac river from tdewater at
Washington to Cumberland by private
subscription and lottery. but as Maryland
did not pass a similar act nothing was
done at that time.
In 1888, when the agitation for the
Improvement of the Potomac river was
resumed, largely through Washingtons
efforts. the ''Potowmack Company was
organized and construction began. An
arsenal was established at Harpers Ferry,
at the mouth of the Shenandoah. at
Washington's solicitation, and was main
tanned there until after the civil war.
This company used the river where 1t
could, and constructed lateral canals to
get around the falls and shallow places.
Chesapeake and Ohio canal was con-
structed.
This canal is now being operated as
a private concern and is shipping yearly
from Cumberland to Washington about
10000 tons of coal. The army engi-
neers in their Investigations found that
the famous waterway, perhaps better
known in its day than some of the pres
ent trunk lines of railways, has an in
debtedness of more than s27 100000. state
liens aggregating s25.00o.0O0. the bal
ance of the indebtedness being judgments
and claims. The engineers also give
it as their view that the Baltimore and
in control of the canal. However that
may be-" says Col. w. C. Langftt of
the Engineer Corps. ut is a matter of
TACT that the rate on coal from the
mines to tidewater is s1.65 per ton.
whether by all rail or rail and canal"