Niagara Fall, not!

I was watching a PBS show on Niagara Falls hoping to be drawn more to visiting the great work of God. But I was disappointed as they chronicled the taming of Niagara Falls by the US and Canada. I think the first, worst thing that was done was to make a spectacle of it in the 1800's. Some profiteers decided to send a burning ship with animals in it over the falls. 20,000 people showed up to watch this barbaric act. If the Falls could cry it would be screaming. Then the horrible buildings that were built around it and ruined the view.

Then the electricity that was supplied by the magnificent force of the water was displayed. As an engineer this part was more fascinating then repulsive to me. Not knowing how to get the power from the Falls to Buffalo there started a fight between one famous and one unknown scientist. Thomas Edison wanted to use direct current to transfer the energy. Tesla(now the name for a unit of measurement) wanted to use alternating current. Sorry Edison, but you lost this one.

The final straw and the worst yet was in the 50s, the US could actually control the flow of the Falls which now constantly flows at 25% of capacity. How sad. I think I would rather enjoy watching the Nature Channel on t.v. than go to the circus.