NIAGARA IN HARNESS.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 219, 13 February 1897, Page 2

NIAGARA IN HARNESS.

Niagara is now harnessed, under whip, spur and rein, and Mf T. C. Martin recently kept a crowded gathering in the Royal Institution, headed by Lord Kelvin, deeply interested and amused while he narrated the tale of its taming. The Niagara Falls Power Company has cut a canal 12(50 foot wide and 12 feet deep above the falls, which passes the water through turbines at a depth of about 150 feet, thus obtaining the power which drives shafts actuating dynamos, with the icsult that to-day 23,000 horse power is at work in Niagara City driving tramcars, canal boats, factory machinery, and giving heat. The company intends to increase this twenty-fold. Sir William Siemens estimated the energy of Niagara at seventeen million hofse power; Professor Unwin gauged it as seven million. It is hoped the electric force may be profitably conveyed to Albany, New York, Richmond, Chicago, and other distant cities. Mr Martin claimed and proved by some capital lantern slides that the natural beauties of the falls had not been impaired. Among wild schemes for the utilisation of Niagara's strength, Mr Martin mentioned that which proposed to project open tnbes under the falls, and catch the energy of the descending water; but it did not take into account the icebergs of winter.-