The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-03-17
NIAGARA FALLS BARE
For One Whole Day the Rocky
Precipice Was Dry.
THE WATER CEASED TO FLOW

This Curious Phenomenon Occurred on
March 81, 1848-Terrified the People
In the vieinity-Return Of the Tor.
rent and the Cause Of tho Stoppaoe.
In the early spring OF 184S occurred
a natural phenomenon SO strange, so
sudden and so stupendous that the old
er Inhabitants of western New York
still speak of it with awe and wonder.
This phenomenon was nothing else
than the running dry Of Niagara falls.
The story is seldom recounted now,
but 1t was nine days wonder for the
whole country when it appeared In
the newspapers. For the first time In
history the roar of the grandest cata-
ract in America was hushed.
In the early morning OF March 81,
1S48, people living in the vicinity Of
the falls were awakened by a peculiar
hush, as startling In Its suddenness
and intensity as the most thunderous
explosion could have been. Many
dressed and fastened outdoors, urged
by conviction that something appall-
ing had happened or was about to
happen. Some thought the end OF
the world was at hand. Others imag
ined that they had grown suddenly
deaf. Still others thought that the
hush preceding n terrific hurricane had
fallen upon the air. All were Cypress
ed with feeling Of profound awe and
dread
1t was soon discovered, however,
that the cessation of the roar of the
falls was the sole cause of this COM
mon panic. As the dim light of early
morning grew stronger the people
were able to see the almost bare preci-
pice Of the falls. over which but
short time before thousands Of tons
Of water had been pouring. Only
here and there small streams. con-
stantly growing smaller. now trickled
down the face Of the towering wall
Above the falls, instead OF the rush
Ing, foamlng river, only naked chan
mel. studded with black and Jagged
rocks. appeared. The bed Of the river
was practically exposed from shore to
shore. except for small streams. like
mountain brooks. running slowly TO
the verge of the precipice. The spec
tators could hardly believe their eyes.
Some remarkable feats were per
formed on that day when Niagara ran
dry. People walked from the Canadian
side OF the river, along the edge Of
the frightful precipice. nearly as fur |
as Goat island ON the American side |
and never even wet their feet. Some
went exploring In the river bed above |
the falls and discovered a number of
ancient gun barrels, lost probably by
sportsmen up the river In long gone
days and still after the rotting away
Of their stocks slowly forced down
stream by the current. Caves and
curious formations in the rocks were
discovered, the existence Of which had
never been suspected before
All that day. March 81, 1S4S, Niagara
falls remained dry, and people who re-
manned up until late at night. expect
ing to see change, went to bed with
out witnessing 1t. But In the early
morning of April the familiar thun-
der Of the great cataract was once
more heard. and every one knew that
the mysteriously drained river bed
'was again pouring it's flood over the
falls.
Now for the explanation Of this
strange phenomenon. 1t proved to be.
after all, very simple. The winter of
1847 and 1S4S had been one Of extreme
severity. Ice of such thickness had
never been known as formed on Lake
Erie that season. When the breakup
came, toward the end of March, a
strong northeast wind was blowing.
which piled the great fields Of ice In
foes and then in banks as high as
miniature icebergs. Toward night on
March 30 the wind suddenly changed
to the opposite direction and increased
TO a terrific gale, which hurled back
the piled UP ice and drove II into the
entrance of Niagara river with such
force that a huge and almost fmpene-
trable dam was formed. For whole
day the source of the river was stop
ped up, and the stream was drained
Of its supply. By the morning of the
31st the river was practically dry, and
thus for twentyfour hours the roar OF
Niagara falls was stilled. Then in the
early morning of April ! the he
pack gave way under the tremendous
pressure from above. and the long re-
strained volume Of water rushed
down and reclaimed its own.-Ex-
change.