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


"a gy to meet existing requirement
"a \ is evidenced by The Queensoi
49, Chippawa development now ben
(r<7r-Yy-7=-s7 pushed to completion on The CT
II In E>hlD il madam side of the internaiinn'
S=-==sss5aE55-3 stream As recently Described !
lIE TN !; the Scientific American. Tie pla
IT, J..-J is to generate at the start 1000
horsepower and, later on, 1880
horsepower Recognizing the prospective create
demands for electricity in the course of the mex
few years. the projects discussed in the curren
ISSUE are of timely interest. In the order Of thei
preference, they first, dam few miles be
low the Falls which will make use of the full FLOW
Of the river. and, second. an installation al Goat
| island which, of necessity, would have TO absorb
waters that might diminish the impresslyeness OF
| The present Falls.
So says the editor of the Scientific American In
an editorial note on 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 ma
tire lovers and the commercial interests have
been fighting for years. The article follows:
The Niagara river will inevitably be utilized
more extensively than for the developmenf
OF hydro-eiecrlc 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 peoDle are nah,
ing insistent demands for bigger blocks of power
and the authorities are listening sympathet,cauv
because of the logical promise of vast SAVINGS
through the corresponding non-use of coal No,
fewer than ten projects for water rights ON tho
niagara river have been filed with the ITnited
States federal power commission. and among thor,
are two that are sufficiently nlatured 10 warrop.
discussion.
Both of fhoSe cor fat,aufo fol b,.,o. al
sitions may well be considered as single CO.
ordinated system, for they have been conceived
ana eSpouSed by the same men, !. e. T. Kennard
Thomson, c. e., of New York City and Peer 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-
ltcrs located near the river level on the down
stream end of the island, and. rext, the rearing
IF dam squarey athwart the river at point
! % miles below the Falls, thus submergng 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
md be international in character. However, the
iizens of this country would benefit by both of
hese engineering undertakings.
According to the existing treaty arrangement
etween the neighborng countries, 1t is not now
to divert for power purposes above
Niagara Falls more than $4,000 cubic feet Of wa
ar second and for certain reasons the Amerl-
nm allotment of this is 10000 cubic feet. 1t has
cen proposed that the combined total he raised
, SC 600 cubic feet and that each of the nations
hare equally. In other words. Canada woulu
ave 1000 cubic feet more than is the case today
hie our volume of water would be doubled
ne suggestion be adopted the problem VIII re-
dive itself into governmental selection OF sueh
the proposed installations as would be APT
asst to mar the great natural spectacle WINE
wing the largest yields In energy and inVoINlng
e frNest engineering difficulties of a debatable
,rt The Goat island scheme meets these desid-
alta in many particulars, and makes instant APP
al to us inasmuch as It would be located OIL
lr side of the river.
Goat Island would not have endured for ages
the eroslve sweep Of the Niagara but for the
ct that It Is an integral part Of the massive
dye there underlying the river, ana tliis mas
ny important bearing upon power Development
that point. From the crest 20 the base of the
1rseshoe falls is drop Of about lG1 feet but
Q plan Is to increase this head to substantially
0 feet by engthening Goat island From east
est. along It's major axis, the island Is today
100 feet long. but there is nothing to prevent
tending it GOO feet by raising above the surface
the river the slightly submerged area at the
stream end
BY doing this II would then be practicable to
We the tunnels from water level to water level
moderate angle and so insure a difference In
)p of about 200 feet between the intake and
discharge ports of the conduts. AT the same
re- the bores in their entirety could be cut
ough solid rock Each aqueduct. when finished
ID concrete lining would have an internal
meter of 20 feet, and the descending waters led
II would be capable of developing 100000 horse
yer through the medium Of suitable turbo-gen-
tors As now projected only two tunnels would
excavated at the outset furnishing 2ao0D
sepower bit the physical conditions viii Ill
ateiy permit larger number.
IS can be seen from one of the opening page
STATIONS IN sinking the tunnels II would be
,tivey easy matter to rear cofferdams 10 hold
river at bay during construction work. and
oniv ephanneaus e-cavating of rock would be