Yesterday at Niagara Falls

Carlisle D. Graham and William J. Glover, both of whom have gone over the Falls in a barrel and have braved the rapids in other ways, swam a match race through the Lower Rapids today, Glover winning by four minutes from the older man. It took him 39 minutes to make the passage. but he emerged fairly fresh from his contest. Graham, who is fifty- eight years old, was pretty well exhausted by his efforts.

The start was made from the New York side. Glover took the lead at once, but was caught in an eddy and Graham passed him. Later a similar mishap befell Graham, allowing the younger man to once more show in front. They continued on nearly even terms until opposite Lewiston dock, where the greater strength of Glover gave him the victory.

The Year in Electricity.

W.H Browne Jr., Technical Editor of “The Electrical Review” Reviews Progress in 1907

The electrical industries for the year just closed have made an exceedingly good record. The year opened with a continuation of the remarkable activity of the preceding year, and this condition generally prevailed until the Fall, when the financial flurry brought a check. As a whole, however, there is no doubt that the work of the year exceeded that of any previous year. The outlook for the future is felt to be good, as although there has been some curtailment in the rate of production, the conditions fundamentally are sound. It is probable that the policy of working to fill orders, rather than to stock up the storerooms, will be more widely adopted in the immediate future.

In wireless telegraphy undoubtedly the most important event was the opening of a transatlantic service by the Marconi Company on October 17th. The two stations are at Clifden, Ireland, and Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. During the first day many messages were sent, largely of a congratulatory character. Due to the enterprise of The Times, which publishes wireless dispatches daily, The Times frequently having more than a page of news transmitted in this way, such wireless messages have become very commonplace. Other wireless telegraphic systems have made steady progress during the year, new stations having been opened and a large amount of experimental work done. Early in the year the proposal by Poulson to employ the electric arc for transmitting messages put an additional device in the hands of these workers.

There has been an increased interest in wireless telephony, due to announcements of several new systems. Poulsen, mentioned above in connection with wireless telegraphy, has, it is reported, been very successful, using for this purpose the electric arc. In this country Dr. Lee de Forest has done a good deal of experimental work, and his system is now being tried on vessels of the navy. The maximum distance covered during the year was about 250 miles, but Professor Poulsen announces that it is his intention to span the Atlantic Ocean within a few months.

The development of the electric rail- way has been one of the most remarkable features of the entire electrical industry. During the past year the most notable work has been the putting into service of the electric zones of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad at New York City. The former of these was started last year, but only during the present year were the steam locomotives eliminated from this district. A significant fact in connection with these two systems was brought out at a discussion which took place before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers upon the relative merits of steam and electric locomotives. W. J. Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central. said that the saving in operating expense had been found to be much greater than had been expected; while W. S. Murray, electrical engineer for the New Haven road, said that his company estimated that the electrical system would save over 10 per cent of the operating cost within the zone. As these two systems were installed, not to reduce the operating cost, but to meet the conditions peculiar to situation, the bearing of these statements on the problem of the wider application of the electrical system can be seen.

Other important developments have been the completion of two of the East River tunnels at New York, one of these being the extension of the New York Subway system under the East River to the Borough Hall, Brooklyn. Trial runs have been made, and this system will shortly be put into service. The Belmont tunnel, at Forty-second Street, New York City, has also been completed, and trial trains are in operation. The McAdoo tunnels under the North River are being finished, on are also the Pennsylvania tunnels, which will give this great system a terminal in the heart of New York, City. These tunnels are, of course, to be operated electrically.

The Erie Railroad has put into operation a third-rail system at Rochester, N. Y., and the West Shore Railroad has electrified its line from Syracuse to Utica. These systems, with the exception of the New York, New Haven & Hartford, are direct-current, third-rail systems. The New Haven system, on the other hand. is a single-phase, alternating-current system, and is the most Important installation of this type of equipment In the world. Another important alternating- current road is the Spokane & Inland

Railway of the Inland Empire system, Washington. where the single-phase motor is giving excellent service. As yet the polyphase system has not' been installed in this country, though it has been decided upon for the Arlberg tunnel In the Tyrolean Alps—a very difficult and important piece of work.

There has been a very substantial growth of the street railway systems of the country, and also of the interurban lines. A feature of this development is the joining of mans, lines into a network covering a large district. There are many noteworthy examples of this throughout, the Middle West—in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois—some companies having over 400 miles of track under their control. The work is often of the highest grade, and the cars make excellent speeds. In some cases sleepers, refrigerating cars, and cars for special services are run by these companies, thus bringing them into direct competition with the steam roads, both for handling passengers and freight. At Niagara Falls work is going on energetically in building the power plants at that point The transmission lines have been extended so that Rochester is now served, and construction is being pushed rapidly toward Syracuse. In other sections of the country good progress has been made in developing waterfalls, notably in the South, where several important companies have extended systems. As the demand for electric power increases and the price of coal goes up, these hydroelectric systems take on a new importance. Their value to the country cannot easily be -overestimated. The electrical manufacturing companies may be said to have had a very successful year, on the whole, although the financial stringency in the Fall necessarily has made their showing less than it would have been.

In closing, It is not out of place to call attention to one or two scientific developments during the year which are of much Interest to electrical students. The possibility of the transmutation of elements was suggested by the study of radium, and In July Sir William

Ramsay announced that in submitting copper to the influence of radium emanation, he had obtained lithium. If further research confirms this statement the discovery will be one of the most important that has ever been made in science. These developments are being watched attentively by students of electrical phenomena since it is through some electrical effect that they are discovered. There has been no noteworthy development of the electrical theory of matter, although much work has been done principally by those who belong to the Thomson school.

Just before the close of the year the scientific world learned with grief of the illness, and later the death, of its great leader. Lord Kelvin. The loss to all branches of science has been very great, and the entire electrical world will mourn him deeply. He it was who helped so mightily to establish electrical science on a firm foundation, and he it was who so long was affectionately known as the " father of electrical engineering," and who did not disdain to apply his great knowledge to useful purposes, and thus add to the comfort and happiness of the world. He was laid to rest, with proper ceremonies, in Westminster Abbey, but he needs no monument to perpetuate his name, which is indelibly stamped on the scientific development of the nineteenth century.

ATTEMPT TO BLOWUP A TUNNEL

Timely Discovery Saves Lives of Men Working in Canadian Niagara Power Company's Plant

Providentially, the lives of about thirty men and the tunnel work of the Canadian Niagara Power Company were saved from destruction.

Last evening as the night shift went on the discovery was made of an attempt to wreck the tunnel and kill the men working 160 feet below the surface of the earth. The shaft leading down to the tunnel is 160 feet deep. From the bottom of the shaft the tunnel runs north and south, and men working at both headings. The blasts are discharged by means of batteries operated at the foot of the shaft, the wires extending to the headings.

When the night shift went to work one of the " nipper" boys discovered that at a point 100 feet from the bottom of the shaft, the wires from one of the batteries had been cut and a cartridge cap connected and placed in a stick of dynamite. The stick of dynamite had been placed between two boxes of dynamite containing seventy- five pounds of the material. The day shift arranges the blasts and the night shift sets them off.

Will Build Giant Power - Wheel Pit

The Toronto and Niagara Power Company today called for bids on what will be the largest power wheel pit in the world. It is to be 480 feet long, 180 feet deep, and 27 feet wide, cut through the solid rock. The work will cost $1,250,00, and will develop 225,000 horse power.

THROUGH WHIRLPOOL RAPIDS.

A large crowd of spectators witnessed Peter Nissen's daring trip through the whirlpool rapids this afternoon. He made the trip in the smallest full-decked whaleback steamer in the world, passing under the bridges at 3:40 o'clock.

The first wave knocked off his smokestack and sent it to the bottom. For all that it was heavily weighted, the boat rolled frightfully in the waves, and Nissen was well shaken up. It took just three minutes to go through the breakers to the whirlpool, and when his boat was in quiet water Nissen raised the hatch, and waving to the people and retired back inside.

In two minutes he was one on deck, riding this way quite a distance about the pool. At 4:05 o'clock men on the Canadian side secured hold of the boat as it swept close in shore and at 4:08 o'clock Nissen leaped to the rocks. Tomorrow he will get up steam and take a ride about the whirlpool.

While digging a grave in the Drummondville (Ontario) village cemetery, which is situated in Lundy's Lane, William Dalton unearthed seven skeletons of soldiers who fell in the battle fought there in 1813. From insignia and buttons found, it is supposed they were members of the Ninetieth Regiment, United States Army.

BOY GAMELY FIGHTS NIAGARA WHIRLPOOL

Caught in Current as He Took a Swim, He Tried to Get Back to Shore But Stream Swept Him On

Then He Deliberately Turned Down Stream and Tried to Swim Through Whirlpool—Sank Finally.

August Sporer, an eighteen year old boy of this city, went to his death this afternoon in the whirlpool rapids after a gallant battle with the large waves between the lower bridges and the whirlpool

With three companions Sporer went for a swim in the river at the old Maid of the. Mist landing. He struck out at once for the middle of the stream and then turned toward the bridges. His companions called to him to turn back, for the current is very swift at that point, but he kept on downstream and was caught in the great sweep, the first break from the smoother waters to the rapids.

The boy battled for a time against the current, but to no avail. Then, evidently realizing that he was beyond human help and was to be carried through the rapids. which took the life of the Englishman Captain Webb, and which have resisted every unaided human effort at passage, he deliberately turned downstream and began a fight to live through the rapids.

Not in all the history of the river has such a stanch attempt been witnessed, observers say. Although but a frail boy, Sporer went into the rapids, swimming strongly, and held his own until he struck the giant wave which curls up opposite the old battery elevator. Then he went under, and for a second was lost to sight of the score of people who stood on the lower arch bridge.

Again and again he disappeared, only to reappear, each time fighting desperately against the terrible current, but when within 300 yards of the whirlpool his strength gave put, he sank, and was lost to view. Even then he had swum perhaps 100 yards further than Captain Webb did.

The body can now be seen in the whirlpool, where rivermen are waiting for it to be brought far enough in shore to be caught.

PERILOUS VOYAGE IN A BARREL.

Martha E. Wagenfluher Whirled Through the Rapids of Niagara.

NIAGARA FALLS, New York, September 6th 1901-

It was nearly 6 o'clock this afternoon when the barrel containing, Martha E. Wagenfluhrer was set adrift on the lower river, to be carried by the current into the rapids and vortex of the Whirlpool. The trip through the rapids was quickly made, but the rescue from the Whirlpool was delayed.

Night fell before the barrel was recovered, and the woman's friends had availed themselves to the help of a powerful searchlight to illuminate the rushing, tossing waters of the pool.

She started at 5:56 o'clock, and it was 7 o'clock when the barrel was landed. The head had to be broken in order to get the woman out. She was in a semiconscious condition. Before entering the barrel she had indulged freely in liquor, but when she. got out, she called for water.

Railroad Building at the Whirlpool Believed to Have Been Set Afire - Traffic Delayed.

Miss Lydia Upper, in charge of the Whirlpool Station of the Gorge Railroad under the lower steel arch bridge, this evening found that the station was afire. She seized the books and money in the office and ran. She was not 75 feet away when an explosion blew the house to pieces. The Fire Department had great trouble running hose to the scene, and the station was burned to the ground. It is supposed that dynamite stored in the building exploded. The bed of the railroad was torn up for a considerable distance and the cable feeders. Wrecking gangs worked hard, and by midnight one track could be used. Cars filled with tourists and electrical engineers, delegates to the convention here, which had been stalled, were then brought to this city. Arson is suspected.

It is gratifying to learn that the splendid nightly illumination of Niagara Falls will not be used for advertising purposes. Good pecuniary results would ensue if the city of Niagara Fails would permit patent medicine and chewing gum men to throw reproductions of their trade marks on the illuminated walls of falling water. But the engineer who controls the huge electric lanterns, of more than 1,000,000,000 candle power, promises that there will be no degradation of that sort.

The illumination, according to all accounts, is wonderfully beautiful, and if it cannot, as Mr. RYAN, the inventor, says, " beat the sun," it is clearly a great improvement, spectacularly, on the long-famous view of the Falls by moonlight. The glare of fifty powerful searchlights thrown upon the cataract annihilates all the black shadows which used to lend weird effects to the moonlight. Brilliant and varied color effects are produced with intermediary screens, and hundreds of artificial rainbows are formed with the clouds of mist. It is all mechanical, of course, and clearly a money-making device, for the fame of the illumination will attract many new visitors to Niagara, but only the sentimentalists will object. The Falls will not be injured, the majestic torrents of water will not be abated in the least, and as for painting the lily and gilding refined gold, the excess in this case will clearly not be ridiculous or wasteful.

NIAGARA FALLS THUNDER ALLEY NAVIGATOR
INFORMATION INDEX	HISTORICAL ARCHIVE	PICTURES & SLIDESHOWS
SITE MAP