New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-08
NIAGARA FALLS.
improvements lhere and in the vicinity.

there seemed TO be exhausted in the carac leaving the
people lazy and sleepy With unriyaled capacities for
manufacturing, papernil gristmil and one or two
saw mills have alone profted by the incompatible
power Rahbun tried change this but exploded before
lis scheme was carried through Since that failure the
place has grown very slowly and with the exception otwo
or three large and fine hotels to accommodate the crowd
of ummtr visitors it but little larger active than
il was fifteen years ago.
The building of the Great Western Railroad from Detroit
across Canada and the Railroad from Rochester have
given start to everything at the Falls and the place must
henceorth rapidly advance in numbers of people and in in
dustral production The present suspension bridge being
strong enough only to carry ordinary carriages
one is to be built for the Of the trains This bridge to
be feet in width having single railroad track with foot
path each side II will hang directly the present one
2Ofee higher in the air. When it is completed the frontier
line will be abolished far the railroads concerned
and passengers may be landed opposite Detroit the
cars in which they take their seats at Albany having crossed
the famous Niagsra upon wreg 800 feet above its bed
Another great WORK going on in that vicinity is the
cutting Of railroad track from Just below the Falst Lew
sopn the gorge othe river itself For the greater part the
way cut in the hard limestone and when it is completed
the will roll along 10 their destination with the precpi
tous rock rising one hand and the whng oamng abyss
Of the river foot Of second precpce the other
The entire descent be accomplished three hundred
and twelve feet giving grade Of about % feet 10 tn mile
Two miles of this cutting wicos $4,000 but even this
expense is thought preferable to the long detOurs that
would be required TO descend to the plain Lewiston By
an inland line Freight might indeed be carried up and
down by inclined plane at that place while passengers
could be conveyed in carriages has hitherto been done
but Of course such not only ncOnveniet but in
sufficient for growing traffic. Accordingly. the daring
proiect-conceived we believe, by Mr. McNar the eng-
neer who superntends the work-of excavatng track
in the side of tho limestone bu which forms the bank OF
the river has been devised and is being theoretically
carried out The shanes of labOrers line the bank and
the constant click of drills, the sound of blasting
and the crash Of exploded rocks they fall through the
trees Of the gorge and plunge into the depths below daily
invade the majesty OF nature with the advance Of powe
TO which Niagara and its precipces become sub
servient the power OF industry. holder and i'm
posing piece of engineering we never than indicated
by the line Of the cutting appears family marked
along the face Of the bluff But n months the shrek
Of the locomotive will resound in the chasm and long
trains of will in safety up and DO wn its side
Another admirable enterprise now executing is by
drauc canal and BASIN intended TO furnish water power A.
some distance below the village and mile perhaps from
the cataract itself The basin is marked out and partly e
cavsed sufficiently near the verge ofte bluff to be conven
lent orthe construction of factories arouud It'll to be three
hundred feet long by ninety broad and of sufficient depth
The canal to supply water will start from the beginning of
the rapids and will be sixty feet wide by ten deep Each
mill can obtain any amount of fall by cutting suicsway
through the rock to the edge Of the bluh There will
be no limit to ths power which can be furnished in
this manner and great manufacturing center must grow
up there sufficiently remote from the Falls to lea re their
sublimity unaffected by mills and other works Of mere
prosac utty-a consideration OF great weight in many
minds
The plan Of building ship canal around the Falls on
the American side is much talked Of under the impulse
given by these great works Ii would begin above the
rapids and end Lewiston and would dispense with
the necessity which compels vessels to resort TO
the Weland Canal when they wish 10 pass from one lake
to the other To cut such canal through the rock which
underos the region and finish the locks necessary 10 lift
vessels above three hundred feet would be both a tedious
and costly enterprise. The expense estimated at FIVE
million dollars
we are sorryto say thatGoat Island as Well cared
for as il should be- 1t ought to be kept beautifully
than any garden for nature has made il the ench,nt
ing places Instead OF this il quite neglected There
good paths beneath the majestic trees tangled
underground decayug trunks srTes. the steps of the
Wandtror and nowhere is there bed of flowers any
other evidence hathe hand Of man cheshes the spot and
loves TO hgh,en and adorn its beauty. The visitors who
to il pay considerable income its propre-
tors for the privilege of crossing the bridge and submit
that the latter osght to beaufy il as it deserves.