Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-03-17
HOW NIAGBRA CANE ABOUT,
The Curious Story That is Told
By a Geologist.

DR.. Julius Pohlman, local geolo
gist at Niagara Falls, gives the fol-
lowing theory Of how the present
cataract came into existence: SIN
tracing the origin Of this river" he
said, "we must 90 away back into
the pre-glacial times, when tho bed
of the great lakes was occupied by a
river, and Tonowanda valley con-
taincd lake fifty miles in length
and from ten to twelve miles in
width, with a possible maximum
depth of sixty feet. The northern
barrier of the lake was of lime
stone formation. Being about flfty
feet lower than the southern one,
the overflow of water was toward
the Ontario valley, the outlet found
its way into the present channel OF
Niagara river somewhere above the
upper rapids of the river above the
falls. From here the waters met no
obstacle, aud in their flow predeter-
mined the river gorge between the
falls and the whirlpool, and contin-
ued in straight course north
through the side of the whirlpool,
and thence through the valley of st.
David's in Canada and onward
through the Ontario valley"
~ have made careful searches and
find this track Of the ryer from the
whirlpool through Canada. BY and
by the Tonawanda lake began to sub
side and finally was reduced tt
Il river with q wide, low valley OF
each side. The course in making it
way out of the valley of the ancient
lake changed. 1t flowed into thu
channel of the present Niagara
where the present Tonawanda rive
cutters now. 1t curved around TIL,
southern margin Of Grand island
which formed shallow part Of tn
lnorthern margin of the lake, ant
! had risen as a peninsular in tn
course of time-and then fiowe'
north into the original channel 0
] the outlet, thus determining the tw
branches of the present river. ina
branch of the Niagara river whic
separates the island from the mai
land is of quite modern origin, Q
testified TO by surroundings. Wei
the erosion across the thin bed {
Niagara limestone naturally cut on
or the other parts Of the outlet deepe
than the rest, and confining tl
smaller channels, gave birth to
number oflarger and smaller island
, known at present as Goat, Bath, Lu
} ma, the Sisters, etc.
3 "The branches of the River joine
| again into one stream as they al
. preached the heavy Niagara linn
stone at about the site OF the ne
suspension or foot bridge, and rusl
ed north for about three quarters ,
: a mile, where they fell over prec
|, pice of over 100 feet. Goat islam
Q extended northwesterly in trial
Q gular prolongation, with its ape
: somewhere abreast of the northel
:, end of the present American faI
Below this fall of 100 feet, that
Q have Just spoken of, the river desce
Q ded in rapids over shale until it O.
i countered the Clinton limestol
: near. the railroad suspension bridg
= where it took another leap. Fro
/ here a short rapid carried it to L
/ entrance of the whirlpool, where a
/ other fall was caused by quartzo
Q sandstone of the Medina grou
= Thence there was rapid current
q Ontario basin. The volume of wat
then was exceedingly small as cor
pared with the estimated 100000
s. cubic feet q minute Of the present.
Q Now at the timeo of the glacial