Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-08
CHANGE IN NIAGARA.
Wonderful Alteration in the Contour
of the Famous WATERFALL.

Wonderful Alteration in the Contour
of the Famous WATERFALL.
Very few people who visit Niagara Falls
and look upon the beauty OF ..e Horseshoe
fall realize that the cataract is wearing it.
self away many feet every year; but such Is
TACT, and while 1t may net be in the history
OF the present generation that there will be
no Falls Of Niagara still that day is COM
ing when the Falls will be only a memory
1t can easily be conceived from what is
known OF this waterfall at the present time
that the day of it's total destruction is
many years hence; but still, day after day.
yer In and year out, the water that plunges
in such an attractive way over the Niagara
precipice is bringing about a wonderful
change
For long centuries after a white man first
gazed on the eye-feast, says the Philadelphia
Record, there was little written or said about
this great cataract so far as known today
In these later years, however. scientists have
been given to studying the cataract in order
to discern how it and the gorge through
which the lower Niagara river flows were
created.
This important question has again been
brought to the attention of eminent scien-
lists OF the country by the fact that only
few days ago change in the form of the
crest line Of the Horseshoe fall was discov-
cred, and this latest testimony to the man.
ner in which Niagara was created is not the
least important in the consideration OF the
case. Recently men who have been constant
watchers Of the Horseshoe fall for many
years observed a change in the contour
and began to make more careful comparisons.
This led to definite results and all con-
suited agreed that a wonderful change had
come over the fall.
While people who had only observed the
change from the top OF the cliff were con-
sidering the question, there was another
similarly engaged down in the gorge This.
was Captain Carter OF the steamer Maid of
the Mist who for many years has navigated
the waters Immediately below the Horse
shoe fall. Many times a day the little
steamer, guided by his touch, plunges into
the spray cloud beneath the fall as though
bound to climb the fall itself and from these
frequent trips during many years Captain
Carter has become thoroughly familiar with
every current in the lower Niagara in the
vicinity of the Falls. This Is equally true in
low water as in high water, and he has
safely guided his craft in and out of the
currents, to the delight of the thousands OF
patrons CT the trip,
One morning recently Captain Carter in
making the usual trip discovered that a re-
markable change had come over the river
currents below the Horseshoe. He discov-
cred that an eddy near Terrapin Rocks, on
the New York side. had been materially
lessened in size by the action Of a new cur
rent or stream of water that poured over
the Horseshoe. For years past, in running
out of this eddy, ii had been his custom to
poke the nose of his little boat out into a
current down stream; but the direction of
this current was changed, and more prom
inenty demonstrated was a new current
that set into the eddy from the Canadian side
Of the Horseshoe fall He marveled at this.
but a careful study convinced him that the
direction OF a considerable portion OF the
water flowing over the Horseshoe fall had
been changed, and the new current was
caused by the new direction this water was
taking in passing from beneath the fall
Some days after these conclusions 1t was
announced that the rock of the Horseshoe
fall had been breaking away, and that a.
great slice had fallen into the river.
All who have been in Niagara know that
the cataract is divided by Goat island, the
larger portion of the fall being on the
Canadian side Of the river. This part is
known as the Horseshoe fall, and was SO
named because years ago it was identical
with horseshoe in shape. A few years
ago Vshaped break occurred toward the
New York side, and since then other changes
have taken place, until today the Horse
shoe fall is more like its original form, but
clearly showing the effects of the wearing Of
the waters.
Many people fail to see how the falls wear
the rock away, and this is little mystery
until the exact conditions are realized. The
ledge OF rock over which the water OF both
the American and Horseshoe falls flows s
of hard limestone. 1t is all of sixty feet
thick, and naturally very heavy. Under
meath this ledge of limestone there are the
shaes of the Niagara locality. This soft
rock is many feet thick. The rock of the
Horseshoe falls Is unprotected, and as the
water falls over the precipice and bols in
the river below. it washes away the soft
shale beneath the limestone SO that the
limestone is left in shelf-like form, pro-
jecting far out into the gorge. Observant
visitors to the Falls have no doubt noticed
this condition. In the course OF time the |
shale foundation Of the limestone ledge is
eXcavated to such point that the unsup- |
ported ledge breaks away by its own weight |
and the crest line OF the Horseshoe falls |
recedes so much further. Then the water |
attacks the newly-eXposed shale, and in time |
the process outlined is repeated. This has
been going on for centuries, and 1t will con- |
tinue until the Falls OF Niagara are no |
more
Despite this modern evidence OF the man
ner in which the Niagara gorge was formed !
there are some men prominent in scientific |
circles who claim that The gorge is a rent in |
the earth made by violent parting Others
assert that ocean tides made the gorge.
while others adhere to the statement that /
the river itself is the en- gine that plowed the
gorge through its seven miles OF length.
Prof. G. X Gilbert Of the United States
Geological Survey OF Washington, d. c., who
has spent weeks in investigating the Niagara
locality and Its formation Is one OF the
men who recognize the rivers work through
On TOP of this has come the question OF
the rivers age. BY some II is placed at
$500 years. By others at 1000 years. and |