New-York daily tribune., 1842-07-26
a Vi.ittO Npayarn.
Correspondence of Graham's Magazine

t0rreSDenif
CArARscr IIovsE, Niagara Falls, July, 1872
Friena GrisroH Years. though not many,
have weighed upon me since first, in boyhood.
ralod from the deck of canaboat upon the
distant cloud of white vapor which marked thc
po,iton Of the worlds great aract. ard listened
70 catch the rumbling Of its deep Ihunters Cir
cumstances did not then permit me To crafty my
strong desire of visiting il; and now. when am
tempted to wonder at the stohdity OF those "ho
live within day journey, yet live on through
half century without one glance at the mighty
torrent. am checked by the reflection that ! my
self passed within dozen miles of 1t no less than
five times before | was able 10 enjoy It's magnii-
cencc. The propitious hour came at last, how
ever; and after disappointed gaze from the
uppcr terrace ON the British side, (in which hat
feared that the sheet of broken and boiling water
above was all the cataract that eNistcd) and rapid
tortuols descent by the woody dccllvlty, stood at
length on Table Rock, and the whole immensely
of the tremendous avalanche Of waters burst at
once on ny arrested vision, while Ave struggled
with Amazemont for the mastery of my soul.
Thi, Was late in October | have twice visited
the scene amid the freshness and beauty of June :;
but think the late Autumn is by far the better
season. There Is then a sternness in the sky. a
plaiutiye melancholy in the signing OF the wind
through the raottled forest foliage winch harmo-
nizes better with the spirit of the scene. For the
Genius Of Niagara, q friend is never a laughter
loving spirit. Fer the gaudy vanties, the petty
pomps. the light folhes Of the hour, he has small
,vmpathy. Let not the giddy heir bring he,e his
ingots. the selfish aspirant his ambition, the liber
tine his VICTIM and hope to find enjoyment and
gaety in the presence. Let none come here to
nsrse Lis pride, or avarice or any other low de
.re Gsd and His handwork here stand forth in
lone sublimity; and all tho petty doingS and dan
ing, of the ants at the base of the pyramid appear
in their proper insignihcancc. Few can have
visited Niagara and left it 10 humber, no grayer
than they came
The common fault Of visitcrs here OF sight
,eers elsewhere, is that OF haste Two hours are
devoted to a scene which requires days, it uot
weeks for Us proper appreciation. Niagara, like
ST. Peters at Rome, enlargeS on the vision the
mind must have time to expand ere 1t can grasp
all its giant proportions. The FIRST view always
dcludes and dlsapponts the gazer with regard To
the hight Of the perpendicular fall, the vast scale
on winch Nature has fashioned her wondor-wor>
deccive>; the depth, and breadth, and volume
deraci from the altitude; and doubt If the larger
number OF new comcrs would not estimate tie
hight at les, than half the one hundred and sixty
feet which the line gives from surface above l.
surface below Observation. however, soon cor
rccts the error; if not, walk down the inter
minabc stairway. and gaze upward at the ocear
winch seems to be posred from window o
heaven, will do il at
The giant masonry OF Nature. which has So long
inierposod barrier against the draining OF Lake
Erie into Ontario at rush. and the conscGueB
overwhelming of all the dwcllers upon the latter
and the 81. Lawrence bv a 1eluge, Is e,dcut,
wearing away; | can perceive decided chang,
SINCE first stood here seven wears ago. The
main or British fall Is recedng near the middle
and thus exchanging It's original COR recently form
OF a horseshoe for that of an irregular wedge. b,
this process the beauty and grandeur of the cata
Iact are .cnsibly dmnished. ! understand that
the recession here under the pressure of 50 vast
body of water, has been rapid essentially q
diminish the amount of wafer flowing on the Anne
rcan side Of Goat Island, even within tweui,
wears. Five hundred Will probably suffice to dr,
this channel altogether; hye thousand may or ma,
not suffice 10 bring on the great convulsion which
will des'rev the falls entirely change Lake Erie
into a sandy valley divided by a rapid river. leave
one half the Erie Canal without water and change
the whole face of Nature from Detroit TO the
Ocean. And why from Detroit only II man
be- that a barrier of rock equally finn prevents the
immediate occurrence OF a sim lar convlllsion al
the mouths Of the Huron and Michigan, and TIM,
the cataract viii bu, bc transferred to pon,
Nucu nearer lNr superior Vet ! shpNll nccfn II
qli'e as likely tina, the final submcr'on OF Niagara
# instantaneous, 1t very probab will be. when
the rocky barrier has been sapped and broken
down 50 nearly through as no longer to afford ade-
quate resistance TO the intense pressure of Lake
Ere, viii be the signal for conyulsion so mighty
To change the whole topography Of Central
North America.
Since wrote the foregoing. | have slept ,o the
music OF the great cataract my window looking
out on the iodmns and hsrrying waters Of the
American current Just before j, i, Precipatcd over
me edge. 1t has rained through a good part OF
the night ihsesh the roar of the waters drowned
completely the noi>c OF the storm. and the morn-
inS : wet and iorbiidlag while heavy fss or
cloud dciracts much from the grandeur Of the
scene. My morning walk along the American
shore has been less satisfactory than any prcyion,
observation; the water suspended in vspor sono.
what shroulns the spectacle. vhie that f,ll;o, -,
fallen deiracts likewise from the comforts of al
bu, web-tooted travellers. No matier-I d;d -,
mediate any precise description Of the Fall. and
shall not attempt II. The readers of your Maga.
zinc, presume are mainly OF the class who hsye
either been here or intend TO SEE for themselves at
fitting season And beside. description ayails
very lule in such case. Ii Is only by il. com
parison and assimilation of the unknown with the