Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-05-20

that required for clearing mt the torchay. l'
screen The tunnel intaGr> from los lee etc.. there
would be built IN L.shapcI reinforced concrete
wall, rising from the ledge Of The river bed to
sufficient height above tr surface e divert tioat'
ins objects int thy currents sweeping onward
and over the two lii., According to The engineer
ing estimates, two tunnels yan be- cut and turho'
generators placed ala made ready for service
within an interval Of two ana half years
To-Day In the vicinity Of Niagara Falls Il costs
anywhere from so u 500 10 generate by steam
a horsepower year. Ii We strike an average, ana
call The outlay $50 per annum Il should be mani
fest thar an economy Of Sl2ono"m in coal con
sumption may BE- effected while adding tremen-
dousy u TIE power available for industrial and
ether purposes Ii ii be assumed that a horse
power year n the run Of steam plants calls for
tie burning 81 ) tons Of coal, then the sub>ttu-
ton ~ hylruaeclric energy will save each twelve
months gu.fr l2Ou0On tons of fuel which, other.
Ui>e wauD haze 10 be mined and transported
from Tie nearest fields those in Pennsylvania.
i + pertinent 70 emphasize here That In Buffalo,
only about - miles distant from Niagara Fails,
a ts public service electric company develops
tUo.tulrl> II is clrreat at present hy means Of
sfgau aad it is Obliged 10 10 this because It can.
not obtain all OF its energy from the compara.
lively nearby hydroeleelric plants. Think Of IT,
there within stones throw, 50 to speak of the
thuuicrou> waters of the Fails this concern has
to rct upon coal 10 generate 10000 out Of the
lo0uon horsepower needed rs its customers. Thir-
~ years ago the population of Buffalo was 80
600 and is how dO5S7l, an increase OF lqS per
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 600
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 It's part throughout
wide zone lying around Niagara Falls-the
irinpy source of power. Syracuse Is drawing
current from that point 100 miles away, and the
loss in transmission is less than 10 per cent at a
voltage OF 10000. Using Il potential Of 10000
volts, the Canadians are distributing current near.
" 300 miles; and by raising this pressure to 90,
OW volts, the radius OF distribution could be
heightened to 500 miles Under existing condi-
tons. the five pioneer companies located at the
Falls are developing 65O,OO0 horsepower; and II
Is matter of common knowledge what this has
brought about in the realm Of eleCtrochemical in
duStries. Visualize, then what momentous evolu-
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 totaled something more
than 100000 horsepower, and the demand was
then increasing under normal circumstances az
the rate Of 100000 horsepower each tweve-month.
Therefore If the Goat island project were pushed
to completion, and equipped to provide a maxi
mum of 100000 horsepower there would be
market for every kilowatt-hOur of Its output with
in the span of comparatively short while. II
should be recognized, however, that this scheme
would, of necessity divert water from the Falls,
affect the volume and possibly the scenic grandeur
of the cataracts. For this reason the proponents
of this enterprise do not urge its adoption first
but advocate instead, the construction of the dam
farther down the river
As an engineering undertaking, the dam pro-
posed at Fosters Flats, a little less than five
miles below the Fails, would be a much more am
bilious enterprise and would permit Of the deve-
opment of 100000 horsepower Of electrical en-
ergy The plan IS to take advantage Of the drop
of 1902 feet in the river level between the foot
of the Falls and the site chosen by rearing mass
I've structure from the base line to the crest of the
spilway This barrier would raise the water level
within the impoundlng aiea high enough to sub
merge the existing rapids and modify, at the same
time the character of the Whirlpool by making
II larger and more impressive. But the scenic