New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-15
TRIP TO TIE FALLS.

Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.
NIAGARA FALLS, Tuesday, Aug !, 1855.
am on the road of the great hood-the eter-
nal highway Of the waters of all the northwest
EN- States. / Fit in ny room az the Cataract
Hotel, almost hanging over the foamng rapids,
where / could toss this sheet of paper INTO the
stream that is lining by at a speed of fifteen
n lies the hour, and in three minutes it would
take leap of l64 feet down the American Fall,
and be eneulphed forever. But don't be alarmed,
reader; / am not going to copy the guide, or
write you my own description of Niagara nor
rhapsody upon first observation-disclosures these
now present are neither first, secOnd or third.
A quarter of century has gone by since felt my
first impressions of this most pleasing sight OF all
that have ever seen in my extended travels; and
still this eternal flood rolls on-stll pOurs It's In
conceivable mass Of waters over the preclplce,
with deafenng roar Ike the waves OF stormy
sea lust as il did when | fret saw and wondered
if il would ever run out just as il did those long
ages ago when the cataract was seven miles lower
down the river from where it has worn It's way
upward so slowly that in whole age man can
only perceive here and there an Insignificant little
piece of the rock has crumbed away and fallen
down. without effecting any more change than the
falling q single leaf in the appearance of whole
forest. Still the supply OF water has not run out.
Still il runs on toward the sea, according TO Pro
lessor Wells estimate at the rate of fifteen hun
dred millions of cubic feet of water every minute,
or according TO Judge De Vaux, al the rate of fifty
eioht Thousand three hundred and forty. three bar
rels of water in every second OF all the immensely
of time that il has taken to weara channel through
the rocks thousand feet wide and three hundred
feet deep. seven miles long.
And an il has not run out. Still pOurs the
Ioemipg food twenty feet deep over the center OF
Horse Shoe Fall, one hundred and forty rods wide,
and still the supply is undiminished
Above the cataract the rivers course is west
,yerd hut this great stream comes not from the
n east 7 is simply TO answer the question oil
\ child that sat down TO write.
\ !. Father. where does all this water come IRON
Il sbould think il would run out.
H Vet n does not still that father could not tell
that cbild why He could Lot tell where It came
/ fyou. and so he answered " Oh, don't ask SO
- many foolish questions IL was not ioolsn
4 ouestion-t was a foolish answer IL IL ques-
\ tion that suggests itself 10 all but foolish minds
II Where does all this water come from
Ucomes from ali the great inland seas az America
| II cones from axes Erie, 81 Clair, Huron Mich
lean and the great Superior and sll OF the thousand
/ ilets into their shores from the States Of New
L Work. PENNSYLVANIA. Ohio Indiana, Illinois, WIS
II ceu.in. Michigan and great northwestern Terri
II tory. ana from q vast region d Canada.
Il iook at the map OF North America snd SEE
what an extent Of surface Is drained into al These
II Lakes. and then think that all this water pour
II down through the Niagara River, and over TN
II great cataract and your question Is answered
II and you viii cease to wonder where u comes Iron
II or whether it viii ever run out.
II Ii is the outlet Of territory biz enough Tor al
II empire In the State of New-YOrk Tie strip tina
sheds into Lake Erie Is a narrow one-only lev
miles wide. In Pennsylyania il Grows htsh
wider. In Ohio il spreads out till .ong rivers pou
down thei- foods. Then comes narrow belt o
Iudisna snd Illinois, Tat empties It's waters INT
Lake Michigan.
Here the Mississippi sends up It's arms 10 clam
share, interfering those of the ST. Lawrence
al times within ~ enty miles OF the lake shor:.
ard often drawing water from me same SUNNI
level. Tten comes Wisconsin, draining hAli II
surf.ce into the lake and that great arm Gale
Green Bay. which fights with the very heads
tie Mississippi for share Of the SHOWS Of 20
Northwest rs they melt away In the Spring.