The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-05-26

T.. U...J is to generate at the start 21O,OU
horsepower and, later on, 472,5W
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 q few miles be-
low the Falls which will make use 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 on an article In the Scientific
American with the title Making the Most Of Nj
agara." Robert G. 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 ma
ture lovers and the commercial interests have
been fighting for years. The article follows:
The Niagara river will inevitably be utilized
more extensively than now for the development
Of hydro-electric energy. The rush Of those de.
scending waters must be put to greater practical
service wherever feasible without seriously impair.
ing the scenic beauty Of the Falls. Upon both
OF the governments concerned the people are max.
ing %insistent demands for bigger blocks of power.
and the authorities are listening sympatheticallv
because of the logical promise Of vast savings
through the corresponding non-use of coal. No
fewer than ten projects for water rights IN tho
= H'~A A~VS AlCu i Tile III
states federal power commission, and among them
are two that are sufficiently matured to warrant
discussion. -
Both OF these contemplated hyro-electric promo.
sitions may we'll be considered as a single Go
Ordinated system, for they have been conceived
and espoused by the same men, /. e, 7. Kennard
Thomson, c. E., 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 water
may be led through them to large turbo-gener-
ators located near the river level on the down.
stream end of the island, and, pext, the rearing
of a dam squarely athwart the river at a point
A % miles below the Falls, thus submerging 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 neighboring countries, it is not now
permissible to divert for power purposes above
Niagara Falls more than $1,000 cubic feet of wa
fer a second; and for certain reasons the Ameri-
can allotment Of this is 10000 cubic feet. It 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. II
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 a debatable
sort. The Goat island scheme meets these desid-
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
id the erosive sweep Of the Niagara but for the
fact that 1t is an integral part of the massive
ledge there underlying the river, and this has a
very important bearing upon power development
at that point. From the crest to the base Of the
Horseshoe falls is a drop Of about 1856 feet, but
the plan Is to increase this head to substantially
200 feet by lengthening Goat island. From east
to west, along It's major axis, the island Is today
feet long, but there Is nothing to prevent
1t 600 feet by raising above the surface
OF the river. the slightly submerged area at the
upstream end.
BY doing this 1t would then be practicable to
drive the tunnels from water level to water level
Ill d moderate angle and SO insure a difference In
drop OF about 200 feet between. the intake, and
discharge ports OF the conduits. AT the same
time. the bores in their entirety could. be cut
through, solid rock. Each aqueduct, when finished
Nth d concrete lining, would have an internal
diameter of 20 feet, and the descending waters led
81 III would be capable of developing 100000 horse,
nn,rer through the medium OF suitable trrbosgen-s
arators. As now projected. only TWO tunnels would
So axcayated ut the outset, furnishinga 20OOO0
but the physical eonddtfiens will MI
p sfeiYssperlnit u larger number E
sb4esSxans Deaseen from one ofs ne opening page
,.sffafions..i W. sinking the tunnels II would be q
s44vStxsaAsy master tel rear. cofferda1ns to- hold