Feliciana sentinel., 1892-10-22
GRAND FALLS or LABRADOR
D..eription OF Ono of the Gfsndsss Css~
rrncts In the World.

Deacriution OF One of the 6fsn0sSs CSs~
rnuts In the World.
The Grand falls OF Labrador are
nearly twice as high as Niagara, ana
are inferior to that marvellous cataract
in breadth and volume OF water oh'E.
One Of their most striking character-
istics is the astonishing leap into space
which the torrent makes in d,scnarginS
itself over it,, rocky barrier. From tho
acscription given of the rapid drop in
the r;ycr-bcd and the coincident mar
rowing of the channel, one can easily
n understand that the cumulative energy |
expended in this final leap of the pent
uu waters is truly titanic. II sub
stratum of softer rock existed here, as |
at Niagara, = similar cave OF 'ne
winds would enable one to penetrate
. considerab distance beneatn INC
| fati. The uniform structure OF the
| rock. however, prevents any uneauai
disiptepration, and thus the oVerarch-
| ing sheet of water covers neariy per
| rendicular wall. the base OF whacn -
| washed by the waters OF the lower
river In spite Of the fact thas NO
creature, except one with WINGS co"io
| hone to penctrate this sub-aqueons
chamber, the place is inhabited, If we
arc to hel}eye the traditions Of the Lab
rador Indians. Many years ago, so
rms the tale. two Indian ma1dens
gathering fircwood near the falls were
ent;ced to the brink and drawn over oy
tho evil spirit of the place. During the
long wears since then, these unfort-
unates have been condemned to dwei!
beneath the fall. and forced to toll
daily. dressing deers!Sins, until now, no
LONGER Young and beautiful, they can
he seen beti,nes through the mist, trail
;n, their white hair behind them and
| stretching out shriveled arms toward
any mortal who ventures to vlslt the
confines of their mystic dwelling place
? The Indian name for the Grano 1ails-
, atses-che-wan-means tine mario"
place where the water falls. Like 'he
. nn.;ve word "Niagara-''thunder OK
!, x,tersn-this Indian designation con-
r, tain. a poetic and descriptive quality
> which il would be hard to improve
. From the point where the river leave:
o. The n,ateau md plungcs into the deep
:, ,,oj ,,el,w the falls, its course TO-
t TWENTY-FIVE MICS is through one OF TN
e most remarkable canyons In tue worio
Il From the appearance or :he sldes o
O. this gorge, and the zigzag line Ok IN
d river, the indications are that u.
% stream has slowly forced channe
through this rocky chasm. cutting 1t
- way back, foot by foot, from the edg
20 Of the plateau to the prcsen position c
N the falls Recent investigators est
to mate that period of six thousan
to wears was required to form the gore
nc below Niagara falls: or, in other word
ne that it has taken that length OF tin
og for the falls to recede from their forn'
nd position at Queenstown heights to the
he present location. If it has taken tn
lie length of time for Niagara falls to +
ne cede a distance of seven miles by II
he erosiye power of the water acting on
he soft shale rock supporting stratum
nd limestone the immensity of time l
nd volved bv assuming that the tfra'
river canyon was formed in the sar
cs, way is so great that the mind faiters
se, contemplating it, especially when 1t
it recognized that the escarpment OF T.
as Grand falls is Of hard gneisslc roc
car And vet no other explanation OF t
ON origin of this gorge is acceptable, I
ere less, indeed. we can assume that
the some former time a issure ran in II
off Identical with the present course OF
,ad river: in which case the drainage OF
ain tab!e-land, emptying into the Gra
rot river, would follow the line OF least
oar s;stauce. and in the course OF time
as cavate the fssurc into the present r
the portions of the gorge.-Henry IT, d
( as ant in Century.