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 Niagara Falls Power Plant - Niagara Falls, NY Posted by:  Rayman
N 43° 05.555 W 079° 03.764
17T E 657668 N 4772917
The Niagara Falls Power Plant was one of the first hydroelectric generating plants in the world.
Waymark Code: WM1W78
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 07/18/2007
Views: 267
The following is an excerpt from New York: A Guide to the Empire State in the Niagara Falls points of interest section:
The NIAGARA FALLS POWER PLANT, lower end of Canal Basin at the terminus of the hydraulic canal, contains three 70,000 horsepower units, among the largest hydroelectric generators ever constructed. Dating back to 1890, it marks the first and greatest development of hydroelectric power in the world. During the World War the company absorbed the earlier Niagara hydraulic developments.
Jacob Schoellkopf came to Niagara Falls early in his career and bought the rights to the hydraulic canal, which was completed in 1861. The canal transported water from above Niagara Falls to several mills below the falls, supplying them limited electricity. By 1882, Schoellkopf built a small power house at the end of the canal and installed a small generator. The small generator lighted sixteen lights in the streets of Niagara Falls. However, the generator produced direct current which could not be transmitted more than 1-2 miles.
In 1895, Schoellkopf built his second power plant directly in front of the original plant. The sides of the gorge were walled in. Behind the walls shafts carried water down the 210 feet (64m) to the turbines located just above the water level. Behind these shafts and rear walls of the new plant were old cuts in the rock face which were used during the era of the belt and shaft drive technology. Over the years, water seeping behind the wall had undermined the rock face of the gorge behind the plant. In 1904, a second power station was built boosting power output to 34,000 horsepower. Schoellkopf's Hydraulic Power Company merged with the Niagara Falls Power Company in 1918, owned by Edward Dean Adams.
On the morning of June 7, 1956, workers noticed water seeping into the plant from the back wall. By mid afternoon, the cracks in the rear wall were widening while 40 men worked with sandbags to stem the flow of water. Suddenly a loud rumble was heard from behind the wall and the wall began to collapse. The entire southern portion of the plant collapsed into the river below. Only one of the workers died while the rest escaped unscathed. To this day, certain parts of the foundation and other rubble can be seen from above on one of the overlooks.
Source: Niagara Falls History of Power at www.niagarafrontier.com/power.html
Book: New York
Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 276
Year Originally Published: 1940
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