The _Scientific American_, in its issue of March 5, 1892, contained an
extremely interesting article on the work and intentions of the Niagara
Falls Power Company. After speaking of the methods of construction,
etc., the article says:
“It is now the expectation of the company to make its first
large contract for the delivery of power at a distance from the
Falls, with the city of Buffalo, 3,000 horse-power being
required for the lighting of the city. The present cost of a
steam horse-power in Buffalo is put at $35 per year, and the
company offers to contract to furnish power on its grounds at
the Falls according to the following scale: For 5,000
horse-power, $10 per horse-power; for 4,500, $10.50; for 4,000,
$11; and so on down to 300 horse-power, for which there will be
charged $21 per horse-power per annum, each power to be supplied
for twenty-four hour days. It is evident, therefore, that if the
cost of transmission be within present expectations, the company
will be able to furnish power at Buffalo at a much lower price
than it is at present to be had at, and for a far larger field
of usefulness than the mere lighting of the city. According to
the most successful of all the recent efforts in the way of
practically transmitting power electrically for a considerable
distance, only about twenty-five per cent. of the power was lost
in transmitting it by wire a distance of 108 miles. This degree
of success was attained at the recent Frankfort exposition.”