﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OP 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  653 
  

  

  extending 
  inwardly 
  1700 
  feet, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  depth 
  of 
  12 
  feet, 
  

   and 
  computed 
  to 
  furnish 
  water 
  sufficient 
  for 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  

   about 
  120,000 
  horsepower. 
  The 
  masonry 
  walls 
  of 
  this 
  canal 
  are 
  

   pierced 
  at 
  intervals 
  with 
  inlets, 
  guarded 
  by 
  gates. 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  

   are 
  used 
  to 
  deliver 
  water 
  to 
  tenants 
  who 
  construct 
  their 
  own 
  

   wheel 
  pits 
  and 
  set 
  their 
  own 
  wheels, 
  while 
  10 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  ar- 
  

   ranged 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  canal 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  delivering 
  

   water 
  to 
  the 
  wheel 
  pit 
  of 
  the 
  Niagara 
  Falls 
  Power 
  Company's 
  

   power 
  station, 
  where 
  dynamos, 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  turbine 
  ver- 
  

   tical 
  shafts, 
  generate 
  electricity 
  for 
  transmission. 
  The 
  wheel 
  pit 
  

   at 
  the 
  power 
  station 
  is 
  178 
  feet 
  in 
  depth 
  and 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  

   main 
  tunnel 
  by 
  a 
  short 
  cross 
  tunnel. 
  The 
  main 
  tunnel 
  as 
  carried 
  

   out 
  has 
  a 
  maximum 
  hight 
  of 
  21 
  feet 
  and 
  a 
  width 
  of 
  18.82 
  feet, 
  

   making 
  a 
  net 
  section 
  of 
  386 
  square 
  feet. 
  The 
  slope 
  of 
  this 
  tunnel 
  

   is 
  6 
  feet 
  to 
  1000. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  careful 
  consideration 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  the 
  

   turbines 
  to 
  be 
  used, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  power 
  trans- 
  

   mission. 
  In 
  1890 
  Edward 
  D. 
  Adams, 
  who 
  was 
  then 
  president 
  of 
  

   the 
  company, 
  established 
  an 
  International 
  Niagara 
  Commission, 
  

   with 
  power 
  to 
  offer 
  $20,000 
  in 
  prizes. 
  This 
  commission 
  consisted 
  

   of 
  Sir 
  William 
  Thomson 
  (now 
  Lord 
  Kelvin), 
  Dr 
  Coleman 
  Sellers, 
  

   Lieut. 
  Col. 
  Theodore 
  Turretini, 
  Prof. 
  E. 
  Mascart, 
  and 
  Prof. 
  W. 
  C. 
  

   Unwin. 
  Inquiries 
  concerning 
  the 
  best-known 
  methods 
  of 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  and 
  transmission 
  of 
  power 
  in 
  England, 
  France, 
  Switzerland 
  

   and 
  Italy 
  were 
  made, 
  and 
  competitive 
  plans 
  were 
  received 
  from 
  

   twenty 
  carefully 
  selected 
  engineers 
  and 
  manufacturers 
  of 
  power 
  

   plants 
  in 
  England, 
  Europe 
  and 
  America. 
  These 
  plans 
  were 
  sub- 
  

   mitted 
  to 
  the 
  commission, 
  which 
  awarded 
  prizes 
  to 
  those 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  worthy. 
  The 
  most 
  important 
  result 
  was 
  the 
  selection 
  of 
  

   the 
  designs 
  of 
  Faesch 
  and 
  Piccard, 
  of 
  Geneva, 
  for 
  turbines 
  com- 
  

   puted 
  to 
  yield 
  5000 
  horsepower 
  each. 
  Three 
  wheels 
  have 
  been 
  

   built 
  from 
  these 
  designs 
  and 
  are 
  now 
  in 
  place 
  and 
  regularly 
  

   operated. 
  

  

  Without 
  going 
  into 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  electrical 
  work, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   stated 
  that 
  the 
  Niagara 
  Falls 
  Power 
  Company 
  adopted 
  the 
  two- 
  

   phase 
  alternating 
  current 
  system 
  as 
  best 
  adapted 
  to 
  its 
  work. 
  In 
  

   the 
  dynamos 
  employed 
  the 
  field 
  magnet 
  revolves 
  instead 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  