The sun., 1878-11-26
GENESEE FALLS CRUMBLING
REMARKABLE CHANGES IN THE GENE
SEE RIVER At ROCIfES TER.

Rich Valley aud "a Great Estate Disaster
Amer the Narrowing Of n Rivers Bed
ROCHESTER,, Nov. 19.-On n mountain peak
IN Potter County. Pa. is the fountain head OF
two rivers. The rivulets start In such close
proximity that II sportsman should toss tho
cork out OF his drinking flask In n southcrly
direction. the water could carry it down into
the Monongahola. and thence through the
Ohio and Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico.
Tho cork thrown in n northerly direction
might float on down the Gencsce across Lake
Ontario. and reach the Atlantic through the st.
Lawrence. II the readers OF THE SUN should
follow the cork over its southern route. they
would find II long. sluggish. and tedious jour
ney. IL they should start with the cork on its
northern trip. they would discover that the
strenm. which was ut first barely sufficient to
carry it's little freight. aided by the great water
sheds under which 1t would puss in it's journey.
would dash it's way through precipitous walls
Of rock. and over mighty waterfalls. scorning
the efforts OF man to keep 1t within bounds.
As these waters are now playing havoc in this
extensive milling and manufacturing city Of
Rochester. a brief description OF the river. with
its recent changes. may prove interesting
After leaving tho mountain wilds OF Ponnsyl-
vania. the river runs through "A valley OF ex-
ceedlng beauty and richness. At Portage viii
lage. one Of the most attractive points Of the
many interesting places on the line OF the Eric
Railway. the river has cut n rugged channel.
the rocky walls OF which rise TO n height OF from
two TO six hundred feet There are three pie
turesque waterfalls here within u short dis
tance. the same IA at Rochester. The scene re-
minds one OF the canons in Colorado. The
waters pour ovor the second fall distance of
ITO feet In an unbroken sheet. On the western
side. at tho foot OF the fall. the waters have
scooped out deep. dark cavo in the slate for
nation.
From hero the course of the river lies deem
down in itg rock eel lpetI Hmit4 n pf
miles. with hero and there narrow strip OF
rich allnyIsl soil until the rivers Gxt y reached
rich deposit known as the Genesee Flats. while
stretching far AWAY to the south are the fertile
also watered by stcams from the neighborng
mountain districts, which pour into the Goncsec.
trous inundations. Your correspondent once
saw the river. as Il passed through Rochester.
covered with produce and yellow with pump
The old wadsworth homestead. at Geneseo.
commands glorious view OF all the rich do
James S. wadsworth oftcn looked over his vast
estnte which was reckoncd by miles. instead OF
acres. 1t was said that no horse in his stables
could travel around the boundary of his pos
sessions in one day. Here Wadsworth inher-
sd & h 0Ye 4 ads 9sr 6 b s' ed a@ to give up
The river at Rochester is spanncd by several
bridges, Including that Of the. Now York Cen
Canal crosses the Genesee in the centre OF the
city by means OF one of the finest a1ueducts
III AHt NbTlu. IL 10 ODe OI tnt DeSt pieces
OF engineering work in tho State. The
bridges are all too low. aud sometimes
have to be rebuilt after The terrible ireshets
bridge Is lined OH each side with lofty brick
stores. They Join the buildings at each side OF
the river, SO there is no appearance whatever
OF bridge as persons pass over. From the
aqueduct above. however. tho walls OF the
The river us L passes through the .ty. until
II reaches the brink OF the upper falls is
lOrlAR foundation n w nj ra lniH in
the bed OF the river. In many places. where the
channel OF the river was at least thousand
This Is especially the case just above the falls.
But the river reyenges itself for being cramped
In Its little bed. In March. 1865, the stream
which at its fountain head would hardly carry
the bobbing cork. dashed through Rochester
Win reslstless force. sweeping from one ware
were ever recovered. The city was inundated
bridges and buildings carried away. and many
holes through the walls OF the shops on Main
street bridge. the flood sweeping all things
through the breaches. from spools OF cotton to
There arc three cataracts within the limits Of
the city OF Rochester. as at Portage village. The
those at Portage and Mount Morris. The
height OF these walls in certain places exceeds
800 feet. The upper falls are nincty-six feet
high. Al the distance Of about a mile from the
feet is followed by tho third or lower falls which
are nearly one hundred feet in height. Thus
the limits oil the city tnA Muters OF tile
Genesee. including the rapids. make n descent
OF 265 ieet. The water power ID enormous. that
NJ the upper jail being estimated NJ 10000 horse
power, In the summer II Ia noarly all used by
the mills aud factories. which draw their sup
plies from the river through races. One OF tie
finest factories at the upper fall belongs 10 tho
estate Of the late William Garner who went
down. off Staten Island. in his yacht Mohawk.
The formation OF rock in the Genesoe pre-
sents curious study Tor the geologist. Tho
suriacr OF The falls for, two Or three feet is
Limestone upheld by slate The slate chips
an lt4l laa No mn hmm
INK ROOT above. forming II large cavern. with
wall OF water In front and "a wall Of rock be-
limestone at the top has been gradual esti-
mated BY careful observers at about an inch
year Occasionally pieces OF rock toppled
over. but not Of sufficient magnitude to change
the formation Of the falls. The surface under
,s ,he isl's wss 80 even mat at low water adyen-
10 thc rock. from one sido of the river to the
other. The water where the cataract fell was
mills drew on nearly ali the water above in
summer. your correspondent with other boys
OF his time, while. swimming. tokk large
stonr IN each hand and divud 10 a depth OF
twenty OF thirty ioot without bong ablo TO see
ed WIZ L6,nG 6nnYSGnSo 70 .ns s,Gnss Te ascend
nigh out OF the water. The change IN the falls
VIII forever preclude the Rochester boys, on the
east bank ~ least, from following the slippery
footsteps OF their predecessors
iew nights ago james Cahill, switchman
on duty hundred rods above tho upper fall,
near the New York Central Railroad bridge
was startled AZ about A. VI. by "A rumbling.
CluSulHE SOuhu, thht broke through tho roar OF
the faling water us u booming cannon would
through the rattle OF nuskctry. His first
thought was that Quo OF the large mills or fac
tories lad fallen. Pccring through the dim
light. he was glad 10 sse the familiar outlines
OF tue old mill and other buildings NJ tile edge of
the falls. A policeman. who had heard the crash
AWAY back In St Paul street came down to the
river and hailed CHhill with the inquiry:
Did you near anything stranger
les answered Cahlll; " thought heard
building nut"
So did !. said the policeman.
IL may have been Bartholomew brewery"
suggested the swltc.imHn. have heard that
thcre Is too much beer piled up In II for safety"
III 20 and see.' said the policeman, starting
on In the darkness.
Daylight revealed the fact that the concussion
had been cAnscd by the falling OF "a large portion
q the falls from tho brink ON the east side into
the river below.
:, An old stone -four mill the first erected in
hQchesttr. stands on the Overhunging bank
Whlch was the original boundary of the river.
IN front oi TINS mill, years ago, II wall was run
OUT unu a building erected On thu bad OF tho
river, Win a racrway underneath for wafer
power THIS building is now used by Joseph
~; CqA Son ~ a moulding anu planning mill
Ihe building stood twenty leet from the edge of
the lull. Tho mass ot rock that fell took this
whole surface Of twenty feet. close up to the
Duldlng. hnd ran lar out into the river COM
pletely changing tho aupphruupt. of the fall