The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-09-30
MISCELLANY.
Correspondence of THE RECORD.
NOTES OF TRAVEL.
NIAGARA FALLS.

NIAGARA FALLS.
The Falls of Niagara may justly be classed
among the wonders of the world. They are
the pride of America and thousands of for
eigners annually visit them in addition to the
ever increasing number of our own country
men.
There is scarcely another spot on the globe
where the power and majesty of the Almighty
are SC strongly manifested. The feelings of
an observer are much similar to those of
person Watching old ocean roll its angry
waves upon the sea coast. There is
grandeur aud sublimity about the Falls that
one never tires in watching. 1t salways the
same, yet ever changing.
The four great lakes of North America
Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie--pour
the flood of their accumulated water into
Lake Ontario through channel Of ahost 90
miles in length. This channel is named the
Niagara River, and is part of the boundary
between Canada and the state of New York.
Twenty-Five miles below it's commencement
at Lake Erie occur the famous Falls of
Niagara. Here the vast body of water, after
having made the descent of the Rapids above
the Falls, makes one grand leap over
precipice higher than the majority of church
spires.
The Falls are divided into two by Iris or
Goat Island, a strip of land about seventy
acres in extent. Upon this island, a man
named Steadman placed number of goats
long time ago, hence the name. The Ameri-
can Falls are 900 feet wide, by 1874 feet high.
The Canadian Falls, better known as the
Horseshoe Fall from its peculiar shape, is
1000 feet wide, and 1853 feet high.
The origin of the name Niagara is uncertain,
but it is supposed to be Of Iroquois extrac-
tion and to signify the q Thunder of Waters"
The roar Of the Falls is sometimes heard at
great distance, but of course it is constantly
modified by the direction and velocity of the
wind. The amount of water which passes
over this magnificent precipice is incredible.
Learned men have made computations of the
amount and have given us the figures, which
certainly are large enough. 1t is estimated
that one hundred million tons of water rush
over every hour.
To the geologist and student of nature, the
vicinity offers rare and almost boundless at
fractions. Curious and contorted forma-
tions, fossiliferous rocks In great variety, and
the narrow channel below the Falls, combine
to render the locality especially agreeable.
1t is computed that the rock is worn away
by the never-ending friction of the water at
the rate of about one foot year, and it is be-
lieved that the falls have gradually receded
from Queenston, seven miles below, to their
present position. The most eminent geol-
ogists, including the celebrated Sir Charles
! Lyell, are inclined to this latter opinion. The
width of the Niagara River varies from
several hundred yards to three miles. At the
Falls it is about three quarters of mile wide.
Between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, the
total descent is 1874 feet.
There has been no lack of discussion re-
garding the time when the Falls were first
seen by white men. French traders are said
to have visited them as early as 1910 and 10,
but there are no authentic accounts to con-
firm this statement. Side by side with the
| French trader came the missionary priest
first the humble Franciscan, and then the
wary disciple Of Loyola. Father Hennepin, a
French Jesuit missionary, saw them in 1878.
His descriptions were visionary and exceed
inely exaggerated. He thought the Falls
were six or seven hundred feet high, and that
four persons could walk abreast under the
sheet of water, without any other inconyeni-
ence than the spray.
During our stay at Niagara, which was
about three days, we saw nearly everything
of interest in and about the speighborhood
The International Hotel was Our home and
headquarters while we remained there and we
can recommend it as being first-class hote
in every respect. Naturally our chief delight
was in viewing the Falls from the different
points of observation. A person cannot OBJ
tain a clear idea of the nature and immensely
of the Falls from one point alone. He mus
behold it from above and below, from ths
Park ard Goat Island on the American side