The Washington herald., 1917-12-25
MAY HARNESS
.NIAGARAFALLS
Holland Says Lower Rapids
viii Be Used for Indus /.
trial Purposes.

+ trial Purposes.
Probably the nearness Of Canada
was not the only reason why the
authorities at Washington have re-
fused to permit any utilization OF the
lower rapids of the Niagara River
80 that water power, available Tor
the manufacture Of explosives upon
tths American side OF the rapids could
be obtained.
A brief dispatch from Washington a
day or two ago reported that the
government authorities had declined
to entertain a proposition invol-
wing the utilization Of some Of the
water power Of the lower rapids, as
signing as a reason that the Cam
adam boundary Is not much more
than q stones throw distant from
: the point upon the American side Of
the rapids where it was in contempla-
ton to put up q plant for the manu-
facture Of explosives.
Explosives are however manufac-
.tured elsewhere within convenient
distance Of the Canadian boundary,
and there seems to be substantial
reason, 50 far as Canada Is concern
ed, why munition plants should not
be established on the American side
Of the rapids.
In all probability the government
authorities had in mind the great
Ginvestment of capital which is repre-
\ scented by the Industrial plants upon
1.-The American side OF the Niagara
ERiver above the falls. The invest
: ment represents many billions Of dol
lars and the commodities which are
shhere produced constitute a most i'm
! sportant part of American Industrial
life. II therefore the government
were to permit a diversion of some OF
2 the motive power in the lower rapids
for Industrial purposes the chances
3 are that after the war at least such
action might to some extent impair
/, the value Of investments which are
now based upon the motive power
Iobtained from the Niagara River
saboSe the falls.
Will be Done Some Day.
Nevertheless, some day. possibly
mot in the far-distant future, tho
= stupendous energy which is in the
= lower rapids will be to some ex-
tent diverted, so as 10 make 1t pos
sible to employ it as a motive power
for Industries.
. Before ]. p. Morgan, with others,
- decided to finance a proposition in
: Nolving the use Of some part OF
the energy which is in the Niagara
River above the falls. a man o.
: science whose name was Love work
= ed out a proposition which appealed
to some of the engineers Of his day.
MIR. Love planned the digging Of a
canal upon the American side whose
, intake was to be near the upper
. end ,sef the Niagara River not far
=. from Lake, Erie and whose eastern
terminal was to be at the brink on
= the American side opposite the city
> OF Lewiston.
= The construction Of a canal Of this
kind could be made at a cost not
: prohibitive. The canal would carry
water from the upper intake the
& entire distance of a few miles and
would contain not only the energy
= that is in the upper Niagara River.
= but that which is represented by
> the Niagara Falls itself.
The Love plans were not adopted,
SsE some engineers are OF the opinion
S1hst'it would have been better had
they been accepted. Instead, the cor
. poration which was financed by J.
p Morgan and others adopted the
: Plan which Is now in operation upon
= the upper banks of the Niagara where
by water power which maintains sew
'eral very important industries is fur
. nished at, relatively speaking, low
cost.
:. What Canada Is Doing.
. Had it not been for the war the
probability is strong that Canada
al Il
a system somewhat similar to the on.
/. recommended by Mr.. Love. The in
. take would be and by and by will
be. at a small creek that sets in from
g the Niagara River upon the Canadian
: side The Canadian plans involve the
= construction OF a canal stretching from
- this intake near Lake Erie to the
- brink of Lake Ontario. The engineers
e. calculated that 1t would furnish en-
! ergy equivalent to some hundred thou
= sand horse power.
Several years ago the Representative
in Congress for the Niagara Falls dis
: trict, Peter Porter, advocated the con-
. struction of a dam across the lower
= rapids Of the Niagara River so that
some part of the energy that is in
= these rapids could be secured for in
, dustrial purposes. II that were done
the foot Of Niagara Falls. The dam,
tsccording, to the plans, was to be
built just below the present suspension
bridge.
70 The engineering difficulties were. 1t
Twas recognized. very great and some
engineers reported that they would be
! too great TO overcome. Mr.. Porter's
, splan did not go farther than the pub
.Slic announcement of II. but that il
should have been proposed by man
OF his influence of itself is good proof
that men Of industry are still con-
rtemplating the capture Of a consider
able part OF the inconceivably great
energy that Is in the Niagara River
land Falls, but are planning to do this
without impairing the scenic beauty
, Of the falls.
The prospect that there is soon to be
"a very great utilization of the Ameri-
can water-powers which are to be con-
verted into electric energy involves
Z ALSO undoubtedly a much larger en-
, sployment Of the great power that Is
; in the Niagara River and Falls than
Is now used for industrial purposes.
HOLLAND"