NIAGARA FALLS POWER--INTRODUCTION.
As our readers know, Niagara Falls is situated upon the Niagara River,
which is the connecting-link between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The
surface of Lake Erie lies 330 feet above that of Lake Ontario. The high
level upon which Lake Erie is situated abruptly terminates at
Queenstown, which is near the point where the Niagara River empties into
Lake Ontario. From Lake Erie to the falls the level of the river is
gradually lowered a little less than 100 feet, and most of this (making
"the rapids") occurs in the last mile above the point where it takes a
perpendicular plunge of 165 feet into a narrow gorge extending for seven
miles, through which the river runs, gradually falling also 100 feet in
that distance. The river above the falls is broad, varying from one to
three miles in width, but below that point it is suddenly narrowed up to
a distance of from 200 to 400 yards.
It is supposed that at one time the fall was situated at the bluff
overlooking Queenstown, near Lake Ontario, and at that time was very
much higher than it is at present. Through long ages of time the water
has gradually eaten away the rock, thus forming the gorge. It is
estimated by different geologists that the time required to wear away
the rock back to the present position of the fall has required from
15,000 to 35,000 years. Some authorities place the rate of wear at three
feet per annum and others not more than one. It is well known, however,
that this erosion is constantly going on, and if nothing is done to
check it the time will come when the gorge will extend up to Lake Erie
and drain it, practically, to the bottom. This is a matter, however,
that the people of this and those of several succeeding generations need
not worry about.
In the early days, before the country was settled and the banks of the
river were lined with trees, and no houses, hotels or horse-cars were to
be seen; when the puffing of the locomotive was not heard echoing from
shore to shore; when no bridges spanned the river to mar its beauty, and
when nature was the only architect and beautifier, Niagara Falls must
have been one of the most attractive spots on the earth; at least it is
the place of all places where the mighty energies of nature are gathered
together in one grand exhibition of sublime power. Here for ages this
same grand exhibition had been going on, and although there was no
human eye to see it, those of us who believe that nature is not a thing
of chance, but that it was planned by an intelligence infinitely
superior to that of any man, can easily imagine that the Great Architect
and beautifier of this same nature, not only plans but enjoys the work
of His own hand. Why not? For ages the same sun, in his daily round, has
reflected that beautifully colored rainbow, here the product of sunshine
and mist. The same water, through these successive ages, has been lifted
to the clouds by the power of the sun's rays, and has been carried back
to the fountain-heads on the wings of the wind, and there has been
condensed into raindrops, that have fallen on land, lake and river, and
in turn has been carried over this same waterfall in its onward course
toward the sea, only again to be caught up into the clouds; and thus
through an eternal round it has been kept moving by that mighty engine
of nature, the sun. It is said that "the mill will never grind with the
water that has passed." This is true only in poetry. As a matter of
fact, "the water that has passed" may often return to help the mill to
grind again.
Water-powers have been utilized in a small way for many years for the
purpose of generating electricity through the medium of the dynamo, but
nowhere in the world has the application of the force been made for this
purpose on such a grand scale as at Niagara Falls. When one stands on
the bank of the river and sees the great waterfall as it plunges over
the precipice, exerting a force of from five to ten million horse-power,
one is overwhelmed in contemplation of its possibilities as a source of
energy that may be converted into work, mechanical and chemical, through
the medium of electricity.
The genius of man has devised a way by which some of this constantly
wasting energy may be converted into electricity and distributed to
different points to perform various kinds of work. But the amount
utilized as yet is scarcely a drop when compared with that which might
be if the whole torrent could be set to work in the same manner as a
very small portion of it now is.