The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-12-21
RECESSION OF NIAGARA FALLS.

The last number of the bingham Patriot
contains the following sketch of some OF Mr..
LYELL's views, expressed before the Lowell
Institute, on the subject of the Falls of Maya
IA:
The lecture which Mr.. LYELL gave last
Saturday contained some statements SO very
curious and interesting that cannot forbear
giving you little account of them. His SUBJ
ject was the Recession Of Niagara Falls. He
presented to his audience very beautiful
bird's-eye view somewhat resembling the
style of theatre scenery Of the whole country
from Lake Erie, and including portion of
that lake, to LewistowD and Queenstown, about
half way between the Falls and Lake Ontario
The view was designed by Blackwell, son of
the great English geologist, and painted by
Russell Smith, of Philadelphia, an artist whose
skill is well known to all who have visited the
theatres of that city. 1t gave distinct view
of the whole course of the Niagara river, from
the lake as far down as those two towns, inclu-
ding, of course, the Falls. These towns
The latter on the Canada, the former on the
American side of the river-are built Just un-
der PERCEPTIONS cliff, $40 feet high, the seen
cry about which is SO beautiful and grand that
the lecturer said it would be well worth the Wis
other attraction. This cliff is seven miles
from the Falls,and the learned Lecturer suppo-
ses that its base, and the whole surrounding
country below, was once served by vast in
land sea, of which the present lakes are but
small remains that, after the removal of this
sea, Niagara river poured over this cliff; that
then the Falls were perhaps 200 feet higher
than they now are, for there is now gradual
decent in the river of 100 feet between the
present Falls and Queenstown that the Falls
have been gradually wearing away this cliff
underneath the river, until it is now seven miles
above where it used to be /! that the Falls are
receding and diminishing in height year by
year, till in the course of time, should the world
last long enough, there will be no Niagara
Falls at all-they having backed quite into
Lake Erie In their place there will only be
irregular rapids. He said there was certain
and incontrovertble geological proof that they
had receded three miles and it was presuma-
BILE, from the face of The country and its geo.
logical structure, that they had the whole seu-
Ell. The settlement of that region has been so
recent that of course history can shed but little
light on the matter; yet even during the short
period that has elapsed since the whole coun-
try was wilderness of bears and savages there
is historical proof of great change. The
first account of the Falls that ever appeared in
print was written by Jesuit, who visited
them in 1678-one hundred and sixty three
years ago; and there was then, according TO
his description, and according to the engrav-
ing that accompanies it, another fall, from
west TO east, in front of and across those now
existing, formed by the westerly side of the
river running against Table Rock. A consid.
cradle portion of the edge of this rock has since
fallen away, and of course the extra cataract
caused by it has gone. lie said that persons
living in that vicinity told him that they could
perceive a recession of about one ward per
year; those who have lived there fifty wears
said the Falls had receded fifty yards in that
humber of years. Mr.. Lyell said that he Wis.
Tied that region in company with distinguish.
ed geoiogist who had been there five wears be-
fore, and who said he could perceive there had
been considerable change during that period.
And whodo you think that fellow traveller was,
James Hall, once bingham boy, now one If
the first biologists in America. The Falls are
now l60 feet high 76O years hence, Mr.. Lv.
ell said, computing according to the past. thew
would be but 100 feet high and he gave the
date Il have forgotten how far forward in the
regions of fu,urity it was) when they would be
e.ly SO feet high-just half their present