A Wonderful Scheme.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4248, 12 August 1882, Page 4

A Wonderful Scheme.

The utilisation of the immense, power of the Falls of Niagara has for many years been an interesting problem to mechanical engineers. At one time it was thought that Niagara might be made a great manufacturing centre. But the advantages of even unlimited water power are not in themselves sufficient to divert trade from the channels into which it has, sometimes unaccountably, settled. If the power of Niagara, however, could be transferred to the manufacturing centres of Canada and the States instead of the mills being taken to the Falls, great results might be obtained. The recent advances in electrical science render such a feat possible, and, it is hoped, economically practicable. Steps have just been taken to apply the great power of the Falls to the generation of electricity. Articles of agreement have been signed to this effect between the Prospect Park Association, of Niagara, and Mr L. Henkle, of New York. After long negotiation, Mr Henkle, who is a practical engineer, has secured the offer of a contract which would bind the Prospect Park Association to transfer in fee simple by deed the property comprised in the twelve acres of the Park and three acres outside of it for the consideration of one million dollars. Henkle's plan is to erect enormous hydraulic machinery on the American side of the river, just below the falls, whifth will be used to do the work of generating the electricity. His immediate object is to illuminate the town of Niagara with the electric light. But Mr Henkle has a more ambitious scheme ia view. He claims to have perfected a system by which electricity may be conveyed underground from insulated cables as far east as Boston, and as far west as Chicago, in sufficient quantity to light the streets of those cities as well as private residences. If this object can be accomplished—and some of our own electrical engineers have expressed their belief in its feasibility— there does not seem to be any reason why the mighty force of Niagara may not be conveyed in a similar manner to the industrial centres of America, and form the chief motive power of the mills and factories of the continent.