The Change At Niagara

The Change at Niagara

Whoever wishes to see famous Niagara falls in even its already somewhat diminished glory would do well to make his visit at his earliest convenience, for almost every day more and more of the river is finding its way to the gorge below through subterranean channels and incidental turbines. Sooner or later, unless all signs fail, the enterprising seekers for "power" will leave the precipice a dry wall. They are moving slowly and with a wise caution not to strain the patience of grandeur lovers to the breaking point, but they are moving steadily as well, and now and then they venture on an appropriation of really considerable size. For instance, the Canadian Niagara Power company is now preparing to remove from the upper river enough water to do the work of 100,000 horses. This is not much as compared with the total volume of the falls, and yet it is an appreciable addition to the amount already taken, and if the process of abstraction goes on long enough at this rate the silencing of the cataract's roar will be effected at a time well within the reach of computation. We have our doubts whether much will be effected by denunciation of these encroachments. It's all a question of relative values. The world needs energy as well as beauty, and Niagara has both. Utilization of the energy will destroy the beauty, preservation of the beauty wastes the energy. And there you are! - New York Times.