The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-09-11

IL NC nave Teof On "a icnI suSt Ne CAuuOe Tctdih
his hold OF the public affections, hiring public
writer to puff and bedaub him with praise will
only hasten the contamination he il striving
to avert.
TIE LAST OF THE TABLE Rock AT NIAGARA
THE WORKING OF THE FALIs.-The Falls OF
Niagara are gradually moving up stream Ac-
cording to our telegraphic advices Of yesterday
the last of the Table Rock has tRmhled in. 1t
was inevitable. 1t had to go Nothing can b.
more simple than the work Of excavation which,
from time immemorial, has beea going on at
Niagara Falls. Almost every year, ami fire
quently several times in year, some portion
OF the shelf over which the river plunges tumhles
into the chasm below, creating some visible
cf ange in the grand curve of the Horse Shoe
or in the irregular line Of the American Fall
The process as we have said, is exceedingly
simple. The general level Of the country OF
Lake Ontario is some three hundred feet lower
than that of Lake Erie The d preston il
abruptly marked by terrace drawn across
Niagara river, near Lake Ontario. rom which
lake said terrace appears like mountain ridge
this ridge forming the level Of the country o.
Lake Erie. In the original outflow from Erie
to Ontario then, the river was very naturally
precipitated over this terrace, as down the side
Of q mountain. But soon the fall became
perpendicular, as the geological structure Of
this upper country will show in glance at the
sides Of the chasm below the present Falls.
From Lake Erie to the descent near Ontario
the first formation under the arabic soil is =
mass of primitive limestone from eighty to
one hundred feet thick. Underneath this
friable slate or shale succeeds, which is under
lined by sand. &c. The river finds it a slow
business to grind down this immense over
Of excavation is easy by the simple process OF
undermining it. The stream at first falling
over the terrace, washed away the loose mate
rails at the base. and, from the tremendous
volume Of water pouring down, soon scooped
out deep basin at the foot Of the Fall. Then
the action of water and air combined rapidly
disintegrated and moved away the triable ma
terials forming the back Of the Fall, until
the overlapping layer of limestone was
left projecting like shelf across the
stream, over which the mighty mass of waters
was thrown into the chasm below. But as the
work Of disintegration went on underneath, aud
as the pulverized materials were washed away
this impending shelf limestone, from its super
incumbent weight broke off and fell into the
basin; and thus the Niagara Falls have IN
doubtedly been working their way :, stream
for several thousand years.
In this way the deep and narrow gorge, or
canon. Of some nine or ten mi es from the Falls
to the lower country. has been cut out. The
masses Of rock which form the fearful rapids
down this awful passage are but the fragments
from the common level OF the cliffs which, on
each side. indicate solid body of limestone OF
from eighty to one hundred feet in thickness
The same process accounts for the Table Rock
and its fall. In the course of years another
table rock will thus be formed, projecting over
the water and admitting Of safe passage
nrder it between the falling river in front and
the crumblng wall behind it; but this, too, a.
IT. basis is removed. will from the elementary
laws Of gravitation, tumble into the gulf
The work Of Reorganization at Niagara is
slower, as we should judge, at this time, than
ever before. The Intervention Of an island has
divided the stream. and the great width of the
Canadian branch alone has diminished the ex
cavatiDg force Of the river to less than half its
power when the Falls were mile lower down
and the whole oyerplus Of Lake Erie was concen-
trated into channel Of some eight hundred
Canadian, including the island the circuit Of
the Falls now is extended to nearly mile
But they illustrate at a glance their future
plan OF operations. Comparatively light body
Of water passes over the American channel
insufficient to scoop ont bed for the broken
limestone as it tumbes in 1t therefore lies
piled up in rugged masses above the surface OF
Ibe water where it has fallen. This branch OF
The river, too, has dropped o third Of mile or
more behind the Canadian, from the same cause:
The lack OF the motive power to do the work
1t will be observed, also that the centre Of
the Horse Shoe is gaining rapidly upon
The rides, the heaviest body of water
being in the centre. The Horse Shoe will thus
probably reach the head Of Goat Island, aud
absorb the water OF both channels, before the
American Fall shall have made hundred yards
further up stream In this event the village of
Niagara Falls will be left high aud dry, and
Goat Island will become part of the main land
But as the comet is to knock this old planet
OF ours ito flinders, on or before the thirteenth
instant, it is idle to follow Niagara any further
THE PAsrORs ALL RETURNED AND REsUMNG
THEIR DUTIES Each Sabbath day for the past
month or more has witnessed the opening OF
one or more honscs Of worship in New York
which had been closed during the summer ab-
sence in the country Of congregations and pa
tore. To-day will see the re-opening OF the
rest Next Sunday we suppose there will
not be single church in the city so circ im.
far ced in which divine servicea will pnt ~,