The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-06-09

steadily on while the proposed structure Is In
course of erection But nature Is ready to lend
help which would make the execution Of such
project far easier than oSe might Imagine offhand
The walls Of the gorge Above Fosters Flats rise
sheer several hundred feet from the tdeway, but
contiguous to the Flats the gorge Is considerably
wider and on the Canadian side, especially, the
bank slopes at a comparatively easy gradient
terminating near the river In fairly expansive
low-lying area At the same time the rivers path
Is considerably narrower at yhat stretch of its
run. owing to this state of affairs the Flats pre-
sent strategic base of operaticns from which to
start the rearing Of a dam. That is to say, some
thing like 90 per cent Of the contemplated struc-
ture can be completed on dry land before any OF
the work trespasses upon the present course Of
the Niagara at that point. Let us be more spe-
cfc.
As designed, the dam has a spread In cross Sec
ton or about 600 feet at the base and 80 feet or
more CT this lower portion will reach below the
line of the riverbed and have It's footing on the
underlying solid rock With a total height of 14O
feet the dam will be Of an extremely massive char
acter The bottom section OF tne dam-at least
that half or II that will rise from Fosters Flats
VIII be pierced by large temporary openings of
cuverts, and channels will be dug to them on the
upstream side to serve sluiceways for the en-
tire volume Of the Niagara when 1t becomes neces-
sary to divert the river In order to bare the nor
NAL bed for building purposes along the line OF
the contemplated barrier. With this done. 1t will
then be n relatively easy engineering task to dam
the usual or natural water course to facilitate
excavoting the rock and erecting that portion OF
the dam that will terminate on the American
shore. When the dam Is finished, then the sluIce-
ways will be sealed and the waters impounded
until they accumulate and carry the surface level
back from the crest of the dam to the very foot
OF the Falls.
AS most everyone knows, great quantities of ice
ad tha Fol and 1axx
Ing the winter and the breakup of that rigorous
season. and the impact and the pressure of these
foes must be withstood by any rigid obstruction
rising In their path. Therefore, It is essential
that these stresses be minimzed and that the
currents be free to carry the Ice onward with
minimum OF opposition while the bulk of the water
Is held In check. To this end, the dam will be
fashioned with long slopes on the UP and the
downstream Sides
The dam will serve the double purpose of i'm
pounding the waters Of the Niagara for a distance
Of nearly five miles and Of housing the great turbo-
generators that will transform the force of those
waters Into 100000 horsepower Of electrical en-
ergy. According to the estimates this undertake
Ing would involve total outlay of approximately
SlOO,OOOOOO; and from start to finish would take
something like three years. On the basis of coal
consumption previously cited for the development
OF horsepower year, /. e., tons this scheme
would be tantamount 70 saving 100000 tons of
sent an economy OF slGOOOOOO0 every twelve
month. But quite apart from these considerations,
there would be that nestimable gain In the mat
ter OF electrical energy that could be utilized for
innumerable Industrial purposes. Not only that
motive impulse az a moderate cost would be
available for domestic services of many sorts.
We have led the world In the varied character
and the magnitude OF our eectrochemical indus.
tries, and we can maintain our position In this
respect only by continuing TO provide great blocks
Of ow-prlced current TO meet the increasing de-
mands for the commodities now manufactured al
or near Niagara Fails. Finally, let It he recalled
that the two projects might prove exceedingly val
liable sources OF energy for that great superpower
zone which is 10 embrace a far.flung section OF
the states Of our northeastern seaboard Isn't (,
worth our while TO have at our disposal 100000
horsepower without burning a single pound of
coal? Can We be Indifferent to undertakings
that Will enable us TO increase vastly our produc-
tiveness while cutting the fuel bill By hundreds
Of millions Of dollars veay'yf