The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-05-27

steadily on while the proposed structure is 10
course of erection. But nature is ready TO iehd
help which would make the execution or such
project far easier than one might imagine onhahu.
The walls of the gorge above Fosters tia's rise
sheer several hundred feet from the tideway' eue
contiguous to the Flats the gorge is considerably
wider and on fhe Canadian side, especially, the
bank slopes at a comparatively easy gradient
terminating near the river in fairly expansive
iow-lying area. AT the same time, the rivers pain
Is considerably narrower at that stretch OF IFS
run. Owing to this state of affairs, the Flats pre-
sent strategic base of operations fl"m which to
START the rearing of dam. That is % say, some
thing like 90 per cent of the contaminated struc
ture can be completed on dry land iesore any Of
the work trespasses upon the prescott course OF
the Niagara at that point. Let us be more spe-
clfc.
As designed, the dam has spread n cross sec
ton of about $50 feet at the base aii 80 feet or
more of this lower portion VIII rea II, below the
line of the riverbed and have its fnfs'ng on the
underlying solid rock. With q total BE- ght of 40
feet the dam will be of an extremely ;ssive char
acter The bottom section of the dafn-at east
that half of it that will rise from Eos IRIS Flats
win be pierced by large temporary openings of
culverts and channels will lie dug to them the
upstream side to 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, it will
then be n relatively easy engineering task to dam
the usual natural water course facilitate
excavating the rock and erecting that portion OF
the dam that viii terminate on the American I
shore. When the dam is finished. then the sluice-
ways will he sealed and the waters mpounded !
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 |
ing the winter and the breakup of that rigorous
season. and the impact and the pressure of these
foes must be whstood by any rigid obstruction
rising I'm their path. Therefore 1t is essential
that these stresses be minimizel and that the
currents be free to carry the ice onward with
minimum of opposition while tie bulk of Tie water
is held in cheek. 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 distance
of nearly Eve miles and of housing the great turbo
generators that will transform the force of those
waters into 20O0.000 horsepower of electrical en-
ergy. According to the estimates. this undertake
ing would Involve total outlay of approximately
SlOOOGOOOO; and from start to finish would take
something like three years On the basis OF couI
consumption previously cited for the development
Of a horsepower year l. e.. tons, this scheme
would he tantamount to saving 16c00O0O tons of
hat fuel annually ~ $40 ton this would repre-
sent an economy of SlG0OoOO00 every twelve
month. But quite apart from these considerations,
here would he that inesiimable gain in the mat
or Of electrical energy that could be utilized for
Industrial purposes. Not only that,
motive impulse al moderate cost would be
valuable for domestic services of many SORTS
We have led the world In the varied character
nd the magnitude Of our electrochemical indus
ries. and we can maintain our position in this
aspect only By continuing 10 provide great blocks
f low-priced current to meet the increasing de-
lands for the commodities manufactured at
r Niagara Falls. Finally, let II be recalled
hat the two projects might prove exceedingly val
able sources Of energy for that great superpower
one which is to embrace far-lune section of
he states of northeastern senboard. Isn't 1t
orth our while to have at our disposal 35O0OOO
without burning q single pound of
oall Can we be Indifferent to undertakings
nat viii enable to increase vastly our produc
veness while cutting the fuel bill by hundreds
f millions Of dollars yearly7