Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-09-10
pe,,,6o,asslon ofthe Nlagnfa Fails.

sr,..,, lle inilslo Commercial Advertiser 25sh,l j
we are indebted 10 an esteemed cores
,ondent for the following communicated 4
N n ve,y interesting subject In q p A.
ate note the writer expresses the hf 1J6
6at the facts set forth will prompt sElie
II the many scientific men who visit the
alIs 10 give full geological history ri !
form, Of course, Of the present
md past, and the probable future Of Mag
IRA. Prof lie Vlux, who furnished the
writer with the important facts alluded to,
4 the author Of several popular works on
Geology, English, but his work ON Niag-
I'm and the Lakes will not be pubhsheA in
ess than six or eight months:
Editors Boston Commercial AdVertisH:
Mr.. q. Victor lie Vauy, the geologist,
now soiourning at the Falls. is engaged,
we believe, in writing work on the ''6e-
olooy of Niagara and the Great Lakes.
He states that the Horseshoe Falls have re-
ceded more than six feet at the great bend
or central blight" since his visit here last
wear and that the average rate ofretrogres-
sion from this point along the preceipice to
the Canadian bend" has been five feet.
During the last year the rate ofretro-
oression Of the American Falls was three
feet at one point (the Luna indenhhon or
bipht) and one foot at another, Else
where the retrogression is not perceptible.
Last year Mr.. Levaux drove iron pins into
the earth in variouH places at Goat Island
and elsewhere, each set consisting Of three
rods) being in line with each other and
some point on the verge Of the pTecipice.
The central blight has reoeded six feet to
the left of that line Of indication, and the
'Iuna blight" three feet to the right, and
so on, the points being taken on Goat
Island. Mr. lie Vaux is the first so FAR as
we have ascertained, who set indicating
sentinels, such as alluded over the falls.
His plan for calculating this annual retro
oression is excellent If every scientific
gentleman Waiting Niagara would fix i'm
dieators in the locality 80 as to be IN line
with some point or part of the cataract the
average annual rate Of retrogression could
soon be settled beyond the possibility OF a
doubt. ..i-n,t
Mr.. lie Vaux states that, in his opinion,
portion of the precipice on which the Ter
rapin Tower is situated will be swept away
in less than ten years, At present an I'M
mense crevice OF crack scarcely noticed by
visitors, extends from the base Of the tower
towards the centre Of the great cataract
II runs nearly parallel to the edge OF the
precipice, and is about fifty yards in length
Henceforth at certain seasons, especially
during the breaking up Of the ice on the
lakes, it will be very dangerous for visitors
10 ascend the tower. This immense crey-
ice can be plainly discernsd from either the
base or summit of the Tierapin.
We all remember the astonishment ex-
perieneed last Fall when some scientific
men asserted they had discovered, about
mile above the Falls, certain signs which
seemed TO indicate that the waters had
formed subterranean passage from that
point to the "Cauldron" beneath the pre-
cipice, and that this was the reason why
not more than half the usual volume tum-
bled over the cataract, The learned gen.
tlemen aforementioned informs US that he
has studied this matter accurately, and, as
the result of his Investigations, affirms that
no such passage exists. He states that
small streams, similar to those which flow
under and amongst the rocks composing
''The Three Sisters" do certainly flow
through and under the upper strata com
posing the bed Of the river above the Falls
and tend to hasten the decomposition o.
the same, but that no such under.
ground stream as that alluded tc
does or could exist without producing
indications, below the cataract, moi
now apparent. He attributes the
shallowness of water last fall, and at pres.
ent, to the increase of evaporation and
want rain; also to the confguration Of
the rapids, which, being rather prolonged
and elevated in the centre, have q tendency
to turn the waters on either side, when
there is any decrease in the volume The
bed of the river ON the Canada side liz
much lower than that on the American. It
is on this account that the greater volume
of water passes over the Horseshoe. Prof.
LIE Vaux informs us that the wear or denu-
dation backwards and downwards Of both
falls is in proportion to the volumes of wa
ter passing over them, and that the same
is true of the river beds. Consequently, in
the course of time, as the relative depths
of the two streams increase, the waters will
cease to flow in the American channel alto
gether would that some Of our local
biologists would devote their attention to the
subject, as / am sure the public generally,
as well as myself, feel an interest in the
destiny of sold Niagara"