Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-19
NIAGARA FALLS.
AN INTERESTING LETTER.

| Description OF the rails and tine
scenery OF the surrounding COun-
Psychological Formations of the
C0umtry-WearinE Away of She
Fails-Points OF Interest-Lundy,s
Lane.
| NIAGARA FALLS, juno "a, 1771.-Ni-
agara is by no means the highest water
fall in existence, being only 165 feet,
whilst that of Tequendams, in New
Grenada, is $50, Gsriusra, in Hindostan,
LOCO, and Gavarpi, in France, /, 800 feet
in height, yet it is the largest and most
awe inspiring falling current upon the
face of the globe.
70 fully appreciate the grandeur of the
enchanting scene, you must stand on the
base of the cataract and witness, as it
seems, vast river escaping from the
heavens above to the unfathomable abyss
beneath your feet. No one can, without
being here, realize the majesty displayed.
Unceasing, rolling tide, which, like a
thing of life, moves On and on unwearied,
and as inexhaustable as when the river
first gushed over the fall of Queenstown,
thirty thousand years ago.
Before attempting description of the
Falls, propose giving you the character
of the country in this vicinity, the geolog-
ical formation and features of the Niagara
River, that you may the better under
stand the subjects to which your attention
will be directed when l come to relate
the objects of local interest.
TILE COUNTRY AND RIVER.
The country through which the river
| flows is comparatively flat table of land,
elevated about 334 feet above the surface
of Lake Ontario. Passing along at a
short distance from the river, as you pro-
coed from Buffalo to the Falls, it seems
to be upon level with the surface of the
ground, and has the appearance of
| CLASSY sea, there being no perceptible
current until within about a mile of the
Falls. Below the falls to Queenstown,
the county is pretty much of the same
character, though the river here has left
the surface and made its bed deep down
several hundred feet between perpendi-
cular rocks, for the distance of seven
| miles.
Below Queenstown the country again
is level, and from this point the Niagara
| flows in placid stream through the plain,
| seven miles, and discharges itself into
Lake Ontario. The fall in the river be-
tween Lake Erie and the head of the
Rapids is about one foot per mile, and
between Queenstown and Lake Ontario it
is only about seven inches per mile. The
| width of the river about the falls varies
from one to three miles, and of about the
same width fr1m Queenstown to its ter
| minus. Between the Falls and where it
escapes from its narrow bed, at or near
Queenstown, the channel varies in width
from two to four hundred yards, aud the
gorge is about three hundred feet ii
depth. The fall in the river between the
cataract and the escarpnent at Queens
town, is about one hundred feet, and the
depth of the river below the cataract at
the new suspension bridge is two hun
dred and fifty feet, and this is said to be
about its average depth, except at the
Rapids. Between Lake Erie and the cat
aract the Niagara is
STUDDED WITH ISLANDS,
There being thirty-seven in all. Some
| so small as to hardly be worthy the name,
especially Gull Island, mere green spot
! located upon q rock amid the rapids
above the Horseshoe Fall, though the
| enthusiastic guides seem TO make it an
| object of much interest to visitors. 1t
| has never been visited. AS far as / could
discover, with my field glass, should
judge it to be only clump of cedar cling
! ing 10 or in the cleft of the rocks.
Grand Island is twelve miles long and
seven broad, and divides the river into
| two branches. Just below it is ''Nayy
Island" place of some military celeb
rity. Here, in 1859, the French built
their ships-of-war, and in 1887 it WAS
the headquarters of the Rebel leaders,
who sought to revolutionlze Canada; it
has an area of 304 acres.
t'GoAT IsLAND,"
Which stands in the rapids above the
Cataract, divides the river into two
| branches, that passing on the northwest
ern side is called the Horse shoe or Ca
| madam Fall, that passing on the south
eastern side is the American Fall. The
latter is goo feet wide 165 feet high, and
the former 2, 900 feet wide and 158 feet
high. The base line of this island along
the cliff is $50 yards in length. 1t is
heavily wooded and much resorted TO By
visitors. lis real name is Girls, - derived
from the rainbOws so frequently seen
! near it, but owing to Mr.. Stedmsn
having, in 1870, placed some goats to
pasturage upon it, it has been called vuls
carly ''Goat Island" Between this island
and the American shore is a small body
OF lard called Bath Island, between which
! and the former flows the stream called
| Central Fall. Almost upon the verge of
the precipice is
LUNA ISLAND.
1t is so called owing to its being the
| best point from which to observe the
| FLunar Bow" which can only be seen
| at full moon and when it is high in the
! heavens. At the head of Goat Island
| three small islands called the Three Sis
| ters" are located, and though for long
time considered inaccessible, are now
connected with Goa. Island by four
bridges, and much resorted to by visitors.
The river Niagara flows northWsrd
| from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, the dis
lance between the two lakes being about
thirty-six miles, of which about twenty
| two miles is above the Falls. The
GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS
OF the country through which the River
Niagara flows are very manifest, and aid
very much in solving the recession prob
lem of the Falls, if rot indeed disclosing
their origin and the date of that extraor-
binary event. The UppeTmost rock of
the table land through which the Niagara
has its course is hard limestone, q member
Of the Siurean series, and which Gas does
all the strata) dips toward the south %
feet in mile. Upon this formation rests
| drift, which in some localities in The vi
cinity of the river, rise to the height OF
thirty or forty feet. The limestone strata
at the falls is about ninety feet thick; be-
heath it lies soft shell! of equal thick
ness; the character of the latter has
tended much to hasten the recession of
the falls from Queenstown Heights to
their present Location.
The Niagara river does rot now occupy
its original position.
SIR CHARLES LYELL,
The eminent GeOlOgist, in 1S41 and 1912,
found abundant geological evidences OF
the rivers ancient bed, at the height OF
nearly 500 feet above the bottom of the
present gorge. There can be no doubt, we
think, about The Falls being first located
at Queenstown Heights, and from there
in very remote ages the cataract COM
menced its retrogTade movement 1t is
| rOusIIy certain from the face of the CONN