Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-08-02
Change.at Niagara Falls.

"A correspondent at Niagara notes that
since the fall of Table Rock. thirty-two
years ago, the Horseshoe Falls have lost
that regularity of outline which sugges-
ted their name. and Indentations in at
least two spots give them an angular
appearance not unlike the letter W IN
general shape. This is accounted for
by the wearing away of the brink more
rapidly at these two points than any
where else along the entire edge of the
Canadian falls. Another change, and
one at which the natives of these parts
greatly marvel, is the spouting of water
by these same Horseshoe Falls. The
older and more observing villagers
solemnly declare that this curious spec
tacle has been growing more and more
noticeable for the past three years, until
it has become SO. well defined that the
name Of the Spouting Horseshoe Is now
applied to that portion of the Canadian
Falls None of them pretend to know
the cause of this singular action of the
waters. They content themselves with
pointing it out as another curious freak
OF pature, bound to add a new attraction
to the vicinity and to swell an income
which has never been inconsiderable i'll
the dullest of summers. 1t is best OBJ
served on a clear sunshiny day, when
but little wind disturbs the surface of
the river. From the center OF the Sus-
pension Bridge, which is short quarter
Of a mile below the Horseshoe, the
spouting is clearly visible. On such a
day the clouds of vapor barely rise to a
height of two-tbirds of the falls, and
the brink is never obscured by fine mist.
Under such conditions the eye has an
unoDstructed view of the dark blue
waters as they hurry toward the edge
of the precipice, only to be transformed
into broad sheet of milky whiteness.
when they take the plunge and disap-
pear In the eternal clouds of mist that
envelop the foot of the cataract. Sud.
denly there rises to level with the top
of the falls mass of spray, increasing
in volume and rising in height until
from ont their midst spout number of
well-defned jets which mount upward
many feet end then melt away in vapor.
Assuming $50 feet. the generally recog-
pized figure to be the altitude OF the
Horseshoe Falls, these jets seemingly
must shoot upward to height of 200
feet. They certainly add variety to
the scene, and attract at once the atten-
ton of visitors. The duration of this
phenomenon, if such it can be called. is
from 10 to Is seconds. The clouds ol
yapor, like volumes of white smoke con-
tinue to ill the air above the Horseshoe
for full half minute after the jets have
lost all outline, and then they, too,
gradually die away, and for about II
seconds longer the spot is again fret
from all turbulence, and nothing but ;
stretch of waters as far as the rapids i:
presented to the view. Sometimes thes'
Jets of water drop their tassel-like tips
in a graceful arch, inclining toward th'
Canadian shore, and again they fall owe
upon the brink of the Horseshoe. Th'
regularity with which these slender,
tapering jets appear and disappear is
one of the festures of peculiar exhibi
ton which promises to excite as mucl
attention as any disturbance in the out
line of the falls themselves that has beel
noted in recent years.