NIAGARA FALLS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 97, 7 December 1911, Page 7

NIAGARA FALLS.

The enormous energy of the Niagara Falls has bean stolen by man for about two centuries. First it was for sawing timber for forts, in which early settlers sought shelter from the Indians. Then with the spread of civilisation, for grinding corn; and in 1825 for running paper mills. It was not until half a century later that it was conceived that the energy might he distributed afar. American and Canadian companies were formed, and on both sides of the falls 'huge works were constructed. While differing in detail the plans for harnessing the falls are almost identical in general principle. The water is drawn front the levels of the upper river through intake canals, and ih thence distributei ed to iidet chambers, where it is cleared of floating ice and logs, and then carried by means of penstocks to turbines, at the bottom of a pit. A tunnel carries the “dead” water off to the river again. The power developed by each turbine is transmitted to the electrical generators on the surface of revolving vertical steel shafts passing up through 1 * the pit. While companies were being formed to generate energy others came into existence for the purpose of purchasing the energy and distributing it. Factories with electrically-driven machines sprang up, towns in the province of Ontario and the State of New York enjoyed the advantages of electric lighting at a comparatively low cost, and tramway systems became common, especially in Now York State. The demand for the energy has grown, and to meet it the third great Canadian power plant was commenced in 1903. To avoid trespassing upon the intake areas of other companies, the engineers were driven to very bold measures. They built a wing dam 785 feet Jong and 27 feet in height, designed to gather the water from the Rapids into a fore-hay excavated in the river; and a tail-race tunnel, 3160 feet long, including branches, excavated beneath the Rapids for the purpose of discharging “dead” water under the centre of the Horshoo Fall.