184 



would occupy the entire space behind the 

 curtain of falhng water, as far as their 

 presence could be concealed from the 

 view of those on the adjacent banks. 



It is scarcely necessary to state thai- 

 during the fourteen hours of enforced 

 quiet and rest, while the waters of the 

 Great Lakes are diverted through a maze 

 of penstocks, to dash upon thousands of 

 turbines, the sight of a serried array of 

 mechanical devices, lining the cliffs of 

 Niagara, would be sadly out of harmony 

 with the otherwise gloomy grandeur of 

 the gorge. 



Although this period covers the time 

 ordinarily devoted to slumber, still in the 

 evening and during the early forenoon, 

 tourists and others would constantly 

 gaze upon Niagara at rest. 



To remedy this feature, one per cent 

 or less of the river's volume would be 

 allowed to pass the dam, and flow over 

 the brink. It would generate a thin cur- 

 tain of water, just enough to hide the 

 massive scaffolding and the maze of 

 wheels. By simple hydraulic devices, 

 this small amount of water could be 

 largely transformed into spray. A deli- 

 cate lace-like "bridal veil" would screen 

 cliffs and every trace of commercialism. 



The initial outlay would scarcely ex- 

 ceed two hundred million dollars. This 

 is equivalent to a capital outlay of twen- 

 ty-seven dollars per annual horsepower, 

 based upon continuous use. The annual 

 interest charge would be less than a dol- 

 lar seventy-five. This approximates the 

 rates of two dollars per annum in Ice- 

 land and of three dollars on the west 

 coast of Norway. At present the elec- 

 tric power of Niagara costs twenty dol- 

 lars per annum. 



It would mean the creation of an in- 

 dustrial metropolis, surpassing any now 

 existing on the face of the globe. No 

 cinders or soot would pollute its atmos- 

 phere; no towering chimneys would rise 

 against the sky-line. Industries of the 

 most varied nature, car1)i(les, carl)orun- 

 dum. aluminum, cynamid, chlorin, alka- 

 lies, steel, copper, and many minor 

 branches — all dependent upon the elec- 

 tric current — would gravitate to this 

 point. It would become in very truth — 

 perhaps in name — the clcctropolis of 

 America! 



Popular Science Monthly 



A Mile-a-Minute with an Air- 

 Driven Sled 



IT was doughty old Count von Zep- 

 pelin who first pointed the way to- 

 ward locomotion with an air propeller. 

 More than fifteen years ago, when he 

 first planned the giant, rigid airships 

 which are now known by his name, he 

 had to conduct a series of experiments 

 in order to obtain propellers of sufficient 

 thrust for his huge untried craft. Ac- 

 cordingly he mounted them upon a boat 

 and made experiments on Lake Con- 

 stance. The speeds which he attained 

 were not more than twelve miles an 

 hour, but they were sufficient to prove 

 that he could urge his first giant vessel 

 through the air at forty miles an hour. 



The idea reappeared in France at a 

 later date. Ordinary launches as well as 

 specially constructed hydroplanes were 

 driven on the Seine by propellers revolv- 

 ing in air. Tissandier and Santos-Du- 

 mont made speeds as high as fifty miles 

 an hour on water. As in Count von Zep- 

 pelin's case, their experiments were 

 prompted by the thought of obtaining a 

 system of propulsion for air boats. So 

 successful were they that a few motor- 

 cycles and automobiles appeared thus 

 propelled. 



Now comes an American manufactur- 

 er who reduces the idea to commercial 

 practice. He has constructed an air- 

 propelled sled with which it is possible 

 to obtain a speed of sixty miles an hour 

 over ice or packed snow. An engineer- 

 ing experiment, to test out the possibili- 

 ties of an aircraft, has been developed 

 commercially. The air-propelled ice- 

 craft is now a vehicle of sport. 



Notice the construction of the sled as 

 it is depicted on our front cover. Upon 

 a frame supported by the two rear run- 

 ners a gasoline engine is carried, by 

 which the air propeller is driven. A 

 string-piece connects the motor-carrying 

 frame with the single forward runner. 

 There is room for two men. The rear 

 man does the guiding with an automo- 

 bile steering-wheel connected with the 

 forward runner, which is pivoted so that 

 it acts as a kind of rudder. Stop the 

 motor and the whole sled can be checked 

 and brought to a standstill very quickly 

 by a powerful emergency brake. 



