The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1896-11-26
THE NIAGARA WENT DRY
So II is Reported BY People Who
Were There.
THE PHENOMENON OCCURRED IN iS4S
Graphic Description OF the Appear
ances About the Great Cataract at
the Time of the Event-Longer
Presidential Terms Needed.

IL 10 at this writing very nearly a han
century since there occurred on Niagara
river a phenomenon the like OF which
will probably never again be Witnessed
by mortal man.
10 the latter part OF March, 1848, /,
then young man OF "a, and residing
near Toronto, was visiting q relative who
lived in the village of Drummondville, a
mile or 30 inland from the falls, says w.
Thompson in the Boston Transcript Ear
ly on the morning Of the 31st day of that
month had occasion TO call upon gen.
tleman, the late Thomas Clark Street, M.
p, who was at that time my intimate
friend, and whose handsome house stood
near the edge OF the tableland only q
few hundred yards above the great cat
aract.
On arriving at Mr.. Streets was met
by the astounding news that the Niagara
had run dry! And, on walking past q
belt of shrubbery to spot commanding
a view OF the river, / saw that such was
indeed the case Where, from the remot-
est ages and until few hours before my
visit had rolled aud tossed and tumhled
those awful rapids there was now to be
seen but great masses of rocks and
powders, between which trickled little
threads of water, none of them larger
than a tiny woodland trout stream.
At some distance beyond the outer
edge of Streets, or Cedar Island, and
quite near the precipice itself, stood,
jammed in creyice of the rock, short
pole, and from the top OF this waved
lady's white handkerchief.
This uniquely placed staff and flag
were, Mr.. Street told me. placed in their
then position by himself and his young
est sister shortly after daybresk that
morning, the household having been
aroused by the man in charge Of -four
ing mill, situated at the edge OF the
rapids, which had been run ever since it
was started by his tMr. Street's) father
during the war Of 1872, but was now,
the man reported, stopped for lack Of
water. the trace" being almost dry.
Below the falls, where was wont to rage
seething caldron of troubled waters,
over whose surface l had safely passed
in little skiff only the day before. the
spectacle was simply frightful. Here,
uncovered by the unfed foods recession
OF Lake Ontario, lay huge piles of rocks
OF every size and form, which broken off
from time to time from the ever-receding
face OF the cliff above, were now, in all
their appalling grandeur, exposed, posi-
bly, tor the first time since the dawn Of
creation, to the curious gaze Of human
eyes.
Looking down upon the awe'inspiring
sight, / no longer wondered that even
fragments OF men, animals and boats
swept over the falls are seldom cast to the
surface; for it seemed that any object at
all destructible, when knocked about
those cruel rocks by the stupendous force
of the ever surging waters above, must
be ground to powder.
After long study of this unprecedent-
ed scene, went up stream for hall
mile or more, and actually walked out a
distance of fully 400 yards on the rivers
bed, while Mr.. Street drove, In COM
mon buggy, still further toward Goat
island.
Here and there in going along noticed
mum ers OF fishes Of various kinds-bsss,
pike, suckers, mullets, muskellunge and
even giant sturgeon, Hopping about in
greater or less pools in the rocky cavities
into which they had doubtless been car
ried by the resistless force OF the down
ward flowing waters; for it is not to be
supposed that these creatures habitually
lived in the rapids; and when the river
rose again all were probably swept over
the falls and killed.
Here was rich harvest, some part Of
which might have been gathered by the
people on the bank, but somehow no one
felt like trying. With the Niagara's
whole volume damned up at some I'M
known point above, the ground was not
exactly one on which fishermen might
carelessly disport themselves.
However, did, at the cost of severely
acerated hands, secure fine twenty
pound muskellunge and carried him tri-
umpbantly ashore-thus being able to
boast that had done something that, in
all human probability, no man will ever
again be afforded the opportunity to do.
Then / went up to the old village OF
Chippewa, where the Welland river (com-
monty called Chippewa creek debouches
into the Niagara The first -named river,
ordinarily 100 yards wide and navigable
for quite large vessels all the way between
Chippewa and Port Robinson, where
such vessels lock up into the Welland
canal, was now reduced to trifiing riy-
ulet, flowing along the center of its mud
dy bed; for the draining OF the Niagara
had drained it also.
Indeed, the Welland, as to the lower
part OF It's course, must keep on the same
level as .he Niagara, whose pellucid wat
! ers sometimes take complete possession