Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-22
THE DEPTH OF NIAGARA.
Exploration Of the Canon---TryiRg Ex-
periences Of Engineers Grateful
to GOOseberry Bush.
Syracuse standard.l

Within the era of civilization in
America no one was able to success
fully pierce through the fierce aud
terrible undercurrent to the bottom
until, recently, the government itself
thought it necessary in behalf of sci
ence to undertake the task. All the
great schemes imagined to be strictly
scientific were put in operation by
bunglers to obtain the depth of water
beneath the falls. Bars of railroad
iron, pals or stones, and all unreason
able bulky and awkward instruments
were attached to long lines, and cast
of the railway bridge and elsewhere,
but positively refused to sink. The
very bulk Of the instruments was
sufficient, no matter what their weight,
to give the powerful undercurrent a
way to buoy them up upon the surface
or near it. The United States corps
Of engineers, however, with a small
lead Of only twelve pounds weight,
attached to a slender rope or sounding
cord, easily obtained the depths from
the falls to the lower bridge. AS your
correspondent assisted in the hydro
graphical operations, the facts may be
given as they presented themselves.
One day we launched in small boat,
not far below the falls, and entered on
most exciting and perilous explora.
ton Of the canon, The old guide,
long in charge of the miniature ferry
situated here, accompanied the party.
With great difficulty we approached
within a short distance Of the Ameri-
can falls, which darted great Jets of
water on us, and far out into the
stream. The roar was so terrible that
no voice nor human sound however
near We were to one another, could be
heard. The leadsman cast the line,
which passed rapidly down and told
off eighty-three feet. This was quite
near the shore. Passing out of the
friendly eddy which had assisted us ur
so near the falls, we shot rapidly down
stream. The next cast of the lead
told off 100 feet, deepening to 1872 feet
at the inclined railway. The average
depth to the Swift drift, where the
river suddenly becomes narrow, witt
a velocity too great to be measured
was l53 feet. Just under the lower
bridge the whirlpool rapids set in, ant
SO violently are the waters moved thai
they rise like ocean waves to the high
Of twenty feet. At this point YOU
correspondent, at the time OF the sur
yey, computed the depth at 210 feet
which is accepted as approximatel,
correct.
The terrors Of the gorge below thii
point are known to but few. Indeed
the foot of man scarcely ever tread
| this internal region, where almost per
| pendicular walls rise on each side O
the verge Of the river from go to 36(
feet in hight Here the continua
crumbling Of the rocks has formed
| precipitous pathway in places on thu
rivers edge; elsewhere one mus
cling to crevices in the rock, to iut
ting crags, or otherwise to get along
| A party of four of us made survey
Of the interior Of this canon from
| Lewiston to Suspension Bridge
With great difficulty we clambered
along. 1t was a fearful yet exciting
Exploration. AT times the rivei
would rise suddenly some ten or even
| fifteen feet, as if great dam above
had broken, causing q hasty retreat OF
the parties up the sides of the canon.
From points above, rocks and stones
frequently fell, causing lively appre-
tensions, and, to add to the catalogue
OF embarrassments, an occasional rat
tlesnake attempted TO retard our pro-
gress, and one Of them was killed, and
his rattles preserved in commemora-
ton Of the event Getting into the
canon at Lewiston was comnaratively
easy, but making ones way out was
another thing Nearly q mile below
Deyeaux college, which is situated
half a mile north of Suspension
bridge, the possibility of making our
way along the rivers edge ceased.
Night was just approaching, and ii
was days hard work, nearly, to
make Lewiston. Above, the rocks
lowered nearly three hundred feet
We had the alternative Of remaining
In this abode of terrors over night
returning to Lewiston the following
day, or OF fighting an almost impossi.
bic passage to the steps leading down
from the college. We determined tc
accept the latter. After an hours
climb, We made our way to within one
hundred feet of the top, where lust 9
narrow ridge formed by the crumbleC
debris seemed to extend. We follow,
ed this perhaps half a mile, when il
came TO an abrupt termination
Several rods beyond was a broad path.
way leading up to the college, but
In the interval only the bare walls
OF rock, almost perpendicular from
tho top to the rushing water, two
hundred and seventy feet below. met
the despairing gaze of our party. Just
above our heads was a creviee in the
rocks which seemed to cross the inter
yening space, With almost certain
doom staring US in the face, we deter.
mluod 10 try to cross by standing tin.
toe in the crevice and climbing to the
outings OF the rocks, The yariou.
implements Of the party were divided
up, a heavy theodOlite falling to youl
correspondent, which was strapped on
his back, The talloat olambered III
to the creyloe first, the others assist,
ing and following, and the write,
getting up last, Then began a peril,
Gus struggle to reach tho pathway
beyond. All arrived there safely when
your correspondent, with the heavy
burden on his back, was but midway
across. Here a sharp rock just at the
hight of the breast impeded the way
In attempting to get around this the
boot failed to find resting place