The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-06-24
NIaeara Fails nrr for a nar.


The following letter, written from
Hamilton, Ontario, to the Chicago
1Tt6n'ae, by the Right Rev. DR.. Fuller,
relates a remarkable occurrence In
the month of March last delivered in
the city of Hamilton, Ontario, a lecture
entitled Upper Canada AS 1t Was
Fifty Years Ago, and Ontario as 1t
Now ls," and, in the course of my lec-
ture, spoke OF the great difficulty of
constructing the international bridge
between Buffalo and the Canada side
opposite to that city on account of the
great current of water running at times
down the Niagara river, where the
waters are driven by strong westerly
winds down Lake Erie, whereas the
quantity of water running down the
river is very much diminished when the
winds drive up Lake Erie. l then re-
marked:
This fact caused an event, ,thirty-two
years ago this month, of which prob
ably very few of you have ever heard.
| refer to the time when the falls of
Niagara were dry for whole day. That
day. was the thirty first of March, IS4S.
L did not witness it myself; but was
told OF it the next day by my late
brother-in-law, Thomas G. Street, Esq,
member of parliament. Happening to
go out to his place the next day, he told
me that his miller (for he had a grist on
the rapids above the falls) knocked at
his bedroom door about five o'clock in
the morning of that day, and told him
to get up, as there was no water in the
mill-race, and no water in the great
river outside of the race. He said that
he was startled al the intelligence, and
hurried out as soon as lie could dress
himself, and then saw the river, on the
edge OF which he had been born thirty
four years before, dry. After a hurried
breakfast he and his youngest daughter
Uhen unmarrjed) went down about
three-quarters of mile to the precipice
itself, over which there was so little
water running over, that, having pro-
vided himself with q strong pole, they
started from the Table rock and walked
near the edge of the precipice about
one-third of the way toward Goat
island, on the American shore, and,
having stuck this pole in crevice of
the rock, and Miss Street having tied
her pocket handkerchief firmly on
the top of the pole, they re-
turned. He said that he then
turned his view toward the river below
the falls, and saw the water so shallow
that immense jagged rocks stood up in
such frightful manner that he shud-
dered when he thought of his having
frequently passed over them in the little
Maid OF the Mist Gas l often had done).
He then returned toward home, and
drove from the Canada sh >re some one
h1lf mile above the falls toward Goat
island. w hen he told me this he re-
preached himself very much for not
having sent out for me, about eight
miles distant, but he said that, though
he had several times intended doing so,
he had each time concluded not to do
it, lest, before we could reach the won
derful scene, the waters shonid have
to their old courses. Of
course, every body was speaking of the
event when | was out there
next day, and have heard others who
witnessed it speak of it since that time"
So far can l testify to the evidence of
the fact at the time of the occurrence.
Mr.. Streets theory was this: That
the winds had been blowing down Lake
Erie, which is only about thirty leet
deep, and rushing great deal of water
from it over the falls, and suddenly
changed and blew this little water
comparatively speaking) up to the
western portion of the lake; and that
1t this juncture the ice on Lake Erie,
which had been broken up by these
nigh winds, got .jammed in the river
between Buffalo and the Canada side.
md formed q dam which kept back
5he waters of Lake Erie VIII ole day.