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

that required for clearing out the forebay. To
screen the tunnel intakes from logs ice, etc. there
would be built an L-shaped reinforced concrete
wall, rising from the ledge of the river bed to
sufficient height above the surface to divert float
ing objects into the currents sweeping onward
and over the two Falls. According to the engineer
ing estimates two tunnels can be cut and turbO-
generators placed and made ready for service
within an interval Of two and half years.
Today, in the vicinity of Niagara Falls 1t costs
anywhere from $40 to 500 to generate by steam
horsepower year. If we strike average, and
call the outlay $50 per annum, it should be mani
fest chat an economy N $1-0O00000 in coas con
sumption may be effected while adding tremen-
dously to the power available for industrial and
other purposes. If ii be assumed that a horse
power year in the run of steam plants calls for
the burning Of tons of coal, then the substitu-
tion Of hydroeectric energy will save each twelve
months quite 12,OO00O0 tons of fuel which, other
wise, would have to be mined and transported
from the nearest fields. those in Pennsylvania.
1t is pertinent to emphasize here tIiat In Buffalo
only about 20 miles distant from Niagara Falls
Il big public service electric company develops
twothirds of its current at present by means OF
steam, and it is obliged TO do this because il can
not obtain all of its energy from the compara-
lively nearby hydrOelectric plants. Think of It,
there Within stones throw, so to speak. of the
tmndercus waters OF the Falls, this concern has
to rely upon coal to generate $4,000 out of the
100000 horsepower needed by its customers Thir.
ty years ago, the population of Bufao was DO
700 and is now 5OJ,SIj, an increase of 1913 Der
cent in three decades The city of Niagara Fails
when incorporated in 1892 had a population OF
about 10000 and in the interval il has grown GOO
per cent owing principally to the influence of the
availability of hundreds of thousands of horse
power in the form of electrical energy
Indeed, electricity is playing its part throughout
VIDE zone lying around Niagara Falls-the
primary source Of power. Syracuse is drawing
current from that point 100 miles away. ana the
loss in transmission is less than 10 per cent nj n
voltage of 10000. Using potential OF l1OOn
Volts the Canadians are distributing current near
" zoo miles; and by raising this pressure to 22O
wv VOLTS the radius of distribution could be
heightened 10 900 miles, Under existing cond
tons. the five pioneer companies located at the
Falls developing G5OOOO horsepower: and il
is matter of common knowledge what this has
Drought about In the realm Of elecfrochemical in
dustries Visualize, them what momentous evou-
tons in our productive capacity would be made
possible If million and half more of motive
current were at hand!
-Four years ago, in the State of New York alone,
the power requirements totaed something
Ihan 5OOOOOO horsepower. and the demand was
then increasing under normal circumstances az
The rate Of 100000 horsepower each twelve-month.
Therefore, II the Goat island project were pushed
10 completion, aud equipped TO provide maxi
mum or l,oVuuOO horsepower, there would ne q
market for every kilowatt-hour Of its outpst with
n the span of comparatively short while. II
should be recognized, however, that this scheme
would, of necessity, divert water from the Falls.
md. according TO the measure of this diversion,
fleet the volume and possibly the scenic grandeur
# the cataracts. For this reason the proponents
# this enterprise do not urge its adoption first,
ut advocate, instead, the construction of the dam
arther down the river.
AS an engineering undertaking. the dam pro-
osed at Fosters Flats a litte less than five
niles below the Fails would be much more am
itious enterprise and would permit Of the deyel-
pment of 2,O0O,0OU horsepower Of electrical en-
rgy The plan is 10 take advantage Of the drop
( 1O2 feet in the river level between the foot
the raIis and the site chosen by rearing a mass
structure from the base the to the crest of the
Dillway. This barrier would raise the water level
ithn the impounding high enough TO sub
erge the existing rapids and modify, at the same
me, the character of the Whirlpool by making
larger and more impressive But the scenic