Niagara on Tap 



By Professor Thomas H. Norton 



To what extent should Niagara Falls be sacrificed in the production of elec- 

 tric power F Each year zvitnesses a groiving bitterness between tivo factions : 

 The one insists that no scenic treasure shall be permanently marred by servi- 

 tude to the demands of commercialism; the other claims with almost relent- 

 less logic, that in the case of Niagara, the right of the nation to utilise the 

 enormous poiver available, shall not be subordinated to a mere sentiment. 

 Professor Thomas H. Norton, in a paper ivhich he read before the American 

 Electrochemical Society, outlined a scheme zvhereby it zvould be possible to 

 satisfy those zvho see only the beauty of Niagara, and those who see only 

 pozuer going to waste. The following article by Professor Norton is an 

 abstract from the paper in question, especially revised for this issue of the 

 Popular Science Monthly by its author. — Editor. 



THERE must be some practicable, 

 workable thesis, according to the 

 terms of which, on our own con- 

 tinent for example, the rights of its in- 

 habitants shall suffer no material diminu- 

 tion in the opportunity to fully enjoy the 

 splendor of Niagara, while conditions are 

 created which permit the utilization, on 

 a satisfactory scale, of the tremendous 

 source of power, — one of the nation's 

 grandest assets. 



The principle of an interjuiftciit zvater- 

 fall would appear to offer a simple, but 

 thoroughly practicable solution. It may 

 be briefly formulated as follows: 



During somewhat more than half of 

 the twenty-four hours, especially during 

 the night time, a waterfall is completely 

 harnessed. Every kilowatt which it is 

 capable of creating is devoted to the 

 service of industry. During a shorter 

 period — from ten A. M. to eight P. M. — 

 the cataract resumes its normal activity, 

 contributing to the esthetic enjoyment of 

 all who behold it. 



In the case of Niagara, naturally the 

 most familiar of the world's great catar- 

 acts to the readers of the Popular Sci- 

 ence Monthly, the application of the 

 intermittent principle would offer no dif- 

 ficulties of an engineering nature. The 

 topographic factors are simple. 



To harness completely the great mass 

 of descending water is a matter of 

 comparative ease. The expense would 

 be far less than that required for the 

 monumental Assouan Dam of the river 



Nile, — five hundred millions. It would 

 probably not exceed two hundred mil- 

 lions at the outside. 



One-quarter of a mile above the west- 

 ern extremity of Goat Island, where rip- 

 ples betray the beginning of the upper 

 rapids, a dam would be constructed at 

 right angles to the axis of the river. The 

 length would be about four-fifths of a 

 mile. Niagara River at this point is ex- 

 ceedingly shallow. Equidistant soimd- 

 ings from the American shore to the 

 Canadian shore show an average depth 

 of 3% feet. It is evident that the con- 

 struction, based upon the rocky bed of 

 the river, would be relatively easy and 

 inexpensive. 



The dam would possess the necessary 

 architectural features to harmonize with 

 the environment. The water impounded 

 by the closing of the gates could be led 

 by huge canals, on both sides of the 

 gorge, to the edge of the bluff overlook- 

 ing Lake Ontario. From this point a 

 multitude of penstocks and rock tunnels 

 would conduct the entire volume of wa- 

 ter to the level of the river near Queens- 

 ton on the Canadian side and Lewiston 

 on the American side, where battaHons 

 of power-houses can easily be located. 



The total section of the system of can- 

 als and penstocks required for the com- 

 plete utilization of the average flow of 

 Niagara River would be approximately 

 sixteen thousand square feet. The mean 

 flow of water, with a hydrostatic head of 

 nearly three hundred and fifteen feet, 



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