646 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



only general statements can be made for lack of definite data. 

 Probably enough storage can' be made here to give a final storage 

 on Hudson and Mohawk rivers of about 75,000,000,000 cubic feet. 



The foregoing estimates of cost also take into account present 

 labor conditions, etc. in New York State. The approximate cost 

 per million cubic feet of storage is found to be $101. 



The advantages of such a system of reservoirs to Hudson river 

 water-powers have been so fully set forth in the preceding pages 

 as to render further discussion under that head unnecessary in 

 this place. 



Leaving for the present the possible storage of the upper Mohawk 

 river out of account, and basing conclusions on 56,728,000,000 

 cubic feet storage on the upper Hudson, we may say, taking into 

 account low-water flow of the Mohawk river and other tributaries 

 of the Hudson river below Mechanicville, that the fresh water 

 inflow of the lower Hudson river may be kept up to over 6000 cubic 

 feet per second. At present it is occasionally somewhat less than 

 2000 cubic feet per second. The effect of flows of 5000 to 6000 

 cubic feet per second on the depth of water at Albany may be 

 obtained from a series of diagrams of tidal fluctuations at Albany 

 for the summer seasons of 1895-1898, inclusive. The first of 

 these diagrams is plate VI of the first Upper Hudson Storage 

 Report (1895), and the second, plate VII of the Report on 

 Water Supply of Summit Levels to United States Board of 

 Engineers on Deep Waterways (1899). 



D E VE LOPMENT O F W A TER PO AYE R S 



Power Development at Niagara Falls 



The possibility of waterpower development at Niagara Falls 

 lias attracted attention for many years, the first utilization there 

 having been made in 1725, when the French erected a sawmill 

 near the point where the Pittsburgh Reduction Company's upper 

 works now stand for the purpose of supplying lumber for Fori 

 Niagara. Between 1725 and the early years of the present cen- 

 tury little is known of the use made of Niagara Falls power 

 further than thai sawmills were, in operation there during the 

 whole period. In 1805, however. Augustus Porter buill a sawmill 

 on the rapids, and in 1807 Porter & Barton erected a gristmill. 

 In L817 John Witmer buill another sawmill at Gill creek, and 



