Niagara Falls 



1903 tion to only the more unusual or interesting of its details with such 

 Van Cleve a b r j e f description of its general plans as may be necessary to an 

 understanding of such details. 



In the first place consider the main conception, — a tunnel 1 J/^ 

 miles long, 200 feet beneath the surface, with an area of 335 

 square feet, designed to carry water at the rate of 29 feet per 

 second, an aqueduct such as was never before built in the history 

 of man — a conception such as could come only to a man with 

 an imagination, an imagination touched by the inspiration of the 

 great cataract within whose sound he had toiled so long. Its 

 immensity may impress us more when we think that when run- 

 ning to its designed capacity such a tunnel will carry enough 

 water in one minute to supply a city of 1 0,000 inhabitants with 

 drinking water for a year and a quarter. 



Mr. Evershed's plan was no sooner formulated than it received 

 severe criticism and eminent men condemned it as impracticable. 

 Fortunately for Buffalo the results have amply proven the incor- 

 rectness of such criticism. The faith of the investors was not 

 shaken and the preparation of working plans was immediately 

 begun. In order that such plans might be as perfect as possible 

 an International Niagara Falls Commission was formed June 

 1890 composed of five noted engineers from America, England, 

 France and Switzerland. Competitive designs for power develop- 

 ment were invited, prizes amounting to 22,000 dollars were 

 offered and by January first 1891 22 designs were received from 

 engineers dwelling from Buda Pesth to San Francisco. From 

 these designs that of Faesch & Piccard of Geneva, Switzerland, 

 was considered worthy of first prize and they proceeded with the 

 design of the turbine wheels. 



Before the commencement of their operations the Niagara 

 Falls Power Co. and Cataract Construction Co. had purchased 

 tracts of land on which their future tenants could locate, such 

 holdings embracing 1581 acres or 2J/2 square miles, most of 



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