Niagara Falls 100.000-Hp. Development

61 Niagara Falls 100,000 Hp. Development FIG. 5 FOUR OF THE NIAGARA FALLS POWER COMPANY’S STATIONS WHICH ARE TIED TOGETHER The upper view shows the Hydraulic Plant, the right end of which contains the three new 37,500-hp. generators. Below at the left Is one of the Niagara Plants (No. 2). At the right is the Canadian Niagara Falls sta- tion. The inset at the bottom is Station No. 2 of the old Hy- draulic Power Company. The new extension of Station No. 3 was built imme- diately upstream from the existing plant. It consists of three 154 ft. penstocks opening directly from the canal through a new forebay and passing through the lime- stone rock at a general slope of 45 deg. to the power house built as an extension of the old power house just above the lower river level. Here are installed three vertical units of 37,500 hp. each. Along the river side of the building at the level of the thrust bearing deck of the generators is the operating gallery. At the point where the power company takes its water, the Niagara River is a broad stream, and the main channel is near the Canadian side. Between the main channel and the company’s intakes there is a broad stretch of water intersected with submerged reefs and ridges and having a depth of from 4 ft. to 14 ft. (1.2 m. to 4.2 m.) at the mean stage of water elevation. The stream never freezes solidly over its entire width, and the outer line of the solid shore ice remains in approximately the same place from year to year. One engineering problem involved in the new develop- ment was to obtain the normal supply of water for the power plants during the winter period of low tempera- tures and severe ice conditions. The company’s engi- neers had studied this problem for twenty years and were prepared with the proper solution. A deep chan-