between the northerly city line, i.e., our Devil's Hole property line and the DeVeaux College line on the south, and between the Niagara Rapids Boulevard on the east and the river on the west, excepting railroad lands. d. We bought from the Lewiston Heights Company, Inc., a remarkable and beautiful piece of property consisting of one subdivision lot fronting on their improved roadway, being substantially one hundred and thirty feet wide in front, and double that width in the rear, and back of this a tract of approximately ten acres of finely wooded land on the high bluff looking across the mouth of the Niagara Gorge (which at that point is three hundred feet high), and also across the plains to Lake Ontario. We regard this as one of the most magnificant sites along the lower Niagara River. For these properties, we actually have expended and agreed to expend $96,700 out of our original appropriation of $125,000, and by our appropriation proceedings we face a further expenditure of substantially $15,000 to $25,000, which practically consumes the original appropriation. e. From the appropriation of 1924 giving us an additional $100,000 we have agreed to secure what is known as the Winslow property, on the bank of the lower river between Lewiston and Youngston, a most attractive wooded lot, having a frontage of about four hundred feet on the Lewiston-Youngstown road, and about four hundred and twenty feet on the river, together with a frontage on the east side of the road, comprising approximately five or six acres. In the carrying out of the plan and scope to which we have referred, we have in contemplation other larger and more valuable tracts of land which we are unable to acquire with the moneys now at our disposal, but which it will be possible to acquire, peradventure that State bond issue bill is approved by the people at the election in November. Of necessity in this report our action in the fiscal year 19231924 to some extent includes projected action for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1924, but this is unavoidable under the conditions surrounding our negotiations and purchases. ELEVATOR AT THE CAVE OF THE WINDS. It is with profound pleasure that we advise the Legislature that we have received the cordial support of the present State Administration in our efforts to replace the ninety-year-old and obsolete Biddle stairs of one hundred and ninety steps surrounding a center post descending in an ancient wooden tower with a modern elevator designed by the distinguished architect of the State, the Honorable Sullivan W. Jones. This will prove a most beneficial adjunct to the Reservation, in that it will enable that large proportion of the visitors to the Cataract who have passed the golden milestone of life to visit that remarkable formation at the base of the cliff known as the Cave of the Winds. Always heretofore the descent and ascent of the ancient stairway has proven a formidable undertaking to any but the youthful and the athletic, and not infrequently the older visitors of an adventuresome disposition, greatly have suffered from their desire to see this noted place. We hope that in our next annual report, we shall be in a position to advise the Legislature of the completion of the elevator. In coming years, it unquestionably will prove a source of important income to the State Treasury. MAINTENANCE OF THE RESERVATION. Again we repeat that the Legislature should deal more liberally with the Reservation, particularly in view of our recent acquisitions, all of which properly must be maintained and guarded to prevent not only enroachments, but that wreckage and destruction which inevitably seems to be an incident of unguarded property. THE RECESSION AT THE APEX OF THE HORSESHOE FALLS. We repeatedly have called attention to the rapid recession at the apex of the Horseshoe Falls, and have united with the engineers of the Army and the Commissioners of the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park on the Canadian side in a recommendation for immediate remedial measures. We commend the following extract from the Thirty-seventh Report of the Canadian Commission to the attention of the Legislature: "The Commissioners believe that the volume of water pouring over the Horseshoe is most impressive, and that a reduction of almost fifty per cent as is recommended cannot be made without sacrificing some of the majesty of the scene. Neither does it appear safe to concur in the suggestion made by some observers, that the central veil of mist detracts from the charm of Niagara. Indeed it enhances the appearance at high stage under clear weather conditions, but with strong winds it is far from pleasant. Doubtless the extra water to meet the needs of existing developments could be taken from the river if compensating works were constructed. Several proposals have been made suggesting the type of remedial works to be constructed, but the Park Commissioners are of the opinion that the building of islands in the upper rapids, the lowering of the rock ledge at the extremities, with as small a proportion of distinctly artificial construction as is practicable, should be the basis of negotiations between Canada and the United States for the restoration of scenic Niagara." And in this connection we present herewith a communication to the Commission from the Niagara Falls Power Company: "The representatives of the Niagara Falls Power Company having knowledge of the growth in the use of electrical power by the citizens of western New York, were convinced that the time was approaching when there would be demands for larger amounts of power than could be developed from the present approved diversion of water. Having studied also the published investigations and conclusions of the federal government engineers and others in regard to the possibility and effect of further diversions of water, and recognizing the necessity and advisability of protecting the scenic beauty of the cataract, they have deemed it advisable to make such investigation as was in their power to determine by experiment or visual demonstration the effect of additional diversions, and to provide means for studying the effect of remedial and compensatory works along the lines suggested by government engineers and others interested in this great problem. "Therefore, during the years 1923-24 they have constructed a model of the cataracts at Niagara and the rapids and river immediately above and below them. This model has approximate dimensions of 125 feet by 100 feet and represents the river and cataracts on a horizontal scale of 1 to 100. The vertical scale is somewhat less in order that the similarity of view to the observer may be preserved. The contours of the model were taken in the main from government surveys with the assistance of aerial photographs and supplemental surveys. "Water is caused to flow over the model in relative proportion to the actual flowage in the river, the quantity supplied being proportionately equivalent to 210,000 c.f.p.s. which is the amount determined by federal government engineers as the normal or mean flow of the river. "The quantity of water passing over the cataract is varied by discharging, through intakes located in the respective positions of the present power plants, amounts of water corresponding to the present allotment to these plants, and further by drawing off, through intakes on the river above the rapids, various quantities of water in addition to the present approved diversion of 56,000 c.f.s. "Appreciating that the final form and scope of any remedial or compensatory works will be subject to the recommendations of governmental bodies or those charged with the proper adjustment between the use of water for industry and the use of water for scenic effect, The Niagara Falls Power Company has presented no method of its own, but has so arranged this model that any scheme for remedial or compensatory works may be applied to it and its effects noted. They have actually produced weirs such as have been proposed by the United States army engineers and also islands such as have been suggested by the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park Commission and others. "It is not the purpose of The Niagara Falls Power Company to present any scheme of its own in regard to the form, location or extent of remedial or compensatory works, but it will place the model at the disposal of government commissions or representatives, or duly accredited representatives of civic or engineering institutions who may desire to make experiments with it for the purpose of determining the kind and location of such works as will give the highest scenic efficiency of the water passing through the rapids and over the cataracts, after any additional diversions that may be approved from time to time have been made. The scenic effects of various quantities of water may thus be determined in advance of the approval of additional diversions." We trust the members of the Legislature will avail themselves of the opportunity of inspecting this model, which in our opinion admirably demonstrates a remedial scheme for the distribution of the waters of the River upon the cataract. PAYMENTS TO THE STATE TREASURER. We have remitted from the concessions granted by us to the State Treasurer during the last fiscal year, the sum of $54,918.50. These moneys were derived from the following sources: Prospect Point Elevator, Cave of the Winds, Maid of the Mist, International Railway Compary, Carriage Service. We trust you will do us the favor of comparing this remittance with the meager amount of the appropriations granted for the use of our Commission during the last five years. Dated, October 11, 1924. A. T. CLEARWATER, PAUL A. SCHOELLKOPF, ROBERT W. DEFOREST, ROBERT H. GITTINS, Commissioners. |