HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



G75 



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. Eelative 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 



^or 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. Rent of the State Board of Health (1883), p. 45-116. 



