Volume of the Niagara Biver, 25 



Erie every minute, and become precipitated over the cliffs of 

 rocks at the grand cataract of the Falls of Niagara. 



Estimating the perpendicular descent of the waters of the 

 grand cataract to be one hundred and sixty feet, and making 

 the usual allowance of one-third part for waste of effective 

 power, in the practical application of water to water-wheels ; 

 and also estimating the power of a horse to be equal to a force 

 that will raise a weight of 33,000 pounds one foot high in one 

 minute, which is Watt and Bolton's standard, we obtain the 

 following results : 



1,402,500,000 lbs of water x 160 feet of descent 1 _ , 

 33,000 J ^ 



=5 4,533,334 horse-power, which is the measure of the me- 

 chanical force, or motive power, that the waterfall of Niagara 

 is capable of imparting. 



It has been estimated by Mr Baines, in his History of the 

 Cotton Manufactures of the United Kingdom of Great Britain 

 in 1835, that the motive-power employed to operate the ma- 

 chinery of all the cotton-mills in Grreat Britain was then 

 equal to that of about 



33,000 horses, imparted by the agency of steam. 

 11,000 ... ... ... waterfalls. 



100,000 horse-power he estimated to be employed to operate 

 the woollen, flax, and other mills, and mechanical 

 operations. 

 50,000 horse-power for propelling the machinery of steam- 

 boats and coal-mines. 



194,000 horse-power in the year 1835. 



Supposing about 20 per cent, to have been added 

 to this motive-power in the increase of locomo- 

 tive engines for railways and steam-boats, as 

 well as for various manufacturing purposes, since 

 39,000 1835, we add to this aggregate 39,000 horse-power 



more, 



233,000 horse-power may be taken to be the aggregate of 

 motive-power of all the steam-engines and improved 

 waterfalls of Great Britain ; which, it will be per- 

 ceived, is only l-19th part of the effective water- 

 power of Niagara Falls. 



