^■. F 127 .N8 J9 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DD0DS1ED3D5 ♦^-v • 0* .•••• ''b. \ .^ iw GUIDE T O NIAGARA FALLS AND ITS SOEISTEHY, INCLUDING khh THE POINTS OF INTEREST BOTH ON THE AMERICAN AND CANADIAN SIDE. GEOLOGY AND RECESSION" OF THE FALLS, • BY SIR CHARLES LYELL. EMBELLISHED WITH VIEWS OF THE PALLS AND SUSPENSION BRIDQE, FROM STEREOSCOPIC VIEWS ESPECIALXX FOR THIS WORK. A Eesidcnt at Niagara/or Tiuenty Years, Late Captain of the Maid of the Mist, Civil Engineer Author of Maps, Statistics and Huide Books of the Falls TO THE VISITOR -:o:- This is the only original, correct and reliable work in market. The author for several years has been person- ally and familiarly acquainted with all the points of interest in this " world's wonder," and great pains have been taken to make this work, in every respect, correct and worthy the attention of the tourist. The different routes and places are so arranged and minutely des- cribed, that the stranger cannot be misled or hesitate. These pages are given to the public with the belief that something of the kind is needed, inasmuch as works written by casual observers are either unnecessarily prolix upon some points, or not sufficiently clear and explicit upon others, to meet the wishes of the traveling public. This difficulty, it is believed, is entirely obvi- ated in the following pages. Follow the directions of this little work, and you can go to all points of interest on both sides of the river, without a mistake. The Author. ^ 'Ik \\ Entered according to Act of Congresa, in the year 1S(J8, Bt F. H. JOHNSON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Conrt of the United State; for the Northern Ui.-^tiict of New York. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. Q O A.T ISJL^LN D» Street leading to it, Toll Gate, Iron Bridge, Rapids, Second Iron Bridge, Goat Island Luna Island, Amer- ican Fall, Width, Height, Biddle Stairs, Sam Patch's Leap, Cave of the Winds, Horse Shoe Falls, Quantity of Water, The Tower, its height, Depth of water on the top of the Falls, Green appearance of the River, Three Sisters, Bathing place of the Hermit, Head of Goat Island, Indian Burying Ground. Visitors to Goat Island before any Bridges were built. First proprietor of the Falls, Poetry, Number of Acres, Distances, Goat Island Private Property, Best time to Visit it. CHAPTER 11. Spray, Rain Bows, View of the Falls at Night, Sunrise, Sunset, Roar of the Falls, First Impression of Stran- gers, Rise of the River, Fall of the River cannot be described, Winter Scene, First man who saw the Falls, Indian Tradition, Causalities, Avery on a Log, Visit to Goat Island by Moonlight, Lunar Bow. CHAPTER III. Nearest Route to Canada, Directions, Ferry House, Cars, Ferry Boats, No Accidents, Depth of the River, Gran- deur of the Scene, Tims in Crossing, Carriage Road up the Bank, Distance to Clifton House, Distance to Horseshoe Fall, Museum, Table Rock, Burning Spring, Battle Ground, Time via of the Ferry, Burning of the Steamer Caroline, Line batween the two Governments, Indian Offerinc: to llie Falls. CONTENTS. OHAPTEE IV. Suspension Bridge, Demensions, Height above the river, Distances to all Points of Interest, (Canada side,) Prices of Carriages, Hackmen. CHAPTFE V. Whirlpool, Height of River in the Center, Diameter of Whirlpool, Height of Banks, No perpendicular falls or Internal Outlet, Maid of the Mist going through the Whirlpool, Three men on Board, Width of the River, Depth of. Devil's Hole, Decoy of the Indians, Number of Men Perished. CHAPTER VI. Recession of the Falls by Professor Lyell, Gull Island Washed away. Health of the Falls, Hotels, Name Niagara, Meaning of Niagara, River between the two Lakes, Sources of Niagara River, Number of Lakes, Dimensions, One Hundred Rivers, Poetry. GUIDE TO ]^i/qARA pALL^ ^ Y^C'N'^^ CHAPTER I. Goat Island. The street leading to it is between the Cata- ract and International Hotels, about one fourtli a mile distant. Three minutes' walk to the Toll Gate and Iron Bridge. Charges: for the whole day, fifty cents, or one dollar for the year. The bridge is about fifty rods above the Falls, and is an object of interest. The inquiry is not un fre- quently made. How was it ever constructed over such a tremendous rapid ? The first bridge was thrown across this angry stream m 1817, near the grist mill, above the present bridge, with much hazard of life and great expense. It was carried away by the ice the ensuing spring. In 1818, another was 6 GUIDE TO :n^iagara. falls constructed, where Bath Island Bridge now stands, by the proprietors of the island. A suitable pier was built at the water's edge ; long timbers was projected over this abutment the distance they wished to sink the next pier, loaded on the end next to the shore with stone, to prevent moving ; legs were framed through the ends of the projecting timbers, resting upon the rocky bottom, thus forming temporary piers until more substantial ones could be built. Rapids. The next thing that attracts the attention of the visitor, as he passes on his route to Goat Island, is the Eapids. These are grand and im- pressive; thousands, in the summer season, particularly when the sky is clear, stand upon this bridge, and gaze upon the angry flood as it rushes past them in all its wild and tumultuous fury, filling the mind with emotions of aAve and indescribable grandeur. Let the visitor look up the Rapids as far as the eye can extend ; the river appears very much like the ocean dashing upon the beach after a gale. From the head of Goat Island to the grand cataract, a distance of three-quarters of a mile. GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 7 the river falls fifty-one feet. Ir increases in velocity from seven to thirty miles per hour, before it makes the final plunge. Chapin Island. This island is to the right of and oelow the bridge, within a few rods of the American Fall. A man by the name of Chapin, while working on the bridge, was thrown into the stream, and carried by the current on to this island. Mr, Joel E. Robinson rescued him with a skiff. Hundreds of ladies and gentlemen witnessed this bold and daring adventure, which few, at so much hazard of life, would have had the nerve to attempt. Bath Island contains about two acres. The largest stone building, to the right, is a paper mill, where is manufactured paper for the New York Tribune. Pass a second Iron Bridge to Goat Island. A good carriage road, Take to th® right. Five minutes' walk to the foot of the island ; descend a few safe and easy steps ; here the overwhelming grandeur of the American and Centre Fall, or Cave of the winds, bursts npon 8 GUIDE TO NIAGARA PALLS. the astonished view, and is thought by thou- sands, to be unsurpassed by any other. In taking this route we get the less impressive view of the Falls, at first, and the more grand and imposing last, which, in the opinion of the author, gives the mind more time to appreciate the magnificent grandeur and awful sublimity of these mighty works. Cross a foot bridge, perfectly safe, to Luna Island ; it contains about three-fourths of an acre. Luna Island. It is called Luna Island, not because it re- sembles the moon, but from the circumstances of a Lui^"A Bow, being seen from this place more advantageously than from any other point. If the visitor's nerves are pretty steady he can stand Avithin one foot of the Falls, and see the angry stream dashing in all its fury upon the rocks below, impatient to try its power in making this fearful leap. It has often been remarked by strangers that this island trembles, which is undoubtedly true ; but the impression is somewhat heightened by a nervous temperament or imagination. It was at this point, after we pass the small GUIDE TO IS'^IAGAKA FALLS. 9 foot-bridge, about twenty-five feet above the Falls, that young Miss Antoinette De Forest, of Buft'alo, aged eight years, by some unaccount- able casualty fell into the river, and Charles Addington, aged twenty-two, jumped in to save her, and they both went over the Falls together, June 21, 1849. The body of the girl was found, much muti- lated, the next day, and that of the young man floated four or five days afterward, when it was recovered. This was one of the most afflictive scenes that has occurred within our recollec- tion. The sheet of Avater before you is the American Falls. One-fourth of a mile wide ; perpendicular height, 1C4 feet. Eeturn by the same way ; pass up the river, two minutes' walk, to Biddle Stairs, the top of which is in the Cave of the Winds' dressing room. Number of steps, 132. At the bottom is Sam Patch's Leap. This celebrated person made two successful leaps, in the year 1829, ninety-seven feet per- pendicular, into the river below. Questions by the visitor. How was this done ? A ladder 10 GUIDE TO iflAGARA PALLS. was raised, the bottom resting on the edge of the river, the top of the ladder enclining over the water, stayed by ropes to the trees on the bank, on the top of which was a small plat- form. He stood gazing upon the multitude, who had been attracted to the place by a man it was said going to jump over the Falls. He stepped off the platform ; went down feet fore- most 96 feet. Q. How deep is the river where he went in ? A. About fifty feet. Q. How deep did he go down ? A. It is dificult to an- swer this question correctly ; probably not more than fifteen or twenty feet. Q. How long did he remain under water ? A. Some said he was gone for good; others affirmed it was five minutes; but a gentleman, holding his watch, informed us it v/as just half a minute belore he rose. Q. What became of the fool-hardy fellow? A. He made a jump at Kochester, Genesee Falls, the same year, wiiich was his last. His body was never found. Cave of the Winds It is seen to the best advantage from below. If the wind is blowing down the river, or from the American shore, you can stand wdth perfect GUIDE TO i^IlAGARA FALLS. 11 safety upon a large, flat rock, Avithin a few feet of the falling sheet, without inconvenience from the spray. In the afternoon, when the sun shines, there is always a splendid rainbow, between the sheet of water and the rock, within a few feet of you ; and this is the only place on the globe, as far as the author can learn from history, and from travelers, where a rainbow forming an entire circle can be seen. Two, and sometimes three, have been seen at once. AVidth of the cave is one hundred feet ; diam- eter, sixty ; height, one hundred. It is much visited both by ladies and gentle- men. The scenery is very fine. The impending rocks sometimes fill the visitor with alarm lest they might fall ; but they seldom fall in the summer season, and no accident has occurred since the year 1829. On returning, proceed up the river about sixty rods to a small house built by the pro- prietor of the island, for the purpose of rest. Descend the bank, and cross a small bridge to tlie tower. This is called Horse Shoe Tower, The Tower is on the west side of Goat 12 GUIDE TO XIAGARA FALLS. Island, within two rods of the Falls, forty-five feet high, and two hundred feet above the river Lelow, surrounded near the top by a portico and an iron railing. This tower has been called by some Prospect Tower, and by others Terrapin Tower, but is generally and best known as Horse Shoe Tower. Visitors of a nervous temperameut, and especially old people, when stepping out upon the piazza, unfre- quently feel a kind of giddiness or tremor ; but on looking up or around upon the green foliage, the nerves generally become tranquil. We are then better prepared to appreciate the overwhelming grandeur of this magnificent scene. The view from this tower, in the opinion of the author, of the width of the river, the Eapids, the Horse Shoe Fall, and the angry, boiling deep below, is not surpassed by any other. The river below^, in its Avild, tumultuous fury, produces a perfect foam, sometimes called a river of milk. Horse Shoe Fall. This is the entire circle from Goat Island to the Canadian side of the river. Its width, by GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 13 calculation, is 144 rods; perpendicular height, 158 feet. It derived its name from its shape ; but it must have altered much since it was first named, as large masses of rocks in the neigh- borhood of the Horse Shoe Fall every year. This is sometimes called the Canada Fall, which is a mistake ; the Americans own one half of it. The line between the two govern- ments runs in the centre of the river, thronsjh the point of the Horse Shoe, where it looks so green, following the deepest channel, and through the centre of the lakes. What gives the Horse Shoe Fall, and the river below, that green appearance ? AYe can as>;ign no other reason than the depth. Quantity of Water- Professor Lyell says, fifteen hundred millions of cubic feet pass over the Falls every minute. Dr. Dwight, former President of Yale College, says, one hundred millions two hundred thou- sand tons pass over the Falls every hour. Jud. De Voux, in his "Traveler's own Book," says: five thousand eighty-four millions eighty-nine thousand eight hundred and fifty-three barrels descend in twenty-four hours; two hundred 14 GUIDE TO N[AGAR.V FALLS. eleven millions eight hnndred thirty-six thou- sand eight hundred fifty-three every hour ; three million five hundred thirty thousand six hundred fourteen every minute; fifty-eight thousand three hundred forty-three every second. "I should think," says one " that the river would exhaust itsell." True ; when the upper lakes, with their vast tributaries, run dry, Niagara will be no more. Other estimates, by scientific gentlemen, have been made, arriving at nearly the same results. Depth of Water on the top of Horse Shoe Fall. It is estimated by Sir Charles Lyell, aud others to be twenty feet in the centre, or where the water looks so green. There is, however, a better data to ascertain this fact than all the calculations, however learned. The siiip Detroit, being condemned on the lake, was bought by a Company, !:aded with a live buffalo, bear, deer, fox, and other animals, and sent over the Falls in the year 1829. She was knocked to pieces in the Rapids, except half of her hull, which was filled with water. It drew eighteen feet, and passed over tlie point of the Horse Shoe GUIDE TO :N"IAGARA FALLS. 15 without touching. Hundreds saw her make this fearful pUmge, and I have no doubt that the estimates are correct. This, then, gives a solid column of water on the top of the rock of at least twenty feet. The visitor, after spending what time he wishes on Horse Shoe Tower, will return to the bank. If he wislies to reach his hotel by the nearest route, without going round by the head of the island, he will take a small patii directly back of the building fronting Horse Shoe Tower. This is a pleasant walk leading to the bridge, and shortens the distance more tlian one half. But we will suppose he wishes to continue his rambles around Goat Island. The best point from which to get a correct view of the shape of the Horse Shoe Fall is about forty rods up the river, from the point where he ascends the bank from the tower, near a small stone monument, directly in his path, marked with a cross on the top, set by the sur- veyors, to ascerrain if the Falls recede. Let him step to the bank, and he will get one of the best views of the shape of the Horse Shoe then- is, on either side of the river. 16 GUIDE TO KIAGARA FALLS. Three !::5isters. These islands are on the south-west side, and near the head of Goat Island. In the year 1811, a man by the name of A. P. Allen, in attempting to cross the river in a skiff, from Chippewa, nnfortunately broke one of his oars ; but with a skill and coolness never surpassed, he managed to reach the outer island, and jumped ashore, Avhile his skiff darted on like an arrow over the Falls. Though saved from immediate death, yet his situation was perilous in the extreme : the hope of rescue was ex- tremely doubtful, and starvation v/as staring him in the face. Two nights and one day he remained upon this lonely spot. He struck a fire : the smoke wreathed in columns above the tree tops. Great numbers of our citizens assembled, and heard his cries for help. At length a rope was thrown across from one is- land to the other, and, by means of a skiff, the same intrepid Kobinson succeeded in bringing him to shore. These islands are connected by three bridges, spans of 65, 80 and 82 feet long. Bathing Place of Francis Abbot the Hermit. Tlie ])athing-placo of Francis A))bot is on GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 17 the west side of Goat Island, the first perpendi- cular cascade after leaving Horse Shoe Tower, near the three islands called the Three Sisters. He was learned, gentlemanly, and accomplished, pleasing in address, hut could not be approach- ed by a stranger. He lived nearly twenty months entirely alone. He was drowned below the ferry, in the year 1831. His body was found at Fort Niagara, fourteen miles below, recognized, brought back, and sleeps in our burying-ground This lonely spot was resorted to by this singular individual generally at night. The thunder's terrific sound, the light-, uing's blaze, mingled with the roar of the cata- ract, was the element in which he delighted to breathe. Very little is known of his history. Head of G-oat Island. At this point, Xavy Island, near the Canada shore, to the right, containing three hundred and forty acres, the scene of the McKenzie War, in 1837-38, is in plain sight. It was oc- cupied by three or four hundred Americans, — a heterogeneous mass of all classes, without the discipline, or any efficient means to carry on war Chippewa, on the Canada shore, but a 18 GUIDE TO i^IAGARA FALLS. short distance below*contained at the time four or five thousand British soldiers. The two governments took no active part in this hot- headed enterprizCj and it fell by its own weight. Grand Island is to the left, on the American side, resembling the main shore, containing Beventeen thousand two hundred and forty acres, purchased by M. M. Noah, and, according to his fanciful visions it was to be the future home of all the Jews on the globe. The visitor, in turning his eye to the right or left, will readily perceive how this island divides the river, the greater portion rolling to the Canada shore. It would be thought incredible that any person could have reached the island before a bridge was built; yet such is the fact. As early as 1765, several French officers were con- veyed to it by Indians in canoes, carefully drop- ping down the river between the dividing wa- ters, where the river for some little distance is calm ; and Peter 13. Porter, of Black Rock, with some other gentlemen, also made a trip to the island in a boat. They found but little trouble in descending, but their return was difficult and hazardous.* *Trees marked 1765 and 1769 were, until a few years past, clear- Ij to be seen. GUIDE TO :N"IAGARA FALLS. 10 It was effected by shoving the boat with set- ting poles up the most shallow part of the cur- rent for half a mile before making for the shore. Falling into the current ^vithin a mile of the Falls must be fatal. Several accidents of this kind have happened, and the unfortunate per- sons, as far as the author can recollect, were hurried on to destruction. It is but a few years since an Indian, par- tially intoxicated, on attempting to cross the river in a canoe, was drawn into the Eapids. Finding all efforts to reach the shore unaA^ail- ing, he took a good horn of whiskey, lay down in the canoe, passed rapidly over the Falls, plunged into the yawning vortex below, and disappeared for ever. At this point, the Head of Goat Island, where we are now standing, it can be more satisfactorily explained why it was called Goat Island. A man by the name of Stedman, about seventy years since, put some goats upon the island, ^vhich remained there nearly two years. He reached the island, and returned the same way as the Indians and others had done. The old clearing you notice at the lelt is part of an Indian burying-ground, but of the tribe 20 GUIDE TO KIAGAllA FALLS. to whom it belonged nothing definite is known. It is supposed by some they were the Iroquois. THE FIRST PEOPRIETOR OF NIAGARA FALLS. The white man has driven the Indian away, Far from Niagara's shore ; No more is he permitted to stay, And hear the loud cataract's roar. Tlic war-whoop that echoed o'er Niagara's isles, Has long since died away ; Far in those lonely wilds, Where the wild wolf devours his prey. In the distant wilds of the west, The red man sought for repose. Where the mind and body would be at rest, Away from the white men — his foes. To the home of his fathers the chieftain has gone, No more will he lead the brave to the battle, His warriors no longer around him will throng. Where the swift arrows fly and the armom* doth rattle. No more will his name produce terror and dread. Nor his arm be uplifted to strike the death-blow,; Low he sleeps in the dust where slumber the dead. While the plants of the valley over him grow. The tribe that once followed their chief to the fight- Like the mist of Niagara, how vanished away 1 Far from the land of their birth they have taken their flight, The once noble, and valiant, and brave, where are they V The Author. GUIDE TO yiAGAKA FALLS. '21 Iris, or Goat Island- Iris, or Goat Islaud, contains sixty-nine and a half acres ; is a fraction over a mile in cir- cnmference. and heavily timbered. Most of the smooth bark trees are marked with initials, bearing different dates. *• In l60o/' says Judge Porter, '*' there was a beech tree on the bank, near the Horse Shoe Fall, marked IT 70, ITU, and ITT'2." The names of these early travellers are not recollected. Xo sportsman is allowed to carry a gun on this island, as it would endanger the lives of those who are promenading through it. The cotta.ge near the bridge is the only dwelling on the island. The island affords a wild and de- lightful retreat: in the hottest days there is always a refreshing and invigorating breeze from the river. There are six bridges connected with this island, and one tower. Goat Island Is private property. The owners employ a police and an overseer, tliat the rules of good order and decorum are strictly observed. The best time to visit Goat Island, if the sun shines, is in the forenoon ; vou have the ad van- 22 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. tage of a shade from the forest trees, the rain- bows below, and in some places but a few feet from you. Note. — No charge on the island, except at the Toll Gate and the Cave of the Winds. CHAPTER II. Spray. Spray, like the smoke of a burning moun- tain, sometimes rises into the sky, forming dark, heavy clouds, tinged with the refulgent rays of the rising and setting sun, which have been seen, says Judge Porter, more than one hundred miles. This depends entirely upon local causes. If the wind is blowing down the river, the view from the Horse Shoe Fall and the American Falls is not in the least obstructed ; but if it blows hard up, or from the Canada shore, some inconvenience, occasionally, is experienced in approaching very near the Falls, on account of the spray. Rainbows. There are two. One is always seen in the GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 23 day-time, wlien the sun shines ; the other at night, called the Lunar Bow. The latter is only beheld once a month, when the moon is at the full, and sufficiently high in the heavens, and the sky clear. And Niagara, as far as the author can learn from travellers and from history, is the only place on the globe where a rainbow at night can be seen with distinctness. At all events the Lunar Bow is peculiar to this place. View of the Falls at Night. An evening view has a very different effect upon the mind of the beholder from that of a view in the day time. The moonbeams play- ing upon the agitated waters; the spray, like the smoke of a volcano, rising into the sky; the endless roar of the cataract, mingled with the heart's deepest impressions, give such indescribable sublimity and grandeur, that lan- guage is but a poor vehicle to convey the im- pressions we feel. View of the Falls at Sunrise. This view is thought by thousands to have no rival in grandeur, sublimity and interest. Every point of time, however, in getting a view 24 GUIDE TO NIAGARA. FALLS. is different, and has its different effect upon tlie beholder. View of the Falls at Sunset. When the sun has rolled onward in his chariot of fire, and thrown his last rays upon Niagara, bidding adieu for the night to the grandeur of the scene that so much in power resembles himself, the view is perfectly inde- scribable. Roar of the Falls. This depends much upon the wind, and the state of the atmosphere. Sometimes every door and window, the least ajar, for a mile around, will tremble, and the roar may be heard from fifteen to twenty-five miles. At other times our citizens would scarcely know that there were Falls in the neighborhood. In a few instances the roar has been heard at Toronto, a distance of forty-four miles . First Impression of Strangers. At first sight, strangers are sometimes disap- pointed : either their expectations have been raised too high, or the sublimity, grandeur and magnificence of the scene far surpass every thing they could possibly have anticipated. GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 25 The second view is frequently more impres- sive than the first. The longer the visitor tarries, the more he enjoys and appreciates; the impression is indelibly stamped upon his memory, and for years infixed there, as with the imprint of a sunbeam. The Falls, it is true, when seen from above, do not appear more than fifty or sixty feat high ; but let the visitor go below, if he would get a correct impression of this stupendous work. Rise of the River. Those causes which swell other rivers have no efiect upon this. It never rises unless the wind has been blowing down Lake Erie from a westerly direction. S. Ware, Esq. , who kept the ferry for seventeen years, says, " One foot on the top of the Falls will, by actual measure- ment, raise it seventeen and a half feet below." This is attributable to the river being pent up in a very narrow pass at the Suspension Bridge, and not being able to find its way out as fast as it accumulates above. Fall of the River. From Lake Erie to Lake Ontario (30 miles), :ib GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 339 feet; from Lake Erie to the head of Goat Island (22 miles), 25 feet; from the head of Goat Island to the Main Fall (half a mile), 50 feet ; perpendicular height of the American Fall, 164 feet; on the Canada side, 158 feet ; from the Falls to the Whirlpool (2^- miles), 64 feet; from the Whirlpool to Lake Ontario (11 miles), 25 feet. Total, in 36 miles, between the two Lakes, 330 feet. Depth of the River below the Horse Falls. This has neyer been ascertained. Engineers and others have, at different times, attempted to sound it,but owing to the strong and irregu- lar undercurrents, no definite reports could be made. The Falls cannot be Described. There is too much sublimity, majesty, and overwhelming grandeur for finite minds to comprehend or explain. No language is ade- quate to give to the strang.T a correct idea of these stupendous works of the Almighty. And they have always appeared to the author like the hand of the Deity stretched out for his creatures to look at. "Lo, these are parts of his ways;" "But the thunder of his power who can understand ? " O 5 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 27 "Winter Scene. It is thought by many, who have visited the Falls at this season, that it far surpasses that of summer. The icicles, in the shape of inverted cones, hanging from the high banks; the dazz- ling splendor of an effulgent sun darting his fiery beams upon them ; the frozen spray, clo- thing the trees in its silvery robe ; the roar of the ice, as it rushed onward to try the fear- ful leap; the ceaseless thunder of the cataract; the bow of promise smiling serenely upon the angry Hood; the enchained river within its icy embrace, struggling like some monster of the deep to be free, — all combiiie to render the scene awfully grand and terrific. No language is adequate to give a correct impression; it must be seen before it can be appreciated. The First Man who Saw the Falls The first white man who saw the Falls, as far as we have any authentic record, was Father Hennepin, Jesuit missionary, sent out from the French among the Indians, as early as the year 1G78, 192 years since. His descriptions were visionary and exceedingly exaggerated. He thought the falls six or seven hundred feet hisfh 38 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. and that four persons could walk abreast under the sheet of Avater without any other inconve- nience than a slight sprinkUng from the spray. But we would not attribute this wild and fanci- ful description to a want of candor, or an in- tention to deceive. The fact probably was, he had no means of measuring its height, and un- doubtedly got his account from tlie Indians, whio^i very likely would be incorrect. Indian Tradition. The Indians, it is said, in Judge de Veaux's works, have a tradition that two human beings, yearly, will be sacrificed to the Great Spirit of these waters. Whether any reliance ^can be placed upon the tradition of the Indians or not, it is nevertheless true that almost every year has proved fatal to some one. The following instances can be mentioned. Casualties. Dr. Hungerford, of West Troy, was killed by a rock falling upon him, between Biddle Stairs and the Cave of the winds, May 27th, 1839. John York is supposed to have gone over the Falls, as pieces of his boat and part of his loading were picked up below, 28th Nov., 1841. GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 29 William Kennody was in the boat with him, and found dead on Grass Island, just above the Rapids J. H. Thompson, of Philadelphia, was washed off a rock below the Falls, under the great sheet of water, by leaving the guide, and venturing too far upon places of danger. August 16, 1844. Miss Martha K. Rugg, from Lancaster, near Boston, Mass , while picking a flower, fell over the bank, just below Barnett's Museum, (Canada side), one hundred and fifteen feet. August 23, 1811. She lived about three hours afterwards. Charles Smart, from Philadelphia, fell about f>rty (eetfroma rock in the Cave of the Winds, August 31, 1816. Killed instantly. John Murphy, aged fourteen years, son of a widow lady of our village, attempting to cross the river in a canoe, about a mile above the Falls, was drawn into the current, and went over, June 13, 1817. His body was never found. A son of Mr. White, aged five years, and his sister about a year and a half older, were play- ing in a canoe ; it floated out into the stream. The agonized mother beheld this heart-rending scene • she rushed into the river nearly up to 30 GUIDE TO ^lAGAKA FALLS. her neck, — rescued t le girl ; the boy went over. He was last seen si! :'mg in the bottom of the canoe, holding on to acii ude with his hands. Jnly 9, 1848. His body was never found. A gentleman, from Buffalo, supposed to be on an excursion shooting ducks; his boat was drawn into the Rapids, above the grist mill ; seen by several of cur citizens to pass under the bridge; heard- to exclaim — "Can I be saved ? " His boat, with the velocity of liglit- ning, passed on; dashed against a rock nearly opposite the chair factory ; he was throAvn out ; went over feet foremost near the American shore, August 25, 1848. His body was never found. A Mrs. Miller cut her shawl in pieces, tied them together, and hung them over the bridge leading to G-oat Island, intending, doubtless, to induce the belief that she had let herself down into the angry fl)od, and had gone over the Falls. Very few of our citizens believed it, as there was too much pains taken for the purpose of committing suicide. It was all a farce, as she was heard from at Syracuse, and other places, a few days after. Some love affair oc- casion ed this wild freak. Her father, a very GUIDE TO iHl;-\G.VRA FALL. 31 respectable lawyer, died so[.)n afterwards, it was thought of a broken hear;;, A gentleman from i'ro^v, N. Y., in the winter of 1852, while passing over the bridge to the Tower, fell into the river, rwas instantly carried to the verge of the precipice, and lodged between two rocks. Mr. Isaac Davy rescued him, by throwing some lines in ^he direction ; he had just sufficient strength left to tie them around his body, and he drew him to the bridge, whence he was taken to the Falls Hotel. He remained speechless for several hours, but finally recov- ered. Avery on the Log. On the morning of July 19, 1853, a great excitement was created by the discovery of a man on a log in the Eapids, midway between the main shore and Bath Island, and about thirty rods below the bridge which leads to the toll- gate on the island. The rock against which the log had lodged can be seen from the bridge, or from the bank. The circumstances, as near as are known, of the way he got there, are these. This man, Avery, and another man, being in the employ of Mr. Brown, boating sand above 32 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. the Falls about two miles, got into a boat at ten o'clock at night to take a pleasure sail. The next morning Mr. Averj was discovered on the log above mentioned, which being reported called thousands of people to the spot to see the unfortunate man and to do what they could to rescue him.. In the first place a small boat was let down; but it filled witji v/ater, and sunk before it reached him. By this time a life-boat from Buffalo had reached the spot, and was low- ered into the stream, which reached the log he was on, passed by above it, capsized, and sunk, which was the last of that. Next, a small boat was let down, which reached the spot all right, but the rope got entangled under the log, and could not be got loose; so that boat was use- less. Another plan was tried : a raft was let down to him all right, and he got on it, and the raft was moved toward Bath Island as far as it could be, but the ropes soon got entangled in the rocks, and the raft stuck fast. Then another boat was let down to him, to take him from the rafi; ; but as the boat reached the raft, the water dashed the boat agaiust the bow of the raft, which gave it a sudden jog, and Avery, not using the means that were prepared for his GUIDE TO NIAG.VRA FALL. 33 safety, viz., ropes for him to hold oii to, or tie himself with, stood erect on the stern of the raft ; and as the boat struck, he fell off back- ward, and the rax)id water carried him over the Falls, at about six o'clock, p. 3I., at which time the crowd (being about three thousand in num- ber) left the spot with slow and solemn steps for their homes. It was an awful scene. On Friday, Septeml)er 2-i, 1860, a terrible ac- cident occurred at the Falls. A party from Provideuce, R. I., consisting of a Mr. Tilling- hast and wife, Mr. Fisher, Mrs. Smith, and Miss Mary Ann Ballou, were in a carriage go- ing down the roadway leading to the ferry land- ing, on the Canada side, Avhen some portion of the harness gave way on one of the horses. Tlie result was that the carriage was thrown over the precipice. Mr. Tillinghast and the driver sprang from the carriage in time to save themselves, but the ladies were carried over, and fell a distance of forty or fifty feet. Mrs. Smith was found to have been killed instantly, by a blow on the head. Mrs. Tillinghast was cut and bruised about the head, and was other- wise injured. Mrs. Fisher had one wrist frac- tured, and suffered contusions on various parts 34 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. of the body. Miss Ballon was taken up for dead, but finally recovered consciousness, and ifc is thought will recover. J. Prince jumped off the old Suspension Bridge, December 8, 1869. Body never found. A Visit to G-oat Island by Moonlight. Thousands, in the summer season, when the the weather is fair, promenade through the island at night : it is a delightful treat. The carriage-road is fine ; the dark forest in all its native grandeur is around them ; not a breath moves the surrounding foliage ; the moon, pouring a flood of mellow light through the opening of the trees, the silence of death is only interrupted hy Niagara's ceaseless roar, filling the mind with emotions of awe, grandeur and sublimity, which it is impossible to describe. It must be witnessed before it can be app^-e- ciated. The Lunar irow Can only be seen about once a month, or when the moon is within two or three days previous or after its fall. The reason is, there is not light enough to form the bow. The best points from which to view this grand spectacle are at GUIDE TO ^'IAGARA FALLS. 35 tlie foot of Goat Islaud, on Luna Island, and Horse Shoe Tower. If the sky is clear, the wind i-ight, and the atmosphere favorable, an entire arch can be seen. The author has fre- quently seen a whole arch, with three colors very distinct ; and we are inclined to believe, as far as Ave can learn from travellers, that this is the only place on the globe where a rainbow at night, in the form of an arch, can be seen at all. It is indescribably grand, worthy the at- tention of the tourist, and will amply repay him for a trip to the island to behold. "Thou hast told us right," said a party of Friends, from Philadelphia, to the author : •' this sight alone is sufficient to pay us for a journey to the Falls." The mind takes a mild and sublime range, but its emotions cannot be expressed. CHAPTER III. Nearest Route to Canada. On landing from the cars, pass through the Depot, turn to the right. From Cataract House, turn to the left, pass down the river. From the International, take the lefr. Five 36 GUIDE TO KIAGAKA FALLS. minutes walk on either of the above routes brings you to the Ferry house — 290 steps. Cars worked by water power descend the bank on an inclined plain of 33 degrees. Charges for cross- ing and returning, 50 cents. The Ferry Boats from above appear small and insecure, but are perfectly safe ; will carry twenty-five or thirty persons. Not a single accident has occured in forty years. The depth of the river from actual soundings is 180 feet. Nothing can equal the sublimity and overwhelming grandeur of the scene. The American, and Horse Shoe Falls, Goat Island — with its dark, waving forest, the opposite bound shore, the brilliant hues of the rainbow, overpowers, dazzles and bewilders the imagination. The American Fall appears t j be tumbling out of the clouds, or like a moun- tain of snow in a Avhirlwind. The time in crossing the Ferry is ten minutes. Take the only carriage-road up the bank, one-fourth of a mile. The large building to the right is the Clifton House ; one of the first class houses in Canada, or in the United States. Turn to the left, one-third of a mile brings you to the Horse Shoe Fall. Language is but a poor vehicle to express the emotions we feel while beholding GUIDE TO KIAGARA FALLS. o7 tlie grandeur and awful majesty of Uie works of the Almighty. It must be seen to be appre- ciated. The large building, a few rods below the Falls, is a Museum, the only place on the Canada side where dresses and a Guide, can be procured to go under the Falls. Table Rock Is on the Canada side, near the great Horse Shoe Fall, and the terminus of the carriage road in this direction. It was formerly about fifteen rods long, and three Avide, and projected over the precipice from fifty to sixty feet. Thousands of the most timid have stood upon this giddy eminence with perfect safety, and gazed upon the resplendent grandeur of this this enchanting, bewildering scene. While contemplating it the mind is lost, and sinks back upon itself amid the immensity of God's works. Two large portions of Table Rock have fallen withiu a few years, but have de- tracted but little from this grand view. Fall of Table Rock. On the 26th of June, 1850, our citizens were startled with the report that Table Rock had fallen. Many of us instantly repaired to the 38 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. place, to witness for ourselves an event we had long expected. AVhat a chasm ! What a tre- mendous crash. The rocks heaved, the earth trembled. A mass of rock, nearly two hundred feet long, sixty wide, and one hundred feet thick, fell into the river, and almost every par- ticle disappeared from sight. The noise pro- duced by this falling rock was something like the rumbling of an earthquake. It w^as heard four or five miles on each side of the river. Fortunately, no lives were lost, though some forty or fifty persons were standing upon the rock but a few moments before. In 1818, a portion of Table Kock fell. In 1828, a large mass fell from the centre of the Horse Shoe Falls. Another mass fell connected w4th Table Rock, and extending under the sheet of water toward the point of the Horse Shoe, about one hundred and fifty feet long, fifty feet wide, and one hundred feet deep, carrying with it a canal boat that had lain on the ^■erge of the Horse Shoe for months. Burning Spring, This Spring is situated two miles above the Falls, on the Canada side, near the water's edge. GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 39 It is the ciirbonated sulphuretted hydrogen gas that burns. Touched with a match, it gives out a brilliant flame, rising two or three feet high. Many are very much interested, and to those who have never seen anything of the kind, it is an object of a good deal of interest. Lundy's Lane Battle-Field. Lundy's Lane is a mile and a half west of the Falls, on the Canada side. The battle, in its hottest fury, was fought principally in the night, with the bayonet; Gen. Peter B. Porter commanding the volunteers ; Generals Brown and Scott wounded ; Eiall and Drummond (British Generals) wounded and taken prisoners. This, it is said, was the severest battle ever fought on this continent. The British had in killed and wounded, eight hundred and twenty- seven ; the Americans eight hundred and sixty. It was a drawn game, — both parties claiming the victory. July 25, 1814, The above is taken from General Brown's official report to the Secretary of war. This is somtimes blended with the Chippewa battle, but it is a mistake. Chippewa battle was fought near the Burning Spring, July 5, 1814. 40 GUIDE TO KIAGAKA FALLS. The visitor, by way of the Ferry, can cross over to Table Rock, and return to his hotel, in one hour. 'Note. — If you purchase any goods on the Canada side, a duty of thirty-three per cent, will be required on them. A few remarks fur- ther, before we pass to the Suspension Bridge. Burning of the Steamer " Caroline." If the ajopearance of a ship on fire at sea, at night, in a thunder-storm, is grand and terrific, no less so was that of the steamboat " Caroline," in flames, as she was loosed from her moorings at the old landiug, near Fort Schlosser, and toAved out into the middle of the river, by the command of Colonel McNab, a British officer. Here she was abandoned and left to her fate. The night was intensely dark. She moved stead- ily on ; a broad sheet of lurid flames shot high in- to the heavens, illuminating the western clouds Avith its red glare ; rockets w^ere ascending from the Canada shore, expressive of the success of the expedition. A universal shout rings out upon the night air, from the party who have just left the doomed boat. She enters the Rapids, at the head of Goat Island, nearest the GUIDE TO N^IAGARA FALLS. 41 Canada shore, careens over, rights, passes on, like a flaming meteor, to lier final doom. Striking upon Gull Island, she swings aronnd, awfully shattered by the conflict, the flames rolling up, for a moment, as if not alarmed by Niagara's roar, but determined not to be en- circled within its cold embrace, or to be beaten by its mighty and terrific power. The Avar of the elements continues for an instant; the " Caroline " has disappeared, leaving " not a wreck behind ; " and Niagara is victor, pro- claiming to the world that its power is not lessened by the strife of men, or any casual floating substance upon its bosom. Very few, however, beheld this gnmd spectacle, as it was during the night, and most of the inhabitants had retired from the frontiers. It is not our purpose at this time, to enter into the minutiae of this affair ; suffice it to say the boat was charged by the British with aiding the refugees, by carrying provisions and arms to Navy Is- land, Avhich doubtless Avas true. This specifi- cation Avas brought before the court by the British consul, at the trial of McLeod, for the murder of a gentleman from Buffalo, Avho Avas 42 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. shot on board the " Caroline." It will be re- collected McLeod was acquitted. The fragments of the boat that lodged on Gull Island remained there till next spring. What was left of her after passing the Eapids went over the point of the Horse Shoe Fall. No person, we believe, was on board. Decem- ber 29, 1839. The Line between the two Governments, As agreed upon by the commissioners (General P. B. Porter was one, on behalf of the United States' Government), is in the centre of the river, or deepest channel, passing through the point of the Horse Shoe, through the centre of Lake Erie, Lake Superior, and so on to the northean boundaries of the United States. Indian Offering to the Falls. In the month of August, 1851, the writer ac- companied a party of Indians from the north- west wilds of Minnesota (on their way to Wash- ington) to the foot of the American Falls. The wind was fiivorable, and we approached within a few feet of the falling sheet. They gazed in rapt wonder on the mighty flood, as it rolled its angry waters and fell upon the resounding GL'iDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 43 rocks below. For along tiiiic exory muscle of their countcDances indicated a religious awe, and their thoughts appeared to be communing with some superior power. At a signal from the chief they drew a small red pipe from their girdle, and, with a great deal of solemn gesturing each threw his pipe under tlie Falls. This, I was told by the interpreter, was a re- ligious offering to the Great Spirit, that he would be propitious to them on their journey, and return them in safety to their homes. We then conducted them to the Tower, on the west side of Goat Island. They were induced, by some ladies and gentlemen present, to give their views of what they saw. They did so, in the following words, as fur as their language could be inter- preted. "Brothers," said the chief, "we live in the woods, far towards the setting sun. Our fathers once owned these lands and this river; they have told us of these Falls, but now we see them. Brothers, you are great, but you cannot stop this water; you cannot put your hand on its mouth and make it still. Yonder," pointing to the clouds, "is the Great Spirit ; he made these, and this is his work ; and yonder," pointing to 44 GUIDE TO Is^lAGARA FALLS. the rainbow (which at the time shone most bril- liantly), "we see his face, — Ave see him smile. We shall tell onr children what we have seen. Brothers, our hearts are glad that we turned aside from our path to see this great wonder. — Brothers, we thank the wiiites for our good treatment." The emotions of lied Jacket, the celebrated Indian chief, while visiting the Falls some years since, was of a very different charac- ter. He admired the grandeur of nature's work, but not with that religious awe and devotional feeling with which those wild untutored sons of the forest mentioned above were inspired. Envy and jealousy rankled in his bosom against the white man, the destroyer of his race. He saw, at a glance, the superiority of the white man over the red man of the woods, and he hated him because he had not the power to become his equal. CHAPTER IV. Suspension Bridge is two miles below the Falls, is eight hundred feet long, and extends two hundred and tliirty GL'IDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 45 feet above one of the maddest streams on the globe. It is owned by a stock-company, and cost about five hundred thousand dollars. It was built under the superintendence of J. A. Roebling. The cars of the Great Western Rail- road pass over the bridge to connect with the New York Central. The following are the dimensions : — Longth of span from centre to centre of towers 823 ft. llei^iiit of tower above rock on tlie Amer. side 88 " '' " - '' '' " Canada side 7S '^| •' " " " flo(n' of railway 60" " " track " water 258 " Number of wire cables 4 _ Diameter of eacli cable lO^m Number of No. i) wires in eacli cable 3650 Ultimate aggregate strength of cables tons 12,400 Weight of superstracture " 800 " " and maxi'm ids. " l"-^50 Maximum weight the cable and stays will support *' 7309 Note.— The wires were first got across by means of a kite. A New Suspension Bridge. A new Suspension Bridge, now finished, at a cost of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, designed for foot passengers and car- riages ; this Bridge is about sixty rods below the Ferry, a good path through the Grove, on the bank of the rivei. If at the Cataract House, 46 GUIDE TO ISriAGAR.V FALLS. pass in front of the International, tarn to the left, five minutes walk brings you to this bridge, (via) of the Ferry. The following are its dimensions . — The span from rock to rock is 1190 feet. The span between the centres of the towers is 1268 feet. The length of the suspended phitf orm is 1240 feet. Height above the surface of the river 190 feet. The length of the central portion, resting on cables, is 635 feet. The length of the platform supported by stays and cables is 605 feet. The deflection of cables at centre — in Summer 91 and in Winter 88 feet, making a rise and fall of the bridge from changes of temperature three feet. The length of the cables between the points of suspen- sion in medium temperature is 1286 feet. The length of cables between anchorages is 1828 feet. Length of cables and anchors 1888 feet. Height of towers above rock on Canada side, 105 feet, and on American side 100 feet. Base of towers 28 feet square, and top four feet square. The bridge is supported by two cables, composed of seven wire ropes each, which contain respectively 133 No. 9 Wires, The weight of these wire ropes per lineal foot is 9 pounds, and the diameter of the cable is seven inches. The total weight of the suspended portions of the ca- bles is 82 tons net. There are forty-eight stays weighing fifteen tons net. There are fifty-six guys connected with the bridge. The aggregate breaking strain of the cable is 1680 tons net, and that of the stays 1320 tons net, making a total supporting strength of the cables and stays 3000 tons. The number of suspenders used is 480, with an ag- gregate strength of 4800 tons. Tiie weight of the suspended roadway, including; Guide to xiagara falls. 47 weight of cables and stays, is 250 tons. The cfdinary worii:ing load is 50 tons, and the maximum load is 100 tons ; permanent and transitory load 350 tons. The towers when completed will be covered with wood and corrugated iron, and in point of architectural beauty will be highly ornate, imparting to each terminus of the bridge an air of elegance and substantiability, and rendering the whole an attraction among the beauties and wonders of that interesting locality. Distance from your hotel (American side,) to Table Rock, Burning Spring, Battle Ground, via the old Suspension Bridge and return is a fraction over fourteen miles, and by the new 10 miles. CHAPTER V. The Whirlpool Rapids. The best place to get a view of this wild tu- multuous scene, is about a quarter of a mile below the suspension Bridge. Let the visitor by all means, descend to the water's edge at this point. This is the place where the Maid of the Mist was overwhelmed and lost her smoke stack. But one opinion filled the mind, she is Lost! The Whirlpool. On the American side, is three miles below the Falls, and is visited on account of the wild and magnificent grandeur of its scenery. The 48 GUIDE TO KIAGARA FALLS. river here tuns abruptly to the right, forming an elbow, and as the waters rush against the opposite banks, a whirlpool is formed, in which logs and other bodies have been known to float for many days before finding their way out. The river, in the centre, is estimated by the Engineers, to be eleven feet and a half higher than on each shore, and the visitor often won- ders how the Maid of the Mist ever j)'issed down here and lived, yet such is the fact. There is no perpendicular fall or external outlet at the Whirlpool. The distance across it is one thousand feet; perpendicular height of the banks, three hundred and fifty feet. " Maid of the Mist " going through the Whirlpool. iShe left her moorings, about a quarter of a mile above the old Suspension Bridge, June 15, 1861, and swung boldly out into the river, to try one ot the most perilous voyages ever made. She shot forward like an arrow of light, bowed gracefully to the multitude on the bridge, and with the volocity of lightning passed on to meet her doom. Many beheld this hazardous, daring alventure, expecting every instant she would be GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 49 daslied to pieces and disappear forever. Amaze- ment thrilled every heart, and it appeared as if no power short of Omnipotence could save her. " There 1 there !" was the suppressed exclama- tion that escaped the lips of all. " She careens over ! She is lost ! She is lost /" But, guided by an eye that dimmed not, and a hand that never trembled, she was piloted through those maddened waters by the intrepid Robinson in perfect safety, and is now performing less hazard- ous voyages on the St. Lawrence. She is the only craft, so far as we know, that ever made this fearful trip and lived. Though our intrepid hero had performed many hazard- ous exploits in saving the lives of persons who had fallen into the river, yet this last act, in taking the Maid of the Mist through the Whirl- pool, is the climax of all his adventures. The boat lost her smoke stack, but otherwise received no injury, bein§ very strongly built. Three men were on board. Pilot, Engineer, and Fireman, all safe. Width of the River. Two and a half miles above the Falls the river is three miles mide, but at the outlet of the 50 GUIDE TO :n"iagaka falls. Whirlpool, it is only twenty-five rods. A man by the name of Whitmore threw a stone across from one Kingdom to the other. Depth of the Hiver at the Whirlpool. It is impossible to ascertain, as no soundings can be made. It ie thought, by some, to be five or six hundred feet deep. Devil's Hole, or Bloody Run. Is three and a half miles below the Falls, on the American side. During the French War, in 1765, a detachment of the British Army, while retreating from Fort Schlosser, were decoyed into an ambush of French and Indians. The yell of the savages as it rang out upon the midnight air, was the first indication of their attack. Baggage wagons, officers, men, women and children, were pushed over the bank into the awful chasm below. The number of those who perished Vv^as 250. Only two persons es- caped, a drummer, who was caught in a branch of a tree in his descent, and a man by the name of Steadman, (the same who put the goats upon Goat Island. GUIDE TO XIAG.VRA FALLS. 51 CHAPTER VI. GEOLOGY A N D RECESSION OF THE FALLS Sir Charles Lyell says: "The first feature which strikes you in this region is the escarp- luont, or line of inland cliffs, one of which runs to a great distance east from Queenston. On tlie Canada side it has a height of more than three hundred feet. The first question which occurs when we consider the nature of the country, is, how cliffs were produced? why do we so sud- denly step from this range to the gypseous marls, and then so suddenly to the subjacent shale and sandstone ? We have similar lines of escarp- ment in all countries, especially where the rock is limestone ; and they are considered to be an- cient sea cliffs, which have become more gentle in their slope as the country has emerged from the ocean. You may perhaps ask if the Ontario may not once have stood at a higher level, and 62 GUIDE TO ^'lAGARA FALLS. the clifls been produced by its action, instead of that of the ocean. Some of you may have pass- ed along the ridge road, as it is called, — that rem arkable Ijank of sand wliich exists parallel, or nearly so, to the present borders of Lake Ontario, at a considerable height above it. I perfectly agree with the general opinion res- pecting this, that it was the ancient boundary of Lake Ontario. In some parts of it fresh- water shells have been found. You cannot ex- plain the escarpment by the aid of the action of the lake, for it extends farther, and not in the same direction. When the land emerged gradually from the sea, as it is now doing, the sea would naturally create those sea-cliffs, and during the upheaval they would of course be- come inland. In Europe, proofs that limestone rocks have been washed away are abundant. In Greese, in the Morea, this is especially conspic- uous. We have there three limestones, one above the other, at various distances from the sea. Along the line you may see literal caves worn out by the action of the waves. The ac- tion of the salt spray, which has effected a sort of chemical disposition, is easily to be observed. So completely is this the case with each of these GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 53 lines, that you cannot doubt for an instant that here is a series of inland cliffs ; and this phe- nomenon being so certain in the Morea, leads us by analogy to infer that these escarpments of the district were produced by a similar cause. *' It is not disputed that there is some change going on at the Falls, even now. There occurs, as we know, occasionally a falling down of frag- ments of rock, as may be seen at Goat Island. The shale at the bottom is destroyed in conse- quence of the action of the spray and frost ; the limestone, being thus undermined, falls down ; and it has been believed that in this way there has been a recession of about fifty yards in about forty years, but this is now generally ad- mitted to have been overstated. There is at least a probable recession of about one foot every year, though part of the fall may go back faster than this ; yet, if you regard the whole river, even this probably will be something of an exaggeration. Our observations upon this point are necessarily imperfect ; and when we reflect that fifty years ago the country was perfectly wild, and inhabited by bears, wolves, and here and there a hunter, we shall think it surprising that we have any observations at all, even for 54 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. SUCH a period back. We have an account of the Falls, given by Father Hennepin, a French missionary, who gives an exaggerate! descrip- tion of them, and yet one which is tolerably correct. He represents a cascade as falling from the Canada side across the other two. He says that between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario there is a vast and wonderful waterfall ; after speak- ing of this, he says there is a third c.iscade at the left of the other two, falling from west to east, the others falling from south to north. He several times alludes to the third cascade, which he says was smaller than the other two. Now, those who consider that because Father Henne- pin gave the height of the Falls at six hundred feet, small value is to be attached to his testi- mony respecting any part of the country, do him injustice. I think it perfectly evident that there must have been such a third cascade, fall- ing from west to east, as that to which he al- ludes. "A Danish naturalist, who came in the year 1758, to this country, and visited the Falls, of which Jie has also given us a description, which was published in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1T51, also gives a view of the Falls. In its gen- GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 00 eral features his description agrees well with that of Father Hennepin. He went seventy-three years after him, and there was then no third cascade. But the point where Father Henne- pin had put his cascade, he had marked, and says that ' that is the place where the water was forced out of its direct course by a prodigious rock, which turned the water and obliged it to fall across the Falls.' He goes on to say, that only a few years before, there had been a down- fall of that rock ; which was undoubtedly a part of the Table Rock; and after that the cascade ceased to flow. Kow, it does not appear whether he had ever seen Hennepin's account or not ; he only mentions the fact that there had been a third cascade : and it is a striking confirmation of the accuracy of Father Hennepin's descrip- tion. We find these two observers, at an inter- val of seventy-three years apart, remarking on the very kind ot change which we now remark as having taken place within the last fifty years, an undermining of the rock, and a falling down of the limestone, and a consequent obliteration of the fall. Every one who has visited the Falls, on inquiring of the guides about the changes that have taken place, may have been told that 56 GUIDE TO i^IAGARA FALLS. the American Fa,ll has become more crescent shaped than it was thirty years ago, Avhen it was nearly straight. The centre has given way, and now there is an indentation of nearly thirty feet. The Horse Shoe Pall also has been con- siderably altered. It is not of so regular a crescent shape as formerly, bnt has a more jag- ged outline, especially near Goat Island; it has less of the horse-shoe shape, from which it derives its name, than when it was given. It is quite certain that things there are not station- ary, and the great question is whether, by this action, the whole Falls have been reduced in this manner. From representations made by other travelers, I was desirous of ascertaining whether fresh water remains were found on Goat Island, as had been said, for it would be striking if on this island there should be a stra- tum of twenty-five feet of sand and loam, peb- bles and fresh water shells. They were found there, and I made a collection of several species of shells found on the island, among them were ihe phinorl) is, a small valvata, and several other 'kinds. They were of kinds generally found living in the rapids in the river above, or in the lake. GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 57 "In digging a mill-race there, only a few years since, there were found a great number of shells, and also a tooth of a mastodon, some twelve or thirteen feet below the surface. It was the common Ohio mastodon, and must have been buried beneath these twelve or thirteen feet of fresh water deposits, one layer at a time, each containing different shells. In answer to my question, whether similar shells were ever found lower down, the guide said he would take me to a place, half a mile below, where the strata had been laid open, ^\e found there deposited in the rock a small quantity of fresh water shells, showing that this old depoition extend- ed down to that distance. Here we have proof that the river once stood at a higher level and in a tranquil state : and there is every appear- ance of the rock having been like a solid barrier t J hold the waters back in a lake-like state, so that they might throw down those fresh water depos- its at that height. You will understand this better if you consider that if the Falls go on receding, no matter at what rate, — an inch, a foot, or a yard, a year, — in the course of time the whole must recede considerably from its present condition. What jjroofs should we have 58 GUIDE TO NIAGAKA FALLS. of this afterward ? You will easily see that if the river should cut its way back to a certain point, the effect would be to remove the rocky barrier, the limestone of the rapids, which has been sufficient to pond the river back. But if the river cuts its way back, this barrier could no longer exist; the channel would be deepen- ed, and the deposits existing high and dry upon the land would become proof of the recession. This kind of proof we have, that the Falls have receded three miles from the Whirlpool, the limestone having been higher at the Whirlpool than the river at the the Falls. It may be well to say that the beds all dip to the south, at the rate of about twenty-five feet in a mile. In seven miles the dip causes a general rise of the platform to the north, so that when at the top of the cliff you are at a greater height than the level of Lake Erie ; and if the Falls were for- merly at Queenston, their height was probably near double what they now are. " Mr. Hall suggested that f Leavij^g Niagara. 'Tis hard to leave thee, mighty flood, 'Tis hard to leave thee now, With that thunder in thy depth, And glory m thy brow. 'Tis hard to leave thy great rocks, Thy white, dashing foaai. To greet the world's wide cares Which await around my humble home. Mary. &4iir ®J.Pi« &mQ wmmBt M. L. COMSTOCK & CO., 248 if 2B0 Main Sireet, BUFFALO, N.Y, Wholesale and Retail Dealers in AND MANUFACTOKERS OF LADIES' FINE FURS, FANCY ROBES, &C. C^^Parties desiring fine goods, at low prices, will find it to their ad^'antage to examine our stock. M. L. COMSTOCK & CO., 248 & 250 Main Street, Bnfialo, N Y, 1854. ESTABLISHED 1854. ALVAH CHURCH, No. 5 Exchange Street, BUFFALO, N. Y. xVnd Dealer in BANK N O T E S, of all descriptions, BULLION, SPECIE, And Domestic and Foreign Exchange. LSO, PASSAGE TO AND FROM EUROPE. 1859. Established 1859. Book ^tTolj FTtixteTS BLANK BOOK MANUFACTURERS, &c. 220 & 222 Washington Street, BUWJFAJLO, W. Y, FINE ART EMPORIUM 216 MAIN STREET, - - - BUFFALO, N. Y. ItigraxTitxgs, ghramas & ifbatagrapihs French Plate IVIirrors, German Plate Locking Glasses, Elegant Mantle Mirrors, Walnut and Gilt Frames, SWISS CARVINGS, STATUARY, tfapinese Goods, (fc, ^c. FMMM JPICTUMM QAJLIjJEMY! Open at all hours to the Public, 2 Id MAIN STREET. 1851. ESTABLISHED 1857. WILLIAM B. PETTIT, Manufacturer & Dealer in SOOTS, SHORES, And New Number, 210 Main Street, Between Exchange and Seneca, BUFFALO, N. Y. yOUNQ, JaOCKWOOD ^ JoHN^ON, MANUFACTURING Stationers, Printers, BLANK BOOK MANUFACTURERS, 209 Main Street. BUFFALO, N. Y. RAPIDS INDIAN STORE! •X-XXX: <3rlBt.:Bl.A.'P WHOLESALE AND RETAIL EMPORIUM OF SITUATED AT THE Must JEnd of G-oat Islmmd Bridge^ NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y. HERE CAN ALWAY8 BE FOUND A FULL SELECTION OP INDIAN AND OTHER FANCY GOODS I CONSISTING PBINCIPALLY OF Beadwork, Fancy Baskets, Feather Fans, Spar Jeweliy, Moose Hair on Bark, Necklaces, Bracelets, Shells, Stuffed Birds, AGATES, MINERALS from all parts of the World, ROCK OR- NAMENTS of every conceivable pattern, VIEWS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION, And all kinds of Indian Relics, &c., &c. All orders promptly filled, and great care taken in the selection of Goods when ordered by letter. Goods Slilpjicd to all points in A.merica and Europe. T. TUGBY, Proprietor. W93- ,i ■''<^^ b, **Trr** aO*^ ^-- **r^*' -^ , ^„ '^^ ? ,<^' >^ *o.o' <^^ ♦ «7 y;^ • -^^ '^**'T7;*" .v-^ ,.' _ ^^ -^^ -y^W* ,*' V. -.^ <, •<..,» ,0' .. 'K .4> ..... '*^ ^0* ..... '^o jp-n^. ^'i^^^^' ■.• y\ o» ^^^ ^ . ^ V . ^mr^rr> - ^ o" '!'' 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