Industrial Niagara 



which is now within the city limits of Niagara Falls. A part 1903 

 of these holdings were taken over by the Niagara Development an eve 

 Co. for a model town and by the Niagara Junction Railway 

 Co. for a terminal railway to transport raw material and finished 

 products to and from the several factories, connections being 

 planned with all trunk railroads entering the city. The Power 

 Company's property has a river frontage of about two miles and 

 the acquisition of lands under water gives dockage facilities for 

 this entire length. A railway dock was built in 1893 and 

 material can thus be transported by water and the Niagara 

 Junction Railway to the doors of any tenant. Ample land and 

 transportation facilities were thus provided by the company for 

 all factories using their power. 



To revert to the history of the plant, — the power furnished 

 was so satisfactory and the demand for such power increased so 

 rapidly that on January 22nd 1897 a contract was let for five 

 additional units of 5000 H. P. and on January 25th, 1899 

 a further contract was made for two additional units, making a 

 total of 50,000 H. P. As this amount of power still proved 

 insufficient to serve the purpose of local tenants and of the Buffalo 

 load a still further installation became necessary and the important 

 question arose as to where such additional power should be 

 developed. As the tunnel was originally built with a capacity 

 of 100,000 H. P. the water from the future wheels to the extent 

 of 50,000 H. P. would of course be discharged into the tunnel, 

 but the question was whether additional wheels should be placed 

 in an extension of the first wheelpit or in a new wheelpit placed 

 on the opposite side of the canal. After careful consideration, 

 the latter plan was adopted and on November 3rd, 1899, a 

 contract was let to excavate a new wheelpit 468 feet long, 20 feet 

 wide and about 1 78 feet deep, an extension of the tunnel, 650 

 feet long, being made to connect such wheelpit with the old 

 tunnel. The plan adopted has many advantages, among them 

 being the opportunity to build a power house which should 



1003 



