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JOHNSON, A Resident at Niagara for Twenty Tears, Late Captain of the Maid of the Mist, Civil Engineer Author of Maps, Statistics and Guide Books of the Falls . 2 A' z J7 TO THE VISITOR. /S'6Js^ -:o:- Tiirs is the only origiiuil, correct Jind reliiiblc work in niiukct. The luithor for several years has been person- ally and familiarly acquainted with all the points of interest in this " world's wonder," and great pains have been taken to make this work, in every respect, correct and worthy the attention of the tourist. The dilFerent routes and places are so arranged and minutely des- cribed, that the stranger cannot be misled or hesitate. These pages are given to the public with the belief that something of the kind is needed, inasmuch as works written by casual observers are cither unnecessarily prolix upon some points, or not sufliciently clear and explicit upon others, to meet the wishes of the traveling pid)lic. This difliculty, it is believed, is entirely obvi- ated in the following page.^. Follow the directions of this little work, and you can go to all points of interest on both sides of the river, without a mistake. liiE Author. Entered according to Act of Conf^reaa, in the year 1S(J8, By f. n. JOHNSON, \\\ tho Clerk's OlTlco of the District Tourt of the United Sttitc^, for the Noriliern Di.-t'ict of New York. CONTENTS. -:o:- ClIAPTER I. GOAT ISLAND, Street leiidino; to it, Toll Gate, Iron Bridge, Rapitl;^, Second Iron Bridge, Gout Island Lunji Island, Amer- ican Fall, AVidth, Heisrht, Biddle Stairs, Sam Patch's Leap, Cave of the Winds, Horse Shoe Falls, Quanlil y of Water, The Tower, its height, l)ei)th of wati-r oil the top of the Falls, G'*een appearance of the River, Three Sisters, Bathing place of the Hermit, Head of Goat Island, Indian Burying Ground. Visitors to Goal Island before any Bridges were builr, First proprietor of the Falls, Poetry, Number of Acres, Distances, Goat Island Private Property, Best time to Visit it. CHAPTER 11. Spray, Rain Bov»'s, View of the Falls at Night, Sunrise, Sunset, Roar of the Falls, First Impression of Stran- gers, Rise of the River, Fall of the River cannot be described. Winter Scene, First man who saw the Falls, Indian Tradition, Causalities, Avery on a Log, Visit to Goat Island by Moonlight, Lunar liow. CHAPTER III. Nearest Route to Canada, Directions, Ferry House, Cars, Ferry Boats, No Accidents, Depth of the River, Gran- deur of the Scene, Time in Crossing, Carriage iloud up the Bank, Distance to Clifton House, Distance to Horseshoe Fall, Museum, Table Rock, Burning Spring, Battle Ground, Time via of the Ferry, Burning of the Steamer Caroline, Line b 'tween the two Governments, Indian OffV-ring to the Falls. COJSTKNTS. CIIAPTEK IV. Suspension Bridge, Demensions, Height above the riv(!r, I)istances to all Points of Interest, (Canada side,) lances of Carriages, Ilacknien. CIIAPTFR V. Whirlpool, Height of River in the Center, Diameter of VVhiiipool, JFei^Hitof J3anks, No perpendieular falls or Internal Outlet, Maid of the ]\Iist going throu"h the Whirli)()()I, Three men on Board', Width of the Hiver, Dei)tli of. Devil's Hole, Decoy of the Indians. Number of Men Perished. CHAPTER VI. Recession of the Falls by Professor Lyell, Gull Island Washed away. Health of the Falls, Hotels, Name Niagara, Meanini^ of Niagara, River between the two J^akes, Sources ot Niagara River, Number of Lakes, Duneusions, One Hundred Rivers, Poetry. GUmE TO J^iy^QARA pALL^ 8^ ^YlCINITY. • ♦ » CHAPTER I. Groat Island. The street leading to it is between the Cata- ract and Interuational Hotels, about one fourth a mile distant. Three minutes' walk to the Toll Gate and Iron Bridge. Charges: for the whole day, fifty cents, or one dollar for the year. The Ijridge is about fifty rods above the Falls, and is an object of interest. The inquiry is not un fre- quently made, How was it ever constructed over such a tremendous rapid? The first bi'idge was thrown across this angry stream in 1817, near the grist mill, above the present bridge, with much hazard of life and great expense. It was carried away by the ice the ensuing spring. In 1818, another was 6 (iUlDE Tu NIAUAUA. FALLS 1 constructed, where Butli Isljuul Bridge now stands, by the proprietors of the island. A suitable i)ier was built at the water's edge; long timbers was i)rojected over this abutment the distance they wished to sink the next pier, loaded on the end next to the shore with stone, to prevent moving; legs were framed through the ends of the projecting timbers, resting upon the rocky bottom, thus forming temporary piers until more substantial ones could be built. Rapids. The next thing that attracts the attention of the visitor, as he passes on his route to Goat Island, is the Rapids. These are grand and im- pressive; thousands, in the summer season, particularly when the sky is clear, stand upon this bridge, and gaze upon the angry ilood as it rushes past them in all its wild and tumultuous fury, filling the mind with emotions of awe and indescribable grandeur. Let the visitor look up the Rapids as tar as the eye can extend ; the river appears very much like the ocean dashing upon the beach after a gale. From the head of Goat Island to the grand cataract, a distance of three-quarters of a mile. GUIDE TO XIAOAIIA TALLS. the river falls lifty-one feet. Ir increases in velocity from seven to thirty iiiiles per hour, before it makes the final ])lunge. ^^ Chapin Island. This island is to the right of and oelow the bridge, within a few rods of the American Fall. A man by the name of Chapin, while Avorking on the bridge, was thrown into the stream, and carried Ijy the current on to this island. Mr, Joel E. Kobinson rescued him with a skiff. Hundreds of ladies and gentlemen witnessed this bold and daring adventure, which few, at so much hazard of life, would have had the nerve to attempt. Bath Island contains about two acres. The largest stone building, to the right, is a paper mill, where is manufactured paper for the New York Tribune. Pass a second Iron Bridge to Goat Island. A good carriage road. Take to the right. Five minutes' walk to the foot of the island; descend a few safe and easy steps ; here the overwhelming grandeur of the American and Centre Fall, or Cave of the winds, bursts upon 8 OriDE TO NIAGAIl.V FALLS. the astonished view, and is tliouf^lifc by liioii- sands, to be unsurpassed by any other. In taking this route we get the less inii)ressive view of the Falls, at first, and the more grand and imposing last, Avhich, in the oi)inion of the author, gives the mind more time to appreciate tlie magnificent grandeur and awful sublimity of these mighty works. Cross a foot bridge, perfectly sate, to Luna Island ; it contains about three-fourths of an acre. Luna Island. It is called Luna Island, not because it re- sembles the moon, but from the circumstances of a Luna 15ow, being seen from this i)lace more advantageously than from any other point. If the visitor's nerves are pretty steady he can stand within one foot of the Falls, and see the angry stretim dashing in all its fury upon the rocks below, impatient to try its power in making this fearful leap. It has often been remarked by strangers that this island trembles, which is undoubtedly true ; but the impression is somewhat heightened by a nervous temperament or imagination. It was at this point, after we pass the small GUIDE TO NIAG.VIIA FALLS. loot-bridge, about twenty-five feet above the Falls, that young Mirfs Antoinette De Forest, of lUiflalo, aged eight years, by some unaccount- al)le casualty fell into the river, and Charles Addington, aged twenty-two, jumped in to save her, and they both went over the Falls together, June 21, 1849. Tlie body of the girl was found, much muti- l.ited, the next day, and that of the young man floated four or five days afterward, when it was recovered. This was one of the most alllictive scenes that has occurred within our recollec- tion. The sheet of water before you is the American Falls. One-fourth of a mile wide ; perpendicular height, 1G4 feet. lieturn by the same way ; pass up the river, two minutes' walk, to Biddle Stairs, the top of which is in the Cave of the Winds' dressing room. Number of steps, 132. At the bottom is Sam Patch's Leap. This celebrated person made two successful leaps, in the year 1829, ninety-seven feet per- pendicular, into the river below. Questions by the visitor. How was this done ? A ladder -,Vj 10 GLIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. i was raised, the bottom resting on the edge of the river, the top of the ladder enclining over the water, stayed by ropes to the trees on the bank, on the top of which was a small plat- form. He stood gazing upon the multitude, who had been attracted to the pkicc by a man it Avas said going to jump over the Falls. He stepped off the platform ; went down feet fore- most 9G feet. Q. IIow deep is the river where he went in ? A. About fifty feet. Q. How deep did he go down ? A. It is dificult to an- swer this question correctly ; probably not more than fifteen or twenty feet. Q. How long did he remain under water ? A. Some said he was gone for good; others affirmed it was five minutes; but a gentleman, holding his watch, informed us it v/as just half a minute belore he rose. Q. What became of the fool-hardy fellow? A. He made a jump at Kochester, Genesee Falls, tlie same year, which was his last. His body was nevei found. Cave of the Winds It is seen to the best advantage from below. If the wind is blowing down the river, or from the American shore, you can stand with perfect / m 1 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 11 safe'y upon a large, flat rock, within a tew feet of the falling sheet, without inconvenience from the spray. In the afternoon, when the sun shines, there is always a splendid rainbow, tetween the sheet of water and the rock, witliin a few feet of you ; and this is the only place on the globe, as far as the author can learn from history, and from travelers, where a rainbow forming an entire circle can be seen. Two, and sometimes three, have been seen at once. Width of the cave is one hundred feet; diam- eter, sixty ; height, one hundred. It is much visited both by ladies and gentle- men. The scenery is very fine. The impending rocks sometimes fill the visitor with alarm lest they might fall; but they seldom fall in the summer season, and no accident has occurred since the year 1829. On returning, proceed up the river about sixty rods to a email house built by tlie pro- ])rietor of the island, for the pur])ose of rest. Descend the bank, and cross a small bridge to the tower. This is called Horse Shoe Tower, The Tower is on the west side of Goat 12 V GUIDE TO XIAGAKA FALLS. Island, within two rods of the Falls, forty-five feet high, and t\70 hundred feet above the river below, surrounded near the top by a portico and an iron railing. Tliis tower has been called by some Prospect Tower, and by others Terrapin Tower, ])ut is generally and best known as Horse Shoe To\\er. Visitors of a nervous temperament, and especially old people, when stepping out upon the piazza, unfre- fjuently feel a kind of giddiness or tremor; but on looking up or around upon the green foliage, the nerves generally become tranquil. We are then better i)repared to appreciate the overwhelming grandeur of this magnificent scene. The view from this tower, in the opinion of the author, of the width of the river, the Eapids, the Horse Shoe Fall, and the angry, boiling deep below, is not surpassed by any other. The river below, in its wild, tumultuous fury, produces a perfect foam, sometimes called a river of milk. H' rse Shoe Fall, This is the entire circle from Goat Island to the Canadian side of the river. Its width, by G U I D E TO N 1 A ( i A II A F A L LS. la ^reen quil. '■ the cent the the the by ciilculiition, IS 14:4 rods; perpendicuhir lieight, 158 feet. It derived its name from its shape ; but it must have altered much since it was llrst named, as large masses of rocks in the neigh- borhood of the Horse k5hoc Fall every year. This is sometimes called the Canada Fall, which is a mistake ; the Americans own one half of it. The line between the two govern- ments runs in the centre of the river, through the point of the Horse Shoe, where it looks so green, following the deepest channel, and through the centre of the lakes. AVhat gh 2S the Horse Shoe Fall, and the river below, that green appearance? We can as>iign no other reason thaii the depth. Quantity of Water- Professor Lyell says, lifteen hundred millions of cubic feet pass over the Falls every minute. Dr. Dwight, former President of Yale College, says, one hundred millions two hundred thou- sand tons pass over the Falls every hour. Jud. De Voux, in his "Traveler's own Book," says: five thousand eighty-four millions eighty-nine tliousand ei(renglli of ca!)ie.s. . . .tons 12,40i) Weiglit of siiperstniclurc " 801) and mavi'm Ids. " 1250 Maximum weight tlie cable and stays will support •' 7;300 Note. — The wires were first got across by means of a kite. A New Suspension Bridge. A new Suspension Bridge, now finished, at a cost of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, designed for foot passengers and car- riages ; this Bridge is about sixty rods Klow the Ferry, a good path through the Grove, on the bank of the rivei. If at the Cataract House, 46 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. pass in front of the International, turn to the left, five minutes walk brings you to this bridge, (via) of the Ferry. The following are its dimensions . — The span from rock to rock is 1190 feet. The spernianent and transitory load 350 tons. The towers when completed will be covered with wood and corrugated iron, and in point of architectural beauty will be highly ornate, imparting to each terminus of the bridge an air of elegance and substantiability, and rendering the whole an attraction among the beauties and wonders of that interesting locality. Distance from your hotel (American side,) to Table Rock, Burning Spring, Battle Ground, via the old Suspension Bridge and return is a fraction over fourteen miles, and by the new 10 miles. CHAPTER V. The Whirlpool Rapids. The best place to get a view of this wild tu- multuous scene, is about a quarter of a mile below the suspension Bridge. Let the visitor by all means, descend to the water's edge at this point. This is the place where the Maid of the Mist was overwhelmed and lost her smoke stack. But one opinion filled the mind, she is Lost ! The Whirlpool. On the American side, is three miles below the Falls, and is visited on account of the wild and magnificent grandeur of its scenery. The 48 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. river here tuns abruptly to the right, forming an elbow, and as the waters rush against the opposite banks, a whirlpool is formed, in which logs and other bodies have been known to lloat for many days before linding their way out. The river, in the centre, is estimated by the Engineers, to be eleven feet and a half higher than on each shore, and the visitor often won- ders how the Maid of the Mist ever passed down here and lived, yet such is the fact. Ther-j is no perpendicular fall or external outlet at the Whirlpool. The distance across it is one thousand feet ; perpendicular height of tlio banks, three hundred and lifty feet. " Maid of the Mist " going through the Whirlpool. ►She k'ft her moorings, about a quarter of a mile above the old Suspension Bridgi.*, June 15, 1861, and swung boldly out into the river, to tr . one of the most perilous voyages ever made. She shot forward like an arrow of light, bowed gracefully to the multitude on the bridge, and with the volocity of lightning passed on to meet her doom. Many beheld this hazardous, daring a 1 venture, ex})ecting every instant she would be GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 49 dashed to pieces and disappear forever. Amaze- ment thrilled every heart, and it appeared as if no power short of Omnipotence could save her. " There ! there I" was the suppressed exclama- tion that escaped the lips of all. " She careens over ! She is lod ! She is /ox/ /" But, guided by an eye that dimmed not, and a hand that never trembled, she was piloted t!] rough those maddened waters by the intrei)id Robinson in perfect safety, and is now performing loss hazard- ous voyages on the St. Lawrence. She is the only craft, so far as we know, that ever made this fearful trip and lived, Though our intrepid hero had performed many hazard- ous exploits in saving the lives of persons who had fallen into the river, yet this last act, in taking the Maid of the Mist through the Whirl- pool, is the climax of all his adventures. The boat lost her smoke stack, but otherwise received no injury, beiivg very strongly built. Three men were on board. Pilot, Engineer, and Fireman, all safe. Width of the River. Two and a half miles above the Falls the river is three miles mide, but at the outlet of the 50 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. Whirlpool, it is only twenty-live rods. A man by the name of Whitmore threw a stone across from one Kingdom to the other. Depth of the River at the ■Whirlpool. It is impossible to ascertain, as no soundings can be made. It is thought, by some, to be five or six hundred feet deep. Devil's Hole, or Bloody Run. Is three and a half miles below the Falls, on the American side. During the French War, in 17G5, a detachment of the British Army, while retreating from Fort Schlosser, were decoyed into an ambush of French and Indians. The yell of the savages as it rang out upon the midnight air, was the first indication of their attack. Baggage v/agons, officers, men, women and children, were pushed over the bank into the awful chasm below. The number of those who perished was 250. Only two persons es- caped, a drummer, who was caught in a branch of a tree in his descent, and a man by the name of Steadman, (the same who put the goats upon (loat Island. A man e across [pool. Hidings ► be five GUIDK TO XlA(fAHA FALLS. CHAPTER VL 51 GEOLOGY AND RECESSION OP THE FALLS lis, on I War, Army, were idians. on the tlieir 'omen : into those ns es- ranch name upon Sir (Jluirlcs Lyell says: "The first feature which strikes you in tliis region is the escarp- nu'nt, or line of inland cliffs, one of which runs to a groat distance east from Queenston. On the Canada side it has a height of more than three hundred feet. The first question which occurs when we consider the nature of the country, is, how cliffs were produced ? why do we so sud- denly step from this range to the gypseous marls, and then so suddenly to the subjacent sliale and sandstone ? We have similar lines of escarp- ment in all countries, especially where the rock is limestone ; and they are considered to be an- cient sea cliffs, which have become more gentle in their slope as the countiy has emerged from the ocean. You may perhai)s ask if the Ontario may not once have stood at a higlier level, and GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. the clifls been produced by its action, instead of that of the ocean. Sonic of you may have pass- ed along the ridge road, as it is called, — tliat rem jirkable liank of sand "which exists parallel, or nearly so, to the present borders of Lake Ontario, at a considerable height above it. I l)errectly agree with the general opinion res- ])ecting this, that it was the ancient boundary of Lake Ontario. In some parts of it fresh- water shells have been found. You cannot ex- l)lain the escarpment by the aid of the action of the lake, for it extends farther, and not in the same direction. When the land emerged gradually from the sea, as it is now doing, the sea would naturally create those sea-cliffs, and during the upheaval they would of course be- come inland. In Europe, proofs that limestone rocks have been washed away arc abundant. In (Ireese, in the Morea, this is especially conspic- uous. We have there three limestones, one above the other, at various distances from the sea. Along the line you may see literal caves worn nut by the action of the waves. The ac- tion of the salt spray, which has effected a sort of che:nical disposition, is easily to be observed. So completely is this the case with each of these (iVlDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 5:? isteud of ive i)ass- :l,--tlijit parallel, :)f Lake ^e it. I ^n res- urn ilary t fresli- not ex- action not in fnerged ig, tlie s, and 'se be- estone nt. In ns2->ic- , one a the caves le ac- a sort 'rved. tlicse lines, tluit you cannot doubt for an instant that here is a series of inUind cliffs ; and this })he- nomenon beinj? so certain in the Morea, leads us by analogy to infer that these escarpments of the district were produced by a similar cause. ** It is not disputed that there is soi^e change going on at the Falls, even now. There occurs, as we know, occasionally a falling down of frag- ments of rock, as may be seen at Goat Island. The shale at the bottom is destroyed in conse- quence of the action of the spray and frost ; the limestone, being thus undermined, falls down; and it has been believed that in this way there has been a recession of about fifty yards in about forty years, but this is now generally ad- mitted to have been overstated. There is at least a probable recession of abont one foot every year, though part of the fall may go back faster than this ; yet, if you regard the whole river, even this probably will be something of an exaggeration. Our observations upon this point are necessarily imperfect ; and when we reflect that fifty years ago the country was i)erfectly wild, and inhabited by bears, wolves, and here and there a hunter, we shall think it surprising that we have any observations at all, even I'or 54 GUIDE To NIAGARA FALLS. SUCH ii period })ack. Wo have an account of the Falls, given by Father Hennepin, a French missionary, who gives an exaggerated descrip- tion of them, and yet one "vvhich is tolerably correct. He represents a cascade as falling from the Canada side across the other two. He says that between Lake Erie and Lak3 Ontario there is a vast and wonderful waterfall ; after speak- ing of this, he says there is a third cascade at the left of the other two, falling from west to oast, the others falling from south to north. lie several times alludes to the third cascade, which he says was smaller than the other two. Now, those who consider that because Father Henne- pin gave the height of the Falls at six hundred feet, small value is to be attached to his testi- mony respecting any part of the country, do him injustice. I think it perfectly evident that there must have been such athird casc.ide, fall- ing from west to east, as that to which he al- ludes. ''A Danish naturalist, who came in the year 1758, to this country and visited the Falls, of which he has also given us a description, which was published in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1751, also gives a view of the Falls. In its gen- GUIDE TO KIAGAKA FALLS. 00 )unfc of cacrip- lerably g from e says • there jpeak- de at ^st to 1. He -vliicli Now, ?nne- idrecl esti- y, do that all- >al- ^ear ,of ieh in ■en- oral features his description agrees well with tluifc of Father Hennepin, lie went seventy-three years after him, and there was then no tliird cascade. But the point where Father Henne- pin had put his cascade, he had marked, and says that * that is the place where the water w;:3 forced out of its direct course by a jn-odigious rock, which turned the water and obliged it to fall across the Falls.' lie goes on to say, that only a few years before, there had been a down- fall of that rock ; which was undoubtedly a part of the Table Hock ; and after that the cascade ceased to flow. Xow, it does not appear whether he had ever seen Hennepin's account or not ; he only mentions tlie fact that there had been a tliird cascade : and it is a striking confirmation of the accuracy of Father Hennepin's descri})- tion. We find these two observers, at an inter- val of seventy-three years apart, remarking on the very kind ot change wliic'i we now remark as having taken place within the last fifty years, an undermining of the rock, and a falling down of the limestone, and a consequent obliteration of the fall. Every one who has visited the Falls, on inquiring of the guides about the changes that have taken place, may have been told that r)f) (U'lDK TO NIAGARA FALLS. tlic American Fall has become more crescent slia[)ecl than it was thirty years ago, when it was nearly straiL^ht. The centre has given way, and uow there is an ijidentation of iiearlv thirty feet. The Horse Shoe ¥ix\\ also has been con- siderably altered. It is not of so regular a crescent shape as formerly, but has a more jag- ged outline, especially near Goat Island; it has less of the horse-shoe shape, from which it derives its name, than when it was given. It is ([uite certain that things there are i\ot station- ary, and the great pond the river back. But if the river cuts its way back, this barrier could no longer exist; the channel would be deepen- ed, and the deposits existing high and dry upon the land would become proof of tlie recession. This kind of proof we have, that the Falls have receded three miles from the Whirlpool, the limestone having been higher at the AV hirlpuol than the river at the the Falls. It may be well to say that the beds all dip to the south, at the rate of about twenty-five feet in a mile. In seven miles the dip causes a general rise of the platform to the north, so that when at the of the cliff you are at a greater height thni level of Lake Erie; and if the Fall- ^v" merly at Queenston, their hei r , near double what they now " Mr. Ilall suggested thai .t thir time the whole fall was not at one place, ahd I think it quite likely that such was the caise. There is reason to believe that one fall was upon the quartz ose sand below, and the other on the the for- .bly (iL'lUl-: TO NlAdAUA FALLS. 59 IS Protean bed. The upper part would ot course recede faster tlian the lower, because it is softer as is seen to be the case at llocliester ; but the limestone, becoming thick'er and harder, wouhl recede more slowly. There may have been several falls, as at Rochester, each one of them being less high than at the present, and yet the whole being nearly double its present height. "I told you that the river fell about one hundred feet between the base of the Falls and Lewiston, so that the bed slopes at that rat?. This slope of the river, and then the upward slope of the platform, are the reasons why the Falls are now of a less height than formerly ; so when we carry ourselves back in imagination to the time when the river had not receded so far, we have a barrier of limestone much higher. The valley in which the river then flowed must have been much narrower than its present ravine. The distance now from the Canada f,o the American side is about three-quarters of a mile, whereas at half a mile below it is on'y half that distance. " Farther investigations, by tracing the fresh- water deposits lower, will give more precise in- formation. You might suppose that if we find 00 (!i:il>K TO NIAGARA FALLS. the remains of ti mastodon in a fresh-water de- posit, so lately laid dry as that near the Village of Niagara, and only twelve feet below the sur- face, the mastodon has lived in the country at a moderate period ; you might think that a few centuries would have been sufficient for the ac- cumulation of twelve feet of shelly sandstone and limestone, and that it may have been re- cently that this mastodon was buried, when the barrier was at the Whirlpool, before this twelve feet of lluviatile strata were deposited. Yet these strata are older than the Whirlpool. "Among the objections to the supposition that the ravine was cut out by the Niagara, one is, that at the place called the Devil's Hole, or the Bloody Run, the ravine must have been cut by some more powerful cause than by a slight stream. " But this I regard as no o])jection at all, for on examining the nature of the soil, &c., I am convinced that even the small stream which now flows would have been perfectly competent to cut out the ravine, and that we need look for no more powerful cause. "Su[)}>ose the Falls once to have been near QueiMi.sion, they would recede differently at GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. Gl ater de- Vilhige :he su I'- ll try at t a few the ac- ids tone }eii re- wheii e this OS i ted. rlpool. )sitiou a, one )le, or 'n cut slight II, for I am I now nt to k for near y at different times, — faster when the soft shale was was at the base, at other times slowly, when the liard sandstone was to be cut through. First of all comes the quartzose sandstone, for a cer- tain distance; then the Falls recede slowly, ])ut more rapidly when it came tc the soft shales ; then comes the sandstone again at the base, which now extends to the Whirlpool, and here the movement was slow. It probably stood for ages at the Whirlpool. Then for another pe- riod it receded more rapidly, and it is probable that for the last mile its recession has been comparatively slow, because the Protean group, and about twenty feet of sandstone, making about fifty feet of hard rock, at the base, were to be cut through. It is certain that the move- ment now is at a faster rate, as the shale is ex- posed.'' The above reasoning perfectly coincides with the opinion of Dr. D wight, and others who have devoted any time to tiie subject, and strangers, as far as the author has been able to learn, have come to the same conelusion. The foUowini' fi'ao:ment, wi'illi'ii iu the Ke- gister of the Point View Gard mi, at Nijigara Kails, on Sunday, August 1, ISt;', by Dr. Bax- i iiik 62 GUIDE TO NIAGARA. FALLS. LEY, of Baltimore, illustrates the profound im- pressions produced on the mind and heart by this most wonderful work of nature : — A SABBATH AT NIAGARA. Here, near the temple of Almighty God, The soul, wrapp'd in liumility, bows down In awe and reverence. 'Tis meet that man. The creature, lieholding the bold displays Of power stuijcndous, wisdom infinite, Should look, through nature's grandest witness, up To nature's God. And deeming here all time A Sabbatli, yet on this day appointed Holy to Him who rear'd these rocky walls, Buttress'd belo^v by tide wash'd massive piles, Entablatured with beetling battlements. And corniced with a waving wilderness Of verdure, — who outspread yon azure roof. Now softly mellow'd with ethereal tint. Or darken' d by the thunder's messenger. Gilded anon by lightning's gleams, or now Radiant with starry hosts, whose mirror'd beams Carpet the billowy floor with silvery light, — Wlio raised yon altar, and upon its brow Of emerald, in characters of light. Inscribed, e'en with his own right hand, " To God ! " Where ministering birds, with notes attuned To an eternal anthem, hymn his praise. And bear on dewy wings a pearly cloud Of incense up toward the Almighty's throne. Fit worshippers in nature's holiest fane, — Who guards the portal of this sacred place With ever-heaving sea of snowy foam. Whose tempest " '"e to man presumptuous calls, " Thus, and no fartner shalt thou go, ' and points To ceaseless whirling tides, the awful Maelstrom of Niagara, dread emblem of Tir eternal doom of man, vain man, who seeks GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 03 ^ To pass the limit of asign'd commancl. And moral law, — -- E'en on this Sabbath day, Here, near God's own great temple, would we bow In humble praise and prayer; and, while the lip liests silent, would the soul its homage give, And favor seek : petitioning that in The devious path of life so may we move, rhat when these rocks shall melt with fervid heat, When the rich garniture of teeming earth Shall vanish, leaving no trace of brightness Or of beauty to tell that it once was. This restless tide no longer tlow, and its Deep cadence cease, when the blue dome that spans 1 h3 earth shall pale away, and radiant spheres No longer slied abroi^l their hallow'd light; Tiien in ly the hr)pe that rests upon His^ word \Vh() ne'er was false to man, who hangs his bow Upon the cloud, and spreads it night and day Upon his altar's incense, token to man Alike of His redeeming power and will, — Tlien may the hope that on His word rJlies, Nurtured by love and rectitude, grow stron'' In trust and prescience of a home " not ma3e \Vith hands, eternal in the heavens ! " August 1, 1847. >» TO NLVGARA. Written at the first sigh^ of its Falls, 18.38, by J. S. Buckingham, Hail ! Sovereign of the World of Floods whose maiesty and might First dazzles,— then enraptures, —then o'eraws the achin'5' sight : The pomp of kings and emperors, in every clime and zone, Grows dim beneath the splendor of thy glorious watery throne. 64 GUIDK TO NIAGARA FALLS. No fleets can stop thy progress, — no armies bid tliee stay,— But onward — onward — onward — tby march still holds its way; The rising luist that veils tliee as thine li(!ra1d goeslvjfore And the music that proclaims thee is the thundering cataract's roar. Thy diadem is an emerald green, of the ck-arcst, purest hue, Set round with waves of snow-whil«.' foam and spray of feathery dew. While tresses of the brightest pearls lloat o'er thy ample Kheet, And th(} rainbow lays its gorgeous gems in tribute at thy feet. Thy reign is of the ancient days, — thy sceptre from on high ; Thy birth was when the morning stars together sung with joy; The sun, tlie moon, and all the orbs that shine upon thee now. Saw the first wreath of glory which twine J thine in- fant brow. And from that hour to this, in which I gaze upon thy stream. From age to age, — in winter's frost, or summer's sultry beam, — By day, by night, — without a pause, — thy waves with loud acclaim. In C(!aseless sonids hive still proclaimed the Great Et(!rnal Name. For whether on thy forest banks the Indian of the wood. Or, since his days, the red man's foe, on his fatherland has stood, — Whoe'er h;is seen thine incense rise, or heard tny torrent's roar. GUrDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 05 bid thee till liokla >es ])'jf()ro unclerin;; =t, piirost y ample iljutc at from on er sung e upon line in- •on thy 1 sultry ?s with Great of the 3rland d tay M'l^t h'lve bent before tlia Gjd of all to wors:iip an 1 adore. Annept then, Suprcmaly Groat ! — O Infinito ! — Gol ! From this priiii'jViil altar — the grenn an I virgin sod — Theliumble horn igo that mysonlingratitiiflL' would piy To thee ! whose shield has guarded me thro' all my wandering way. For, if the ocean be as naui^ht in the hollow of thy hand, And the stars of the bright lirmanient, in thy balance, grains of sand; If Niagara's flood seems great, to us who lowly bow, () Great Creator of the whole ! how passing great art thou ! Yet, tho' thy power is greater here than finite min I may scan, Sf ill greatei is thy mercy shown to weak dependent man ; Ft)r iiim thou cloth'st the fertile fields with herbs, and fruit, and seed. For him the woods, the lakes, supply his daily, hourly need. Around, on high, — or far or near, — the universal whole Proclaim thy glory, as the orbs in their fix\l courses roll. And from creation's grateful voice thy hymn ascends above,. While Heaven re-echoes back the chorus, — God is love. Recession of the Falls. The fall of every rock, in the vicinity of the ciitMract, is an evidence of the truth of Profes- sor Ly ell's remarks. The large rocks, below the American and Horse Shoe Falls, have evi- donlly rolled from the high banks at some time. 06 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. The point of the Horse Shoe Fall, where it looks so green, has receded more than a hun- dred feet since my recollection. The author was an officer in the American army, in the war of 1813, well acquainted with the Falls, on both sides of the river at that time, and is confident the above is correct. This agrees, also, with the opinion of strangers, who have not visited us for fifteen or twenty years. 'J'here was a small island, about fifty rods above the Horse Shoe Falls, containing nearly two acres, called Gull Island, which has every par- ticle washed away within five years. Health of the Falls. No place in the United States can boast of a greater degree of uninterrupted health than the Falls. The town contains about three thou- sand inhabitants. Not an epidemic, not a case of cholera, has ever originated here. This is attributable, doubtless, in some degree, to the rapid current of the river and the pure and exhilarating state of the atmosphere. What- ever may be the cause, such is the fact, and it is acknowlodsred bv everv one. (iUll)E TO XIACIAKA FALLS. 07 lere it a hun- author in the Falls, and is igrees, > have years, above 7 two y par- ; of u Q the thou- case lis is » the and hat- id it Hotels. The Cataract House, and International, are considered among the first-class houses in the United States. Niagara Is a corruption of the Indian word " Onyakara," supposed to be the Iroquois language, as the Iro- quois were the first who dwelt here, as far as we know. The meaning of the term is "mighty, wonderful, thundering," water. It lies in lati- tude 43 degrees 6 minutes north, and longitude 2 degrees 5 minutes west, from London. It is called Niagara River, between the two Lakes, Erie and Ontario, a distance of 3G miles. When it leaves Ontario Lake, it is then the River St. Lawrence, passing the Rapids, Thou- sand Islands, Montreal, Quebec, and falls into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 450 miles below Quebec. Sources of Niagara. Lake Superior is the largest body of fresh water in the world, Lake Huron. . " Mich. .. " St. Clair " Erie .. 450 miles long. 109 wide. 800 ft.cleep 218 180 " 500 " 300 55 *' 200 " 40 15 - 80 " r>90 05 " 000 " H8 (iLIDK TO NIAGARA FALLS. and is 503 ieot jibove the level of the ocean. AV^innebeg, AVinnebego, with several smaller lakes, together with one hundred rivers, large and small, pour their waters this way, draining a country of more than one hundred and fifty thousand square miles, and discharges more water, perhaps, into the ocean, than any river on the Globe. A Disposition of Strangers to Jump over the Falls. In some instances this is unquestionably true, as it has often been remarked to the au- thor, " I have a great mind," say they, " to give a jump; do you think it would hurt me?" The cause is ditlicult to explain. They are not accustomed to stand upon such a giddy emi- nence, with the wild world of waters around them ; all sense of danger for a moment is lost. The grandeur and sublimity of the scene over- powers them, and it frequently ha})pens that persons the most timid at home are perfectly calm and collected here . Space allows us to mention but one instance. A young lady alighted from her carriage (Canada side), step- ped quickly to the edge of the Table Rock, G L' 1 1) K TO N I V ( } A It V FA I. LS. Gt) before it fell, stood upon ouu foot on the very brink, the wind blowing hard at the time from the Canada sliore. Her mother screamed. A gentleman present made motions to have her keep quiet, passing quickly behind her, laid his hand firmly upon her shoulder: " Madam," said he, "are you not unnecesarily exposing yourself to danger ? " " Oh, no ! '' she replied, *^ I can jump off here, — fly away like a balloon, and it would not hurt me at all " The cause is difficult to explain, but such is the fact in some instances. Niagara Never Freezes Over. But it accumulates nure ice than any river on the Globe. One-half of the river on the Canada, and nearly three-fourths on the Ameri- can side, was closed in by ice, caused by the river freezing along the shore, and soon after a severe storm, thousands of acres of ice came tumbling down from the lake above, lodging against rocks and other obstructions, forming a sale way nearly to the centre of the river, to the head of Goat Island, to the bank of Ihe Ameri- can Fall, extending over it, and more than one- fourth of the way across. Many of our citizens 70 iilxDE To MlACiAlLV I ALLS. uviiiled tliomsulvos of this novelty, to visit places where huniiui beiiii^'s had never belbre been, and perhaps never will be, until the voice of the Almighty shall roll back again this Hood into darkness and void. The proprietor of the Cataract House, in 1855, drove a horse and cutter nearly into the centre of the river, to the very verge of the American Fall. A daguereotype was taken Ice Cones Under the Falls. In the winter of 1855, some of them were immense ; more than iiOO feet at the base, and reaching nearly to the top of the American Fall. A son of the writer cut his way with a hatchet more than IGO feet high ; his head was nearly level with the Falls, and he stood there until a daguereotype likeness was taken. The Kapids, the Ice, the Falls, the Kiver, and every- thing connected with them, presented one of the most grand and sublime spectacles ever witnessed. What rendered it more thrillingly interesting, Avas the icicles hanging from the cliffs, a hundred feet long. The spray issuing from the dark caverns below, like the hot breath of some monster of the deep struggling I GL'IDL: TO Nl.VtiAUA FALLS. 71 to be free ; the sim darting his fiery beams, U3 it' to melt, at a single glance, this cold and mys- terious barrier; the bow of promise smiling serenely over these waring elements ; and the roar of Niagara is hushed, save a few muttering groans issuing from the dark caverns of the deep, evincing how terrible will be its power when once aroused in the majesty of its wrath, which in a few days she bursts these frail bar- riers, hurls the chains with which the Avars bound into the dark chasm below, and Niagara was once more free — not a foe in sight, — not aii enemy in the field ; and the old saying, "what- ever we can bind we can conquer " is not true, for no power but Omnipotence, and no event but dark chaos, sweeping over the world, can ever conquer Nia.gara. Ice Bridges Below the Falls. This, in latter years, is a frequent occur- rence, sometimes extending nearly half a mile down and across the river, from the American to the Canada shore; and in the centre from 15 to 30 feet high, caused by ice rolling over the Falls, plunging into the deep below, rises to the surface, and forms the bridge as above. '2 oirrDi: to Niagara falls. But it the river rises, this slender hold that l)oiind her to each shore, is broken, and the bridge disai)pears, sometimes in one night, at others it lasts until May. Three Distinct Falls at Niagara. Tlie American is separated from the Centre Fall by Luna Island ; they both pour their waters to the West ; the Horse fShoe Fall, to the North-east. Father Ilennepen, who visited the Falls in 1G78, says: There is a cascade, near the Horse Shoe, which falls from West to East, on the Canada side ; but every vestige of the last has disappeared. The Falls mor elmpressiv e than the Sun, or Any Heavenly Body. Millions gaze upon the Sun, every day, with- out the slightest emotion of interest ; but to the visitor at the Falls this kind of listless indif- ference is impossible. Different Places of Interest. N"o two persons are exactly agreed, which is the best, or the most impre^ sive. This depends a good deal upon several causes ; nervous tem- p3rament, ill health, and many other circum- aUlDK TO NIAGARA FALLS. >Id tJiat md tlie light, at ra. Centre ^ their , to tlie ;ed tJie -, near East, of the Sun, with- o tlie ndif- h is ?nds eni- stances, may detract materially from the (overwhelming grandeur of this scene : but the visitor will recollect, every point of interest, pro- duces a different effect, with a greater or less degree of vividness upon the mind. Some are warm and enthusiastic admirers of natures works, and in their flights of fancy, instantly leave the world, and soar away, into the regions of boundless space: where the Almighty, en- throned in light, and glory, reigns Sui)reme, and uncontrolled, over millions of worlds be- sides our own. Others are content to grovel along, scarcely ever looking up from Nature, to Nature's God. The want of impressivenecs, is not in the grandeur of the scene, but in the mind of the beholder. If the sun shines, the interest of the visitor is much enchanced on either side. The Emotions of the Red Man at the Falls. AVhile gazing upon the glories of this be- wildering scene, are always calm and sedate, and appear holding communion with some Su- perior Power, and this, as far as we know, is as acceptable service to the Deity, as that, which arises from the most guilded temples, u GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. sparkling with gold, and ornamented with all the ingenuity or art of man. Niagara at Night in a Thunder Storm. The writer, a few yea^s since, accompanied a party of ladies and gentlemen, to the Horse Shoe Tower, about one o'clock at night, when the most terific thunder storm, burst suddenly n.pon us, that had been witnessed in this vicin- ity for many years. The lightning's vivid flash, leaping the tail barriers of the clouds, darted suddenly to the earth, Avith a crash, tlmt made the world tremble, and Niagara, too, felt its awful power, and for a moment appeared to cease its roar, and was still, afraid, amid the roaring elements, her voice could not be heard, for when Jehovah speaks, let his works and his creatures he silent. And nothing to me was ever more awfully granu, and terrific than this scene. The Greatest Quantity of Water, Canada Side. It has been estimated, by scientific gentle- men, that nearly ten tons to one, passes over the Horse Shoe Fall. And the channel is evi- dently becoming deeper, on that side every CUIDE TO NIAGAUA FALLS. 75 witli all torm. npanied e Horse t, when uldeiily 8 vicin- 3 vivid clouds, hj tlmt )o, felt Li-ed to id tlie heard, lid his le was ti this tiada intle- over I evi- very year. This is known from the fact, that rocks once under water, on the American side, are now entirely bare. Rain Eow, Canada Side. In the afternoon, from three to five o'clock, if the sun shines, there is always, a broad, ex- pansive arch to be seen, extending at times, from the Horse Shoe, to the American Fall ; and this scene, in the opinion of the writer, is unequaled by any other. Fossels and Shells have been found on Goat Island, which demon- strate, they were left here by flood, or that the waters once flowed over this whole country ; but, at what period, is forever overwhelmed, in the obscurities of the past. We leave this to the Geologists. Universal Admiration of the Falls. Not in their height, nor in the volocity of the Rapids, the llain Bow's brilliant hues, the ceaseless thunder of the cataract, the amazing quantity of water, that makes this foaming and headlong plunge, into the yawning gulf be- low; not in either of these, separately, out all 76 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. combined, that fills the mind with awe, majes- ty, grandeur, and overwhelming sublimity, that can never be expressed ; for when the Deity rolled those mighty works into being, he vir- tually said, I will have no rival on the Globe, and there is none. Atheism at the Falls. "We may have been schooled in Infidelity, and taught to believe there is no God; but during our stay at the Falls, leb the individual be an Atheist if he can, impossible. Under Current of the River. On the surface, below the Falls, it runs on an average, about six or seven miles per hour. 15elow, the sailors say about 30 or 40 feet, it runs, at least, 10 or 12 nots. And this is the reason, we think, why saw logs, and other bod- ies plunging over the Horse Shoe Fall, are not seen, until they come up at the Whirlpool ; a distance of three miles. Why was it Called Horse Shoe Falls. It originally took its name, from its sliape, but it is far from that appearance now. Large rocks, weighing thousands, and perhaps mil- GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 77 ^ve, niajcs- mity, that the Deity gf lie vii-- lie Globe, iifidelity, Tod; but dividual 'uns oil er hour. ) feet, it is is the ler bod- are not .^ool; a alls. si 1 ape, J^aro'e 3 mil- lions of tons, liave, within a few years, fallen from the Horse bhoe Falls, at the point where it looked so green, and the angle is evidently becoming more accute, apparently, working its way towards Goat Island, which is very perceptable to our citizens, and strangers, who have not visited ns for tifteen or twenty years. Looking up. If the visitor would get a correct idea of heights, let him go below the Falls and look up. This is difHcult to explain, perhaps the mind is less accustomed to compare objects with distances from above. Whatever may be the cause, such is the fact. The Earth, to a man in a Balloon, appears at a much less dis- tance, than when this height is seen from be- low. This law holds good everywhere. The Falls, when seen from al)ove, do not appear more than 50 or GO feet high ; hence, strangers are frequently disappointed. The best place to get a correct idea of heiglits, is at the Cave of the Winds, or crossing the Ferry . Disappointment to Strangers. At first view, this is sometimes the case ; but we think the instance is not on record, where 78 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. the Visitor has any mind to appreciate sublimi- ty, and overwhelming grandeur, can be disap- pointed after a few days at the Falls. Looking Steadily at the Horse Shoe Falls. Let the visitor look steady for a few mo- ments, abou*: half way down the Horse Shoe Fall, near the point where it looks so green, and it has a very different effect upon the mind. The falling flood is more steady than any pow- er in our world, a striking emblem of human life, how rapidly the generation of men are passing away, or like the clock of eternity, striking the notes of time. Rainbow from the Top of the Tower. When the sun shines, it adds much to the magnificent grandeur of this scene. It is the same sign set in the heavens, painted by the same Divine hand, but for different objects. Trembling of the Tower. This, we think, is more attributable to ima- gination, than reality : there may be a slight tremor, but it is imperceptable to tiiose ac- customed to the place. ■te sublimi- n be disap- ioe Falls. a few mo- -orse Shoe so green, the mind. iinj pow_ f iuiman men are eternity, 3wer. ii to tlie ft is the I by tlie ects. (UriDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 70 to inia- slight :>se ac- Rapids above the Horse Shoe Fall, They extend on the Canada side, in their wildest fury, about two miles and a half ; but on the American side, only three-fourths of a mile. Any human being thrown into the rapids, if near the centre of the river, is hurried on to destruction. Accidents to Strangers. There are not as many accidents, in propor- tion to the number who visit the Falls, as among our citizens; strangers are generally more careful and timid, cautious how they ap- proach places of apparent or real danger, until satisfied of their perfect safety. Some, how- ever, have a more fool-hardy adventure in their constitutions, venturing out upon places of danger, where human beings never ought to go. Dkowned, June 8, 1870.— A young man named Whittaker, a Student at Deveaux Col- lege, was drowned on Saturday afternoon, while bathing in the river, below the Whirl- pool. He was from Pittsford, N. Y. Ilis body has not been found. 80 iiUlDi: TO XIAGAUA FALLS. Impromptu ox Leaving I^iagaua. 'Tis hard to leave tliee, mi-hty flood, 1 18 hard to leave thoe novv W ith that thunder in thy dei)th And glory in thy brow. ^ ' Thy white, dashinir foam, 1 o greet the world's wide cares >Yhich await around my humble home Mauy. [i.V. s&ifit ®APi, &mB peEii iMAUY. M. L COMSTOCK & CO., 248 ^ 260 Main Street, BUFFALO, N.Y. pts, y Wholesale and livtail Dealers in ^, mid mm 1 AND MANUFACTURERS OF mk, LADIES' FINE FURS, FANCY ROBES, &C. Parties ck'siriiiir line goods, at low piuces, will tind it to thdr {ulvantuge to examine our stock. M. L. COMSTOCK &C0o 24S & 25(1 Main Street, Buffalo. N Y. '''''-'■'^- ESTABLISHED JS54 ALVAH CHURCH, No. 5 Exchange Street, BUFFALO, N, Y. IV xsK) \ -bi5,()f iilldesciiptious, JiULLION^ Hi* EC IE, And Domestic and Foreign Exchange. ^-ALSO,^ASSAGE TO AND FROM EUROPE. 1859. Established ' Jg^g —AND— BLANK BOOK MANUFACTURERS, &c. 220 & 222 Washington Street, 1854. H \L0, N. 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