Industrial Niagara 



Niagara, in its principal character as the most magnificent and 1895 

 impressive terrestrial natural object, from vandalism and utilitarian 

 desecration. This protection of the natural beauty of Niagara 

 was the underlying idea in his conception and development of 

 his plan, which contemplated the taking of water and the develop- 

 ment of power in a district more than a mile above, and out of 

 sight of the Falls, with an outlet tunnel discharging inconspicu- 

 ously at the river's edge below the Falls, involving the diversion 

 of less than four per cent of the total flow of the river, and a 

 reduction of the depth of the water at the crest of the Falls by 

 less than two inches. 



After conference with Mr. Evershed, Capt. Charles B. Gaskill, 

 the oldest user of power on the hydraulic canal, with seven other 

 gentlemen of Niagara Falls, obtained from the Legislature of 

 the State of New York, a special charter, passed March 31, 

 1886, which has since been amended and enlarged by several 

 successive acts. Upon July 1 , 1 886, Mr. Evershed issued his 

 first formal plan and estimate, which was considered worthy of 

 discussion in Appleton's Cyclopaedia for 1887, where it is 

 described in general terms. But, of course, the publication of 

 this plan invited and encountered the demonstration of its absolute 

 impracticability, as well as the improbability of the use of the 

 power if developed. 



For three years the originators of the Niagara water-power 

 project were engaged in convincing capitalists that it would be 

 commercially profitable to undertake and complete the develop- 

 ment of Mr. Evershed's plan, and the first step necessary to be 

 taken was to demonstrate the advantage of the locality. It was 

 shown that the capacity of the original tunnel, about 120,000 

 horse-power, would exceed the combined theoretical horse-power 

 of Lawrence, Lowell, Holyoke, Turners Falls, Manchester, 

 Windsor Locks, Bellows Falls and Cohoes, and would very 

 largely exceed the actual developed power of all these places, 

 and Augusta, Paterson and Minneapolis in addition. Consider- 

 ing the further right to construct an additional tunnel of 1 00,000 



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