Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1898 — POOR OLD NIAGARA! [ARTICLE]

POOR OLD NIAGARA!

The* Are Attempting in Every Way to Rob Her of Her Glory. Poor old Niagara! It does seem as It mankind had conspired to take from her the glory which has been hers since man first looked upon her beauties and became impressed with her grandeur. Commercial progress is not to be stayed by such a little thing as seurimevrt, and aa a result it begins to look as if Niagara’s roar was doomed to grow less and leas and perhaps to die away in the distance like the wall of a lost soul, er the last sigh of a dying giant. Yea, sad as It way seem, Niagara seems doomed to die! Man wasn't satisfied with harnessing the giant and making It do bis work—lndeed, threatening to compel it to turn every wheel in the broad land. He has decided that the lakes which nursed the giant are not deep enough for commercial purposes. So dams are to be built to bold back the water, and raise the level ot the lakes. At least that 1s what Is now proposed. How to maintain the depth of the water in the Oblcago river has long been a serious problem to Ohlcagoltes. It has been proposed to cont-nually dredge the river; but this would compel the lowering of the tunnels which pass under the stream, and would at the best be but a temporary solution of the vexng question, for the reason that ths level of Lake Michigan Is falling. The clearing away of the forests of Michigan, Wisconsin and the Canadian shores of the great lakes has deprived them of that steady supply of water which used to reach them. The perl>dlc floods and freshets which have succeeded do not serve so well as the more .•onstant and equable supply In maintaining the high water level of tho lakes. The Chicago Tribune advocates the Impounding of the waters of the lakes by a dam in the Niagara river below Buffalo, which will throw back the water of Lake Erie four or five feet, and by wing dams above Detroit, which would have a similar effect with Lake Huron and Michigan. The shallowness of every lake harbor is proof of the necessity of doing something of this kind, and after the Chicago drainage eanal is In active operation the necessity for conserving the waters of the great lakes in the Interest of lake navigation will be Increased. The demands of commerce must have their way, and a strong dam, no doubt, will ultimately be thrown across Niagara. The water which now rushes over the falls will be held back In sufficient volume t» keep the lakes brimful. Care will be taken that the water supply for the electric power generators on both fldes of the Niagara will not be inter- , ered with. A good head of water to -ire a good constant current in the Ohl- > drainage canal and high tides In the Chicago river must be maintained. What surplus water te left after these demands of commerce are fully satteled will be allowed to course down the >road channel of the Niagara river and •oar gently as it tumbles over the pre■lplce of the once world-renowned Nl.gara falls.