﻿

  HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  675 
  

  

  and 
  for 
  the 
  cleaning, 
  improving, 
  widening, 
  and 
  deepening 
  of 
  the 
  

   channel 
  of 
  the 
  east 
  branch 
  of 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  creek. 
  This 
  work 
  has 
  

   been 
  done 
  as 
  a 
  sanitary 
  measure, 
  and 
  its 
  effect 
  will 
  probably 
  be 
  to 
  

   run 
  the 
  water 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  swamps 
  more 
  rapidly 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  thus 
  

   materially 
  decreasing 
  the 
  dry-weather 
  flow. 
  1 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  a 
  statement 
  furnished 
  by 
  Mr 
  A. 
  L. 
  Swet, 
  Presi- 
  

   dent 
  of 
  the 
  Business 
  Men's 
  Association 
  of 
  Medina, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   operatives 
  employed 
  in 
  1896 
  in 
  manufacturing 
  enterprises 
  depen- 
  

   dent 
  on 
  water 
  power 
  at 
  Medina 
  was 
  515; 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  capital 
  

   invested 
  in 
  establishments 
  actually 
  in 
  operation 
  was 
  $371,000, 
  

   while 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  establishments 
  

   was 
  |575,000. 
  These 
  figures 
  do 
  not 
  include 
  the 
  Medina 
  Falls 
  

   flouring 
  mill, 
  which 
  was 
  idle 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  these 
  statements 
  were 
  

   made. 
  

  

  The 
  total 
  developed 
  waterpower 
  at 
  Medina, 
  on 
  the 
  raceway 
  and 
  

   on 
  the 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  creek, 
  is 
  estimated 
  at 
  827 
  horsepower, 
  which 
  

   includes 
  the 
  wheels 
  at 
  the 
  Medina 
  Falls 
  flouring 
  mill. 
  Deducting 
  

   these 
  wheels, 
  amounting 
  to 
  338 
  horsepower, 
  the 
  total 
  actually 
  in 
  

   use 
  in 
  1896 
  was 
  489 
  horsepower. 
  The 
  use 
  of 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  establish- 
  

   ments 
  on 
  the 
  creek 
  varies 
  from 
  110 
  cubic 
  feet 
  per 
  second 
  to 
  49 
  

   cubic 
  feet 
  per 
  second, 
  the 
  former 
  quantity 
  being 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  

   Medina 
  Falls 
  flouring 
  mill, 
  where 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  33 
  feet. 
  Relative 
  to 
  

   the 
  fine 
  power 
  at 
  Medina 
  Falls, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  stated 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  im- 
  

   probable, 
  considering 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  power 
  available 
  at 
  this 
  loca- 
  

   tion, 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  remain 
  unutilized 
  for 
  any 
  great 
  length 
  of 
  time. 
  

   The 
  trouble 
  at 
  the 
  Medina 
  Falls 
  flouring 
  mill 
  is 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  that 
  

   affecting 
  the 
  large 
  flour 
  mills 
  at 
  Black 
  Rock 
  and 
  other 
  places 
  in 
  

   New 
  York 
  — 
  the 
  competition 
  of 
  cheap 
  grain 
  and 
  transportation 
  

   from 
  western 
  mills. 
  

  

  Without 
  going 
  into 
  the 
  historical 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  subject, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   said 
  that 
  the 
  mill 
  owners 
  at 
  Medina 
  claim 
  that 
  by 
  reason 
  of 
  the 
  

   granting 
  of 
  a 
  right 
  of 
  way 
  for 
  the 
  cut-off 
  between 
  Tonawanda 
  and 
  

   Oak 
  Orchard 
  creeks, 
  and 
  the 
  gift 
  of 
  100,000 
  acres 
  of 
  land 
  to 
  the 
  

   canal 
  fund 
  by 
  their 
  original 
  grantor, 
  the 
  Holland 
  Land 
  Com- 
  

   pany 
  — 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  consideration 
  for 
  which 
  was 
  an 
  improvement 
  

   of 
  the 
  water 
  power 
  of 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  creek 
  — 
  they 
  have 
  an 
  equitable 
  

  

  a 
  For 
  extended 
  account 
  of 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  creek 
  and 
  its 
  relations 
  to 
  the 
  

   feeder, 
  see 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  Drainage 
  of 
  the 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  and 
  Vicinity 
  Streams, 
  

   in 
  the 
  Fourth 
  An. 
  Rept 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Board 
  of 
  Health 
  (1883), 
  p. 
  45-116. 
  

  

  