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

f~w-0( pushed to completion the Ca
In NklD jlI madam side OF the international
IsF stream. As recently described I'm
IL >TfA II the Scientific American, the plan
tS.zu=.-J is to generate at the start 21OOOo
horsepower and. later on, 472,5OO
horsepower. Recognizing the prospective greater
demands for electricity In the course OF the next
few years. the projects discussed In the current
issue are OF timely interest In the order of their
preference they are first. a dam few miles be-
low the Falls which will make OF the full flow
OF the river. and. second. an installation at Goat
Island which. OF necessity, would have to absorb
waters that might diminish the impressiveness of
the present Falls
SO says the editor OF the Scientific American In
an editorial note article In the Scientific
American with the title Making the Most OF Nj
agara." Robert q. Skerrett furnishes both the
text and the diagrams herewith reproduced
As everybody knows. Niagara Falls Is a natural
wonder of beauty and power over which the M.
ture lovers aud the commercial interests have
been fighting for years. The Article follows:
The Niagara river will Inevitably be utilized
more extensively than for the DEVELOPMENT
of hydro-electric energy. The rush of those de.
scendng waters must be put to greater practical
service wherever feasible without seriously impair
ing the scenic beauty OF the Falls Upon botb
OF the governments concerned the people are max.
ing insistent demands for bigger blocks OF mower
and the authorities are listening synipathetcelly
because OF the logical promise OF vast savings
through the corresponding nonuse of coaI. No
fewer than ten projects for water rights ON tho
niagara river have been filed with the United
States federal power commission. and among them
are two that are sufficiently matured TO warran,
discussion.
Both OF these contemplated hyro-electrIc propo.
stions may well be considered as n single 90.
ordinated system, for they have been conceived
ana espoused by the same men, l. O., Il. Kennard
Thomson, C. f., OF New York City and perer A.
Porter. of Niagara Falls. The dual project EN-
braces first, the boring Of tunnels through the
massive foundation of Goat Island so that wnter
may be led through them to large turbo-gener.
ators located near the river level on the down.
stream end OF the island, and, rext, the rearing
of a dam squarely athwart the river at poln.
2-3 miles below the Falls, thus submerglng the
present Rapids. The Goat island tunnels would
lie wholly on American territory, but the dam
would stretch from shore TO shore In the Gorge
and be international In character. However the
citizens OF this country would benefit by both OF
these engineering undertakings.
According to the existing treaty arrangement
between the neghboring countries, II Is not now
permissible TO divert for power purposes above
Niagara Falls more than $4,000 cubic feet OF wa
ter a second; and for certain reasons the Ameri.
can allotment OF this Is 10000 cubic feet. II has
been proposed that the combined total be raised
to $4,000 cubic feet. and that each OF the nations
share equally. In other words, Canada would
have 1900 cubic feet more than is the case today
while our volume OF water would be doubled. III
the suggestion be adopted. the problem Will re-
solve itself Into governmental selection OF such
of the proposed installations as would be apt
least to mar the great natural spectacle, while
giving the largest yields In energy and involving
the fewest engineering difficulties OF debatable
sort. The Goat island scheme meets these desld-
erata In many particulars. and makes instant ap-
peal TO us inasmuch as It would be located on
our side of the river.
Goat Island would not have endured for ages
in the eroslve sweep of the Niagara but for the
fact that It Is integral part OF the massive
ledge there underlying the river. and this has
very important bearing upon power development
at that point. From the crest to the base OF the
Horseshoe falls Is drop OF about 165 feet. but
the plan Is to Increase this head to substantially
200 feet by lengthenng Goat island. From east
10 west along It's major axis, the island is today
$500 feet long, but there Is nothing TO prevent
extending II 600 feet by raising above the surface
OF the river the slightly submerged area at the
upstream end.
by doing this II would then be practicable to
drive the tunnels from water level TO water level
at a moderate angle and so insure difference In
drop OF about 200 feet between the intake and
the discharge ports of the conduts. Al the same
time the bores In their entirety could be cut
through solid rock. Each aqueduct, when finished
with n concrete lining, would have an internal
diameter Of 20 feet, and the descending waters led
by II would be capable of developing 100000 horse
power through the medium OF suitable turbo-gen-
orators. As now projected, only two tunnels would
be excavated at the outset, furnishing 2O0OOO
horsepower, but the physical conditions Will ul-
tinlately permit larger number
AS can be seen from one Of the opening page
illustrations, In sinking the tunnels II would be
relatively easy matter to rear cofferdams TO hold
the river at bay during construction work; and
the only r-hecueous excavatlng OF rock would be