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THS f iL£I3 AND SUfmBK KON BBIDai^ FROM BTSRBOSOOPIO VIBWS B8PB0IAU.T lOB THIS WORK. By F. H. JOHNSON, eifiL BNoiHBn, A xaasan or paoaka, aitd autbob or mapi^ CTATunnoB, AHD ttviDi-fiooKs or nn rjlu. PmLADELPHU: aEOBGE W. CHILD S. 1864. JBntered, according to Act of GoogreBS, in the year 1863, by F. H. JOHNSON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Easttin District of PennsylTania. ' /■ iraaBOTTPED BT L. JOHHSOK ft OOw PHILAnKbPBIA. nniTBD BT BBKRT B. ASHlOABu MM. 1102* 110*4 TO THE VISITOR. This is the only original, oorreot, and reliable work in market. The author for several years has been personally and familiarly acquainted with all the points of interest of 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 different routes and places are so arranged and minutely described 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 either unnecessarily prolix upon some points, or not sufficiently clear and explicit upon others to meet the wishes of the travelling public. This difficulty, it is believed, is entirely obviated in the following pages. Follow the directions of this little work, and you can go to all the points of interest on both sides of the river. The Author. CONTENTS. VAM Amfldoui TalL— Near«8t ]Umt« to. 7 ATarj oa the Log » 81 A Tidt to Goat liland by Moonlight........^ 38 Bftthing-Place of Francis Abbot, the Hermit 10 Benders Cave 47 BIddle Stain 14 Bnmhig Spring. it Boming of the Steamer Caroline 42 Oaaada.>-nNeareit Roate to Table Bock and other Points................. 86 Casualties 29 CatUn's Care. .....47 Care of the Winds 12 Ohapin Island 10 Chippewa. 41 Clifton House 87 Depth of Rirer below the Falls 27 Depth of Water on the Top of Horse Shoe Falls 17 DotU's Hole 48 vail of the River 2S First Impressions of Strangers 26 Fort ScUosser 44 Geology and Recession of the Falls ft2 Goat Isiand,—the Route to .„..'. 8^ 10^ 22 ' Head of Goat Island ; „. '^.(^ Health of the Ticinity of the Falls .Vi Horse Shoe Fall 16 Horse Shoe Tower 15 Hotels I 86 Indian Offering to the Falls 45 Indian Tradition 28 Indian Village. 34 Iron Bridge. 8 Landing on the Canada Side....... ».. 97 Local Distances connected with Goat Island 23 ** M about the Falls, American Side 84 « « Canada Side .. 42 I«na Island 11 Lunar Bow 88 Lnndy'sLaneBattle-Field 41 It r 6 »mM of tlMlflftf* f9iac^teo«|ik «lM Whlrlpoo|U....„..^ ..H..«.»^.. M Maattoi Book..............t....M.»..»'»«t .....^......m...m....jm«.. 11 NtMCMt Konto to tb« fclto Ifiatva ><».'4;. ? . .<■/ PoctrT.p— A Babteth at I^iafua...... ^....*.'.„.....». fll '« To Niagarft. ........«»» « Point View .................»...;.............. ........m.....,..»... M Qwuitlty of WatWt »•••••••■••<•••••••••••••••• •••««i»«*r«n«M«<{^«>**w U Rainbowi »..»»,.«•»...••..••.•. • wmm.......^........ M Blaeof theiUfitr u.,...^.^.*. ..». m.........,***..,. 96 •#•••••••••••«•«••«••••• Bun Patch's Leap;..... „ Spray...... .w.....;., Soqmulon Bridga » w».. ....»«»..*.*>.. 18 81 Table Rook^Iti FaU The CoDtraTall ,. The fallfoannot be deieribed t.M....i«M... m The Pint Man who law the Palla ........;...U.... 38 . XDO -UOrSO SJIOO JrRUe«»«*a**«ff««*»««*««**««»»««*«**«e«t*e«eeeeee««*eee»#Aeeiee*aa«b«*a«e 'X^ The Line between the two OoTemmenta. ....,m..»*..... 4m. The Lunar Bow ...i»t,.V..;>..i; ||k The Nearest Route to Canada, Table Rock, Btimlng ^ffiM, ViA ^^ Lundy'sLane ..'..j|^i,;1,.m. qJK;^ The Mmettnti.. i'^......... .'...•iMfM.w... W The Route to Ooatlahmd i.;...>....;. jp.....^.W«- B The Route to OuMda tla SuBpeneion Bridge...^....*,.... ...m..^.^/. 88 '• The T6l ld a t e t oQbat Island :«^.M»..t...M..v**'f ^r- ^ % . Th^ 'WQinpoiNo....... '«(..••.'.•....... .i>..«iiiiy.a...Vf ' Three Nsun—Iilands ...i.... ...:....»..... 18 View of the Idlf at; Mlght-Sunrise-Sunset f. .....^........jiM, 28 •- Whirlpool ..> tf k> WintwBcene»....;........>v»»*?« »•• iff I BliutMllenst View w.«......^. 86 Saqiendon Bridge „.|^........»......« .^....'cl^AMi :....... -88 ! ,;'? AdTorti4B]ii0Bti« 4ti^ ••••taM T »*«*««ip WW >«•••••• wl ........ M 18 M sr 98 le 8; ..47 .87 .. 6 ;. 26 • n... '88 > > [-, r -' ■iV' yt m^. *ji«'#'» GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. Ir the Tidtor stops at the Caiarwt Homey or Jii- temaHonal, and wishes to take the nearest route to the Falls; pass down Falls Street'*' to the Ferrj- lE^ouse, go through tke Ferry-Hoose, and you will haye a fine view of the Amerioan Fall. Height^ 164 feet; width to Goat Island, opposite, 900 feet. The distance from your hotel to the Ferry-House is ahout a third of a mile, or say ten or twelve min- utes' walk. The view from this point is grand and imposing. The Amerioan and Horse Shoe Falls, Goat Island with its stately oaks and dark waving forest, the opposite iron-bound shore, the river be- low, with the ferry-boats dancing like things of life upon the agitated waters, — all render it a place of much attractiveness. If you wish to pass fVom this place to Goat Island, proceed up the bank a short distance till you come * FalU .^itreef rum 0a$t and toett. The north tide of the in- tomolioiMili* on ihie etreet* The railroad depot uid AmerioM Hotel are on thiB street 1 8 GUn>I TO NIAQAEA FALLS. il I to the Iron Bridge leading over the Bapids ; crosB oyer the bridge, and keep to the right « The Boate to Goat Island. From Goat or IrU Island are obtuned the best and most striking yiews of the Falls. If you are at the Cataract House^ or Internationaly pass west- wardlj down Bridge Street,^ and two or three min- utes- walk will bring you to the Lmhi BridgOf leading to the toll-gate, o% Bath Island. The bridge is about fifty rods above the Falls, and is an object of interest. The inquiry is not unfrequently made, How was it ever constructed over such a tre- mendous rapid ? The first bridge 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 con- structed, where Bath Island Bridge now stands, by the Messrs. Porter brothers, the proprietors of the island. A suitable pier was built at the water's edge ; long timbers were projected over this abutment the dis- tance they wished to sink the next pier, loaded on < * Bridge Stireet is 4ik« only street between the Internationa] and Gataraot Hotels. \ \ OUIDB TO NIAOABA FALLS. 9 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 substan- tial ones could be built. Bapida. 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 impressive ; thou- sands, in the summer season, particularly when the sky is clear, stand upon this bridge, and gaze upon the angry flood 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 Eapids as far 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, the river falls fifty-one feet. It increases in velocity from seven to thirty miles per hour, be- fore it makes the final plunge. The Toll-Oate stands on Bath Island, itere you pay twenty- five cents (carriages free), and if you register your name you will have the privilege of passing io GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. ftnd repassing any time daring the current year. The small islands to the left, above the toll-gate, are ca)Ied Ship and Brig Islands. Formerly a bridge extended to the larger one of these; and it was then called Loyer's Retreat. The large build ing to the right is a paper-mill, in which is manu- factured the paper of the New York Weekly and Tri- Weekly Tribune. Ohapiii Uaadi This island is to the right of and helow the brlige, within a few rods of the American Fall. A man by the name of Chapin, while working on the bridge, was thrown into the stream, a.^d carried by the cur- rent on to this island. Mr. Joel B. Robinson res- cued him with a skiff. Hundreds of ladies and gentlemen witnessed this bold and daring adven- ture, which few, at so much hazard of life, would have had the nerve to attempt. Goat Iilaiid. The next point of interest, after passing a small bridge, is Iris or Goat Island. A good carriage- road leads around the island ; distance, one mile and a quarter. Here are three ways : the left leads to the head of Goat Island, the middle one across the Island to the Rapids, about sixty rods above the tl tl QUIDS TO NIAGARA FALLS. 11 \ year. U-gate, lerly a and it B build ) manu- Itly and Horse Shoe Fall. But most of the yisitors do, and we will, if you please, take to the right, from the fact that we get the less impressive view of the Falls at first, and the more grand and imposing last, which, in the opinion of the author, gives the mind more time to appreciate the magnificent grandeur and awful sublimity of these mighty works. Eighty rods brings us to the foot or north side of the island. The small sheet of water nearest you is B bridge, A man le bridge, r the cur- nson res- tdies and ig adven- fe, would Kg a small carris^- , mile and Ift leads to lacToas the labove the The Oentre FalL which is between Goat and Luna Island, — a nar- row and beauti^ fall of water. A bridge passes over this to Luna Island. Underneath the centre fall is the Gave of the Winds. Lnxut T |i 1ff" ^ is a favorite spot. It is a small island, containing about three-fourths of an acre, to the right and on the east side of Goat Island, reached by a foot-bridge. It is called Luna Island, not because it resembles the moon, but from the circumstance of a lunar how being seen from this place 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 stream dashing in all its fury upon the rocks below, impatient to try its power in making this fearful leap. The sheet of 12 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. I; 1 Wftter to tlie right is the American Fall ; that to the left, the Centre Fall. It has often been remarked by strangers tlM this island trembles, — which is undoubtedly true ; but the impression is somewhat heightened by a nerv- ous temperament. It was at a point, after we pass the small foot-bridge, about twenty-five feet above the Falls, that young Miss Antoinette De Forest, of Buffalo, aged eight years, by some unaccountable 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. The body of the girl was found, much mutilated, 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 afflictive scenes that has occurred within our recollection. Return by the same way to Goat Island. After resting a few moments, pass up the river to a sign on a tree, — " Biddle Stairs," which lead to the Oave of the Winds. This cave is between Goat and Luna Island, under the Centre Fall, and is reached via the Biddle Stairs. It is seen to the best advantage from below. If the wind is blowing down the river, or from the American shore, you can stan4 with per- GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 15 totlie iat this 3; but a nerv- bridge, young d eight into the ity-twD, jyer the iitilated, floated Bovered. that has feot safety upon a large, flat rock, wUhin a few feet of the falling sheet, without inconvenience, or get* ting the least wet. In the afternoon, when the sun shines, there is always a splendid rainbow, between the sheet of water and the rock, within 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; diameter, sixty; height, one hundred. It is much visited both by ladies and gentlemen. The scenery is veiy fine. The charge for going into the cave is one dollar; which includes the .use of a suitable dress and the services of a reliable guide. After ,0 a sign the d, under BiddU ge from river, or rith per- Sam Fatdh'a Leap is on the west side of Goat Island, near the Biddle Stairs. This celebrated person made two successful leaps in the year 1829, ninety-seven feet perpendicu- lar, into the river below. Question by the visitor: How was this done ? A ladder was raised, the bottom resting on the edge of the river, the top of the ladder inclining over the water, stayed by ropes to the trees m the bank, on the top. of which was a small platform. He stood gazing upon the multitude , ,...-„ - .-...a-.. 14 QUIDS TO NIAOABA FALLS. I i 1 I k ''■i '■ who had heen attracted to the place by a man — afl it was said — " going to jump over the Falls." " One thing/' said he, '^ can be done as well as another/' bowed to the audience^ stepped ofif the platform, and went down feet foremost. Q. How deep is the river where he went in ? A. About fifty feet. Q. How deep did he go down ? A. It is difficult to answer 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 was just half a minute before he rose. Q. What became of the fool-hardy fellow? A. He made a jump at Bochea- ter, Genesee Falls^ the same year^ which was his last. His body was never fbui^d. ,f Biddle Stain are on the northwest side of Goat Island: they were erected by Nicholas Biddle, President of the United States Bank. '< Make us something,'' said he to the workmen, '' to descend and see what is below." These stairs are spiral, firmly secured by heavy iron bolts fa^^ened into the solid rock, and are, we believe, perfectly safe. Total number of steps, ninety. At the foot are two paths leading in opposite di- rections: the one up the river leads toward the \ GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 16 Horse Shoe Fall, but tlie path is so much obstructed by rocks which have fallen^ and the bank is so steep, that it is extremely difficult to get within thirty rods of the Horse Shoe Fall. But by passing down the river a short distance the Centre Fall, or Cave of the Winds, bursts upon the astonished sight in all its terrific grandeur. The impending rocks some- times 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 small house built by the proprietor of the island, for the purpose of rest. Descend the bank, and cross a small bridge to the tower. This is called ,1 Hone Shoe Tower. This tower is on the west side of Goat Island,, ilf'ithin three rods of the Falls, — forty-five feet high,^ and two hundred feet above the river below, sur- rounded near the top by a portico and an iron rail- ing. This tower has been called by some Prospect Tower, and by others Terrapin Tower, but is gene- rally and best known as Horse Shoe Tower. Visit- ors of a nervous temperament, and especially old people, when stepping out upon this piazza, not un- frequently feel a kind of giddiness or tremor; but on looking up or around upon the green foliage, the 16 GUIDE TO NIAGARA TALLS. I I :i' nerves generally beoome tnmqvIL We are tliea better prepared to appreciate tlie pyerwhelming grandeur of this magnificent scene. ITbe.viltw from this tower, in the opinion of the author, of thevWidth of the river, the Bapids, the Horse Shoe Fall, and the angry) boiling deep below, is not surpassed by any other. The river below, in its wild, tuasytuouB fniy, produces a perfect fbam. Tlie Hone Shoe Fell. This is the entire circle from Goat Island to the Canadian side of the river. Its width, by calculation, is 144 rods ; perpendicular height, 158 feet. It de- rived its name from its shape ; but it Must have altered much since it was first named, as large masses of idoks in the neighborhoodof the Horse Shoe fall every year* This is sometimes called the Canada Fall,'-*-:which is a mistake: the Americans owa one-half of it. The line between the two Governments runs in the centre of the river, through the pc^nt of the Horse Shoe, where it looks so green, following the deepest channel, and through the centre of the lakes. 1^. Ott«atity o' "Water, ^ i. Professor Lyell says, fifteen hundred milliona of j cubic feet pass over the Falls every minute. I^. Pwight, former President of Yale College, say^Vne 1 1 ( k *•, V.f .;A V .. ^-i X GH 1 t, -J ►ll O - 71 L'7 m iVl t—^ ri; w CD 1 — 1 £ m t-J p- ■^ > r < diii>r TO NIAGARA FALLH. 17 Imndred millions two bnndred thousand tons put oyer the Falls 6Ter}[ hoar. Jndge De Yeaniy in hir Traveler's Own ^k>oky says, five thousand eightj- foor millions eighty-nine thonsand eight hundred fifty-three barrels descend in twenty-four hours; two hundred eleven millions eight hundred thirty- six thousand eight hundred fifty-three every hour; three millions five hundred thirfy thousand six hundred fourteen every minute; fifty-eight thousand three hundred forty-three eveiy second. ** I should think/' says one, "that the river would exhaust itself.'' True, Wlien the upper lakes, with their vast tributaries, run dry, Niagara will be no more. Other estimates, by scientific gentlemen, have been made, arriving at nearly the same results. DvptE of Wat«r ea the top of Bono 8hoo FalL It is estimated, by Sir Charles Lyell and others, to be twenfy feet in the centre, or where the water looks io green. There is, however, a better datum whence to ascertain this ikct than all the calculations, how- ever learned. The ship Detroit, being condemned on the lake, was bought by a company, loaded with a live bufialo, bear, deer, fox, and other animals, and sent over the Falls in the year 1829. She was knocked to pieces in the Rapids, except about half of her hull, which was filled with water.- It drew eighteen feet, and passed over the point of the 18 QUIDI TO NIAGARA FALLS. Hone Shoe, withoat touobing. Hundredf saw her make this fearful plunge, aud I haye no doubt that the estimates are correct. ' This, then, gi?es a solid column of water on the t6p of the rock of at least twenty feet. The visitor, after spending what time he wishes on Horse Shoe Tower, will return to the bank. If he wishes to reach his hotel by the nearest route, without going round by the head of the island, he ^ will take a small path directly back of the building fronting Horse Shoe Tower. This is a pleasant walk leading to the bridge, and shortens the distance more than one-half. But we will suppose he wishes to continue hi's rambles around Goat Island. The best point from which to get a correct view of the shape of the Horse Shoe Fall is about forty rods up the river, from the point where he ascends the bank from the tower^ near a small stone monu- ment, directly in his path, marked with a cross on the top, set by the surveyors to ascertain if the Falls recede. Let him step to the bank, and he will get ' one of the best views of the shape of the Horse Shoe there is, on either side of the river. Three Siitenu These islands are on the southwest side, and near the head of Goat Island. In the year 1841 a man by the name of A. P. Alien, in attempting to y^ OUIDB TO NIAGARA FALLS. 19 a oron the river in a skiff, fVon Chippewa, unfortu- Dately broke one of hia oars ; btt(, with a skill and coolness never surpassed, he managed to reach the outer island, and jumped ashore, while his skiff darted on like an arrow over the Falls. Though saved from immediate death, yet his situation was perilous in the extreme : the hope of rescue was extremely doubtful, and starvation was staring him in the face. Two nights and one day he remained upon this lonely spot. He struck a fire : the smoke wreathed in columns above the tree-tops. Great numbers of our citiaens assembled, and heard his cries for help. At length a rope was thrown across from one island to the other, and by means of a skiff the same in- trepid Robinson who had rescued Chapin succeeded in bringing him safe to shore. Bftthing-PUoe of Fraadi Abbot, the Hermit. The bathing-place of Francis Abbot is on the west side of Goat Island, the first perpendicular cas- cade after leaving Horse Shoe Tower, near the three islands called the Three Sisters. He was learned, gentlemanly, and accomplished, pleasing in address, but could not be approached by a stranger. He lived nearly twenty months entirely alone. He was drowned below the ferry, in the year 1831. His body was found at Fort Niagara, fourteen miles below, recognized, brought back; and sleeps in our 20 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. "^^Ik: biuying-grottiid. This loneiy spot was resorted to by this singular indiyidual generally at night. The thunder's terrific sound, the lightning's blaze, min- ' gled with the roar of the cataract, was the element , in which he delighted to breathe. Very little is ^ known of his history. iaatti#«*4?.«4': ;' f-i-i^. : Head of Goat Islaiid. At this point, Navy Island, near the Canada shore, to the right, containing three hundred and forty acres, the scene of the McEeuzie War in 1837-38, is in plain sight. It was occupied by three or four hundred Americans, — a heterogeneous mass of all classes, without discipline, or any efficient means to carry on war. Chippewa, on the Canada shore but a short distance below, contained at the time four or five thousand British soldiers. The two Govern- ments took no active part in this hot-headed enter- prise, and it fell by its own weight. Grand Island is to the left, on the American side, resembling the main shore, containing seventeen thousand two hundred and forty acres, purchased by M. M. Noah, and, according to his fanciful visions, it was to be the future home of all the Jews on the globe. The visitor, in turning his eye to the right and left, will readily perceive how this island divides the river, the greater portion rolling to the Canada shore, v . It would, while passing the bridge, be thought in GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 21 credible that any person could have reached the island before a bridge was built. Yet such is the fact. As early as 1765, several French officers were con- veyed to it by Indians in canoes, carefully dropping down the river between the dividing waters where the river for some little distance is calm; and Peter B. Porter, of Black Bock, with some other gentle- men, also made a trip to the island in a boat. They found but little trouble in descending, but their return was difficult and hazardous.* It was effected by shoving the boat with setting- poles up the most shallow part of the current for half a mile, before making for the shore. Palling into the current within a mile of the Palls must be fatal. Several accidents of this kind have hap- pened, and the unfortunate persons, as far as the author can recollect, were hurried on to destruc- tion. ,:■■-,-,.. :-,'.-. ■ :' : It is but a few years since an Indian, partially intoxicated, on attempting to cross the river in a canoe, was drawn into the Bapids. Pinding all efforts to reach the shore unavailing, he took a good horn of whiskey, lay down in his canoe, passed rapidly over the Falls, plunged into the yawning vortex below, and disappeared forever. At this point, the head of Goat Island, where we are now * Trees marked 1765 and 1769 were, until within a few years past, elearly to be seen. r~ 22 GUIDE TO NIAGARA VALLS. standing) it can be more satisfactorily explained why it was called Goat Island. A man by the name of Stedman, about seventy years since, put some goats upon the island, which remained there nearly two years. He reached the island and returned the same way as the Indians and others had done. The old clearing you notice at the left is part of an Indian burying-ground, but of the tribe to whom it belonged nothing definite is known. It is supposed by some they were the Iroquois. Iris or Goat Island. Iris or Goat Island contains sixty-nine and a half acres, is a fraction over a mile in circumference, and heavily timbered. Most of the smooth-bark trees are marked with initials bearing different dates. **In 1805," says Judge Porter, "there was a beech- tree on the bank near the Horse Shoe Fall, marked 1770, 1771, and 1772." The names of these early travelers are not recollected. No sportsman is allowed to carry a gun on this island, as it would endanger the lives of those who are promenading through it. The cottage near the bridge is the only dwelling on the island. The island affords a wild and delightful retreat : in the hottest days there is always a refreshing and in- vigorating breeze from the river. There are three bridges connected with this island, and one tower. I I \ ■■-' A irly GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 28 The visitor will peroeive that there is an excel- lent carriage-road entirely round the island, and, if he chooses, he can get a good carriage to carry a party of six or eight, at an expense of one dollar and a half per hour. :^i Looal DifltuioM. Local distances connected with Goat Island are as follow : — From the Cataract House to Goat Island 75 rodf. From the International to Goat Island 70 ** From Goat Island, where the road ascends the bank, to the foot 80 " From foot of the island and up the river to Biddle Stairs 15 « From Biddle Stairs to Horse Shoe Tower 65 '' From Horse Shoe Tower to the Three Sisters .150 ** • Head of Goat Island 65 " To the Bridge 85 " Circumference of Goat Island , 376 " The whole distance from the Cataract House, or Interna- tional, around the island, is one and a half miles and a frac- tion over. in- iree Spray. Spray, like the smoke of a bnrning mountain, sometimes rises, forming dark, heavy clouds, tinged with the refulgent rays of the rising and setting sun, which have been seen, says Judge Porter, more than one hundred miles. ^ , ,^ 24 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. Balnbowi. There are twu. One is always seen in the day* time, when the sun shines ; the other at nighty — called the Lunar Bow. The latter is only heheld once a month, when the moon is at the full and sufficiently high in the heavens, and the sky clear. And Niagara, as far as the author can learn from travelers and from history, is the only place on the globe where a rainbow at night can be seen with distinctness. At all events, the lunar bow is pecu- liar to this place. Tiew of tlie FallB at NigH An evening view has a very different effect upon die mind of the beholder, from that of the view in the daytime. The moonbeams playing upon the agitated waters; the spray, like the smoke of a volcano, rising into the sky ; the endless roar of the cataract, mingled with the heart's deepest impressions, give such an indescribable sublimity and grandeur, that language is but a poor vehicle to convey the impressions we feel. View of the Falls at Sunrise. This view is thought, by thousands, to hasre no rival in grandeur, sublimity, and ^ interest. Every point of time, however, in getting a view is dif- GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 26 ipon roar 'e no Jvery dif- Vi ferent, and has its different effect upon the be- holder. View of the Falls at Sunset When the sun has rolled onward in his chariot of fire^ and thrown his last rays upon Niagara, bid- ding adieu for the night to the grandeur of the scene that so much in power resembles himself, the* yiew is perfectly indescribable. Boar of the Falls. This depends much upon the wind, and the state of the atmosphere. Sometimes every door and window, the least ajar, for a mile around, will trem- ble, and the roar may be heard from fifteen to twen- ty-five miles. At other times our citizens wpuld scarcely know that there were Falls in the neigh,- borhood. In a few instances the roar has been heard at Toronto, a distance of forty-four miles^ First ImpTessioii of Strangers. - At first sight, strangers are sometimes disap- pointed : either their expectations have been raised too high,*or the sublimity, grandeur, and magnifi- cence of the scene far surpass every thing they could possibly have anticipated. The second view is frequently more impressive than the first. The longer the visitor tarries, the more he enjoys and appreciates ; the impression is -v ... '■'• 1 NN 26 ■I GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. indelibly eniMi&niped npon bis momoiy, and .for ywn infixed there, as with tiie imprint of a sunbeam. The FallS; it is tnte^ when seen from aboTfl, do not appear more than fifty or sixty feet- jiigbj'jbut let the visitor go below, if he would get a Qorfept impression of the stupendous work. "^ lUse of the Biyer. Those causes whiob swell other rivers kav# ilo effect upon this. It never rises unless the *wind 1^ been blowing down Lake Erie from a westerly (iirebtion. S. Ware, Esq., wbo kept the feit}ribr seventeen years, says^ " One foot on the top of the Falls will, by actual measurement, raise it seii^- teen and a half feet bdow.'' This is attributable to the river being pent up in a very narrow pass^^t'the j^uspension Bridge, and not being able to find 'Its Vay out as fast as it accumulates above. Fall of the Siver. From Lake Erie to Lake Ontario (36 miles)j 3fl9 feet j from Lake Erie to the head of Goat Islluotd (22 miles), 25 feet^ from the head of Goat IsliiKid to the Main Fall (half a mile), 50 feet y, perp^^i* ttular height of the American Fall, 164 feet) on I the Canada side, 158 feet; from the Falls to the ^'Whirlpool (2 J miles), 64 feet; from the Whirl- pool to Lake Ontario (11 miles), 25 feet. Total in 36 miles, between the two lakes, 339 feet^ . * •"Ilia?'- .■ / :>^-t ^ m # ^ •furs #110 II198 terly y*fbr SJWto 3P llidld on the Ihirl- P* O I HI I — . r-^ O I- » * » '^F ^ . -r , \ 1 i -"_' '-i:' " Cs'-.. . - . _. # i;i- ( ^■■*" , " ■ ,- ,- - • -"' . '' v' . ■ ] > 1 ' -■•■ .t'. ' ■■■• -■- 1 ■■"'_,. I' ■■ •^ 1 ■ I c^*. ^ i , .■■' ' ',*■', 1.' ■ • ■"■''■'• *:;■'; ';;r»' ( 1 ■;^ 1 .J ' " -^ ( ?- . ? '', ■ f f *4 "> 1 ,*- • ! » '■ ^|^^ • ■ ' 1 1 -'"'■■' •*• , ^' .-._ ^ ;/.V' ' ., ■ ■ '■♦* . -.> - ^- , ( t- , \ ■-,#■ ] ,t.-i-'-''„. - _ J ^, V- ' 1 M. - , .- ,„ .. • i^ QUIDS TO NIAQABA FALLS. 27 tiik,m '"'' Depth ef tlit Ihtr below Ihe Falli. This has never been ascertained. Engineers and others have at di£ferent times attempted to sound it, but, owing to the strong and irregular undercur- rents^ no definite report oould be made. It is thought to be from 150 to 250 feet deep. The Falls Oaanot be Deiorlbed. There is too much sublimity, majesty, and over< whelming grandeur for finite minds to comprehend or explain. No language is adequate to give to the stranger a correct idea of these stupendous works of the Almighty. And they have always appeared to the author like the hand of the Deity stretched out for his creatures to look at. <' Lo, these are parts of his ways '" '^ But the thunder of his power who can understand V* Winter Scene. It is thought by many, who have visited the Falls at this season, that it far surpasses that of summer. The* icicles, in the shape of inverted cones, hanging from the high banks, the dazzling splendor of an effulgent sun darting his fiery beams upon them^ the frozen spray, clothing the trees in its silvery robe ; the roar of the ice, as it rushes onward to try the fearful leap; the ceaseless thunder of the cataract; the bow of promise smiling serenely upon ■1 ^1 -.'F 28 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FAILS. n the angry flood ; the enchained river within its ic^ embrace, struggling like some monster of the deep to be^ free, — all combine to render the scene awfully grand and terrific. No language is adequate to give a correct impression ; it must be seen before it can be appreciated. The First Man who aaw the Falla. The first white man who saw the Falls, as far as we have any authentic record, was Father Henne- pin, Jesuit missionary, sent out from the French among the Indians, as early as the year 1678, 185 years since. His descriptions were visionary and exceedingly exaggerated. He thought the Falls six or seven hundred feet high, and that four persons could walk abreast under the sheet of water, withcufc any other inconvenience than a slight sprinkling from the spray. But we would not attribute this wild and fanciful description to a want of candor, or an intention to deceive. The fact probably was, he had no means of measuring its height, and un- doubtedly got his account from the Indians, which very likely would be incorrect. ... . , ..,. Indian Tradition. The Indians, it is said in Judge De Yeaux's works, have a tradition that two human beings, yearly, will be sacrificed to the Great Spirit of these Waters. t J ">« h : t » US )r. GUIDE TO NIAQABA FALLS. / M ^. rt ■ ' Whether any reliance can be placed upon the tra- dition of the Indians or not, it is nevertheless true that almost every year has proved fatal to some one The following instances can be mentioned. , '> . Oasnaltiei. Dr. Hungerford, of West Troy, was killed by a rook falling upon him, between Biddle Stairs and the Cave of the Winds. May 27, 1839. John York is supposed to have gone over the Falls, as pieces of his boat and part of the load- ing were picked up below, 28th Nov. 1841. Wil- liam Kennedy was in the boat with him, and found dead on Grass Island, just above the Rapids. J. H. Thompson, of Philadelphia, was washed ofif of a rock below the Falls, under the great sheet of water, by leaving the guide and venturing too far upon places of danger. August 16, 1844. Miss Martha K. Hugg, from Lancaster, near Bos- ton, Mass., while picking a flower, fell over the bank, just below Barnett's Museum (Canada side), one hundred and fifteen feet. August 23, 1844. She lived about three hours. ?'n/.; ^i t^^o .^^^ a Charles Smart, from Philadelphia, fell about forty feet from a rock in the Cave of the Winds. Aug. 31, 1846. Killed instantly. v - ^- --- John Murphy, aged fourteen years, son of a widow lady of our village, attempting to cross the 3* 80 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. I t. river in a canoe, aboat a mile above the Falls, wafl drawn into the current and went over. His body was never found. June 13, 1847. A son of Mr. White, aged five years, and his sister, about one year and a half older, were playing in a canoe; it floated out into the stream. The ago- nized mother beheld this heart-rending scene ; she rushed into the river nearly up to her neck, — res- cued the girl; the boy went over. He was last seen sitting in the bottom of the canoe, holding on to each side with his hands. July 9, 1848. His body wa0 never found. A gentleman from Buffalo, supposed to be on an excursion shooting ducks; his boat was drawn into the Kapids above the grist-mill — seen by several of our citizens to pass under the bridge — heard to exclaim, ^' Can I be saved?" His boat, with the velocity of lightning, passed on, dashed against a rock nearly opposite the chair factory; he was thrown out; went over feet foremost, near the American shore. August 25, 1848. His body has never been found. A Mrs. Miller cut her shawl in pieces, tied them together, and hung them over the bridge leading to Goat Island, intending, doubtless, to induce the belief that she had let herself down into the angry flood and had gone over the Falls. Very few of our citizens believed it, as there was too much pains * \ GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 81 I ) taken, for the purpose of committing suicide. It wtfl all a farce, as she was heard from at Syracuse and other places, a few days after. Some love-a0air oc- casioned this wild freak. Her father, a very respect- able lawyer, died soon afterwards, it was thought of a broken heart. - * > ) A gentleman from Troy, N. Y., in the winter of 1852, while passing over the bridge to the Tower, fell into the river, was instantly carried to the verge of the precipice, and lodged between two rooks. Mr. Isaac Davy rescued him, by throwing some lines in the direction; he had just sufficient strength lefl to tie them around his body, and he drew him to the bridge, whence he was taken to the Falls Hotel. He remained speechless for several hours, but finally recovered. I ' »^yu ^ ,, Landing on the Oanada Side. There is a good oarriage-road up the hank, and^ if the visitor feels disposed, he can walk at his leisure, aud thus have more time to contemplate and appreciate this wonderful scene. If he prefers riding, he can' get a good carriage, with careful drivers, to take him to Tahle Rock, generally for twelve and a half or twenty-five cents. It would he advisable to make a bargain before you start, as the drivers will some- times tell you they will carry you for a shilling, — ^meaning Canada currency. One shilling of that money is twenty-two cents on this side. Price of carriages by the hour, for the party, on that side, is usually one dollar. Clifton Eonae. This is a large, first-class hotel on the Canada side, at the top of the hill as you ascend the bank from the Ferry. Eighty rods below, on the edge of the bank, is Victoria Point. The Mnsenm is near Table Rook. Charge for admittance is twenty-five cents. About twenty rods below the Museum is the point where Miss Martha K. Rugg fbll over the bank, one hundred and fifty feet per- pendicular. (See Casualties.) The next grand and all-absorbing point of interest is Table Rock. • - - 1 I ' ' ■■(,_ " V. 38 GUIDE TO NIAQABA FALLS- ja^^^ii^^i^ The route to Oanada (Table Bock, Burftinif Bpriagi and LuiAt'i !« Lane Battle-Chroiud), by tiie Bupeiiliini Brid|p»r I Many prefer to engage a isarriage on thia side and go to Canada via Suspenisidn Bridge. The lime required for this trip is usually half a day, or from three to five hours. ' The charges may he put down as follow:- — .Carriage-hire, $1 50 per hoar, or/ifVy the job, |*^V ■from 3 to $4 00,— say.t..... ...;..«;.;..;.«.:....;..... |8' 6Ci , Toll at bridge for carriage going Androtuming.^,. ; ; 50 {^ Toll at bridge for each person (driver free) ..4......' M r Charges at Table Rook, nothing, — onless you gp^ under the sheet of water, whioh will post....n,.. I 00 ' f Charges at Burning Spring........;... .;... 2l^ f Charges at Lundy's Lane Battle-Qroand 25 ' ' • ■-* If you purchase any goods, it will he well to Ib- inemher that you have to pay a duty of thirty-three per cent., unless the Custom-House officer neglects his duty. Suspension Bridgt % two miles helow the Falls, is eight hundred feet long, and extends two hundred and thirty feet ahove one of the maddest streams on the glohe,, It is owned by a stock-company, and cost about five hundred thousand dollars; It was built under the superintendence of J. A. Boebling. The oars of the Great Western Bailroad jpass over the bndj^e to connect with the New York Central. U« ' t ■ ••-.'■■ • ' ■' ^ \ IV ■n to t-. I 1 • "' ' ' ; / ■' ■/:■ .^ -^^'^V^'-^^- -' 1^1 -.■'X •>''■ '",. , '■ " " ^r^- 1 i /»! . Le Hfl °04 - .r'..- \-.- I '.■«'v.l- ' '■' . *'■""'- -;..■"' '.'':'' ,'^.-:- ^ 'I » ^'v " ' , • ■■■■" .• ^. .„ ■' '3/",^ ■ -, Ka ■' ■ ',"'" ' .'"■".*^ Kn ;.,;,;;■ ^ :,.-/::/.:'''- ■/.-;■ ''0\ ^ ^^«#i' .'!'.,'•; :'. ■, ... '" ■■•■:■ li*^ ■\ '■ "' ' "'■' -\ ..:-■■ . ■-" . •■- "■'''.' '' .- -/* • ■ ^ H .^':'-V • ; . ., ' ■ ^ ;■" X ■ ■■.■■■ u Mi ■''. ...■•■v'-''v"- ■' "■■■'" '■' ^ ' . ' ■" . '*^ ,■■ I ■ ■■-1^:; .i/; V^^^^ ■ 1 x-'v'^-.:^?\/: ■^■ '^ "\\-./;&:^,^ .-^r • ; 4 • .:# :.;V^^;-^;-,i:,|^v is Fa dii •■".'ife'' an< * ■■" ■ ■ , ■ "' ' iro / tin pel gra W] bac T^ gra 7 ^^ \\ QUIDS TO NIAGARA FALLS. 39 The following are the dimeDBions : — Iiengtb of span Arom centre to centre of towers 822 (t, Height of tower abore roek on the Amer. side... 88 " « " " " « " Canada side. 78 " « " " " floor of railway 60 " " " track " water 268 " Knmber of wire cables 4 Diameter of each cable '.,. 10^ in. Knmber of No. wires in each cable 3659 Ultimate aggregate strength of cables 12,400 tons. Weight of superstracture 800 ** ** ** " and maximum loads..., 1260 " Maximum weight the cable and stays will sup- port 7309 " Note. — The wires were first got aoross^by means of a kite. Table Sock is on the Can&da side, near the great Horse Shoe Fall, and the terniinus of the carriage-road in this direction. It was formerly about fifteen rods long, and three wide, and projected over the precipice from fifty to sixty feet. Thousands of the. most timid have stood upon this giddy eminence with perfect safety, and gazed upon the resplendent grandeur of this enchanting, bewildering scene. While contemplating it, the mind is lost, and sinks back upon itself amid the immensity of God's works. Two large portions of Table Bock have fallen within \a few years, but have detracted but little froii this grand view. 40 GUIDE TO NiAOARH VALLS. The charge for going under the sheet of water is one dollar : when opposition is strong between the two places, the charge is often less. Fall of Table Sook. On the 26th of June, 1850, our citizens were startled with the report that Table Kock had fallen. Many of us instantly repaired to the place, to wit- ness foi' ourselves an event we had long expected. What a chasm ! What a tremendous crash ! The rocks heaved, the earth trembled. A mass of rook, nearly two hundred feet long, sixty wide, and one hundred thick, fell into the river, and almost every particle disappeared from sight. The noise produced by this falling rock was something like the rumbling of an earthquake. It was heard four or five miles on each side of the river. Fortunately, no lives were lost, though some forty or fifty persons were standing upon the rock but a few moments before. In 1818, a portion of Table Kock fell. In 1828, a large mass fell froM the centre of the Horse Shoe Falls. Another mass fell, connect' ^. with Table Rock, and extending under the sheet of water toward the point of the Horse Shoe, about one hundred and fifty feet long, fifty wide, and. one hundred deep, carrying with it a canal-boat that had lain on the verge of the Horse Shoe for months^ } .. \ QUID! TO NIAGARA FALLS. 1 I -^ ' (i Manitoa Book. The large rock at the edge of the water below Table Rock is called Manitou Rock^ and is tlie one on which the Indians used to sacrifice a dog to the G-reat Spirit. Burning Spring. ' This spring is situated two miles above the Falls, on the Canada side, near the water's edge. It is the carbonated sulphuretted hydrogen gas that burns. Touched with a match it gives out a brilliant flame, rising two or three feet high. Many are very much interested, and to those who have never seen any thing of the kind it is an object of a good deal of intervst. Charges, twenty-five cents, cents. Ohippewa. The village of Chippewa is on the British side, I three miles above the Falls. J Lnndy'fl Lane Battle-Field. Lundy's Lane is a mile and a half west of the Falls, on .e Canada side. The battle, in its hot- test fury, was fought principally in the night, with the bayonet ; Gen. Peter B. Porter commanding the volunteers, — Generals Brown and Scott wounded, Biall and Drummond (British generals) wounded and taken prisoners. This, it is said, waa the severest battle ever fought on this continent. The British 42 QUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. had in killed and wounded eight hundred and seventy-seven, the Americans eight hundred and . sixty. It was a drawn game, — ^both parties claiming the victory. July 25, 1814. The above is taken from General Brown's offi- cial report to the Secretary of War. This is some- times blended with the Chippewa battle, but it is a mistake: Chippewa battle was fought near the Burning Spring, July 5, 1814. The charge for ascending the Pagoda at the Battle - Ground is twenty-five cents. Looal Difltaiioet— Oanada Side. From the water's edge to the Clifton House 106 rods From the Clifton House to Table Rock 220 '< From Suspension Bridge to Table Rook 2 milei From Table Rock to Lundy's Lane Battle-Ground, 1^ ** To the Burning Spring 2^ " To Chippewa 8 « To the Whirlpool 4i « To Brook's Monument 1^ ** Buinhig of the Steamer "Oaioline." If the appearance of a ship on fire at sea, at night, in a thunder-storm, is grand and terrific, no less so was that of the steamboat Caroline in flames, as she was loosed from her moorings at the old landing near Fort Schlosser, and towed out into the middle of the river, by the command of Clolonel McNab, a British officer. Here she was abandoned ". • ■ > V. GUIDE TO NIAQARA FALLS. 48 »( and left to her fate. The night was inteniely dark. She moved steadily on; a broad sheet of lurid flame shot high into the heavens, illumin- ing the western clouds with its red glare ; rockets were ascending from the Canada shore, expressive of the success of the expedition. A universal shout rings out upon the night air from the party who have just left the doomed boat. She enters the Kapids at the head of Goat Island, nearest the Canada shore, careens over, rights, and passes on, like a flaming meteor, to her final doom. Striking upon Gull Island, she swings around, awfully shat- tered by the confliVit, the flames rolling up for a moment, as if not alarmed by Niagara's roar, but de- termined not to be encircled within its cold embrace or to be beaten by its mighty and terrific power. The war of the elements continues for an instant; the Caroline has disappeared, leaving ''not a wrack behind/' and Niagara is victor, proclaiming to the world that its power is not lessened by the strife of men, or any casual floating substance upon its bosom. Very few, however, beheld this grand spectacle, as it was during the night, and most of the inhabitants had retired from the frontiers. It is not our purpose, at this time, to enter into the minutiae of this aflair: suffice it to say, the boat was charged by the British with aiding the refugees by carrying provisions and arms to Navy w GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. Island; which doubtless was true. This speoification was brought before the court By the British consul at the trial of McLeod for the murder of a gentleman from Buffalo who was shot on board the Caroline. It will be recollected McLeod was acquitted. The fragments of the boat that lodged on GuU Island remained there until the next spring. What was left of her after passing the Bapids went over the point of the Horse Shoe Fall. No person, we believe, was on board. December 29, 1839. The Line between the two OovemmentSi as agreed upon by the commissioners (General P|i B. Porter was one, on behalf of the United States Government), is in the centre of the river, or deepest channel, passing through the point of the Horse Shoe, through the centre of Lake Erie, Lake Superior, and so on to the northern boundaries of the United States. Fort SoUosser is two and a half miles above the Falls, on the American side. It is memorable for its antiquity, and its associations of the British and French, each holding alternately the possession up to the year 1775. Scarcely a vestige of the ruins marks the place where it once stood. It is not visited bf tra* velers. \ GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 46 ;he \ Indian Offering to the Falls.. In the month of August, 1851, the writer aooom- pani«d a party of Indians from the northwest wilds of Minnesota (on their way to Washington) to the foot of the American Falls. The wind was favor- able, and ^we approached within a few feet of the falling sheet. They gazed in rapt wonder on the mighty flood, as it rolled its angry waters and fell upon the resounding rocks below. For a long time, every muscle of their countenances indicated a religious awe, and their thoughts appeared to be communing with some superior power. At a signal from the chief, they dfew a small red pipe from their girdle, and, with a great deal of solemn gestur- ing, each threw his pipe under the Falls. This, I was told by the interpreter, was a religious offering to the Great Spirit, that he would be propitious .to them on their journey and return them in safety to their homes. We then conducted them to the Tower, on the west side of Goat Island. They were induced, by some ladies and gentlemen pre- sent, to give their views of what they saw. They did so, in the following words, as far as their lan- guage could be interpreted. "Brothers," said the chief, "we live in the woods, far towards the setting sun. Our fathers once owned these lands and this river ; they have told us of these Falls, but now we see them. Brothers, 46 OUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. you axe great^ but you cannot stop this water; you cannot put your hand on its mouth and make it still. Yonder/' pointing to the clouds, *' is the G-reat Spirit; he made these, and this is his work; and yonder/' pointing to the rainbow (which at the time shone most brilliantly), "we see his face, — we see him smile. We shall tell our children what we have seen. Brothers, our hearts are glad that we turned aside from our path to see this great wonder. Brothers, we thank the whites for our good treat- ment.'' The emotions of Bed Jacket, the cele- brated Indian chief, while visiting the Falls some years since, were of a very different character. He admired the grandeur of nature's work, but not with that religious awe and devotional feeling with which those wild untutored sons of the forest men- tigned above were inspired. Envy and jealousy rankled in his bosom against the white man, the destroyer of his race. He saw, at a glance, the superiority of the white man over the red man of the woods, and he hated him because he had not the power to become his equal. Point View is a few rods to the right of the Ferry-House, on the American side. This was the last residence of Francis Abbot, the Hermit of Niagara. On this spot a pagoda was raised, which placed the spec- \ :k jL. '1 • 1 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 47 tator at an elevation of more than one hundred feet above the cataract, and two hundred and seventy feet above the river; but it was taken down in 1853. OafUn'fl Gave is on the American side, about sixty rods below the Ferry, and this is the only way of getting to it. The bank is steep and precipitous, and difficult of access. It is about fifteen feet wide, and ten high. Except as containing a few specimens of petrified moss, h ^ not an object of interest, and is seldom visited ^ 6 rangers. ■;#' i. Bendei's Gave is on the Canada side, about half-way between the Clifton House and the Suspension Bridge. It is a cavity in the bank, about six feet high and twenty long, formed by a decomposition of the limestone. It is not a place of resort. ••*v.t-W§ on The Whirlpool, on the American side, is three miles below the Falls, and is visited on account of the wild and magnifi- cent grandeur of its scenery. The river here turns 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 48 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS known to float for many days before finding their way out. If you wish to take the trouble to descend the bank, you can get one of the best views of the Bapids from below that is to be had ; add you will wonder how the steamer " Maid of the Mist'* ever passed down here with its crew and lived; yet such is the fact. For particulars, see page 50. While standing upon the rocks near the water's edge, cast your eyes up the river towards the Canada shore; you will at once perceive that the river is A very considerably higher in the centre than it is on each side. The height in the centre above that on the banks is estimated by the engineers to be eleven and a half feet. If two men were to stand, the one with his feet in the water on the American side, and the other on the Canada shore, and extend their hands as high as they could reach, with a handker- chief or any thing of the kind in it, it could not be seen by either. The charge for visiting the Whirlpool grounds is twenty-five cents: the proceeds go to the support of the De Veaux Orphans' College, which is located on the grounds near the main road. D0vil'8 Hole is three and a half miles below the Falls, on the American side, formed by a chasm in the eastern GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 49 the itern bank of the river one hundred and fifty or two hundred feet deep. An angle of this gulf is within a few feet of the road, offering the traveler, without alight- ing, an opportunity of looking into the yawning abyss beneath. During the French War, a detach- ment of the British army, while retreating from Fort Schlosser, were decoyed into an ambush of French and Indians. The yell of the savage, oa it rung out upon the midnight air, was the, first indi- cation of their attack. Baggage-wagons, oncers, men, women, and children, were encircled and pushed over the bank, and plunged into the awful > fectly agree with the general opinion respecting this, that it was the ancient boundary of Lake Ontario. In some parts of it fresh- water shells have been found. You cannot explain 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 gradu- ally from the sea, as it is now doing, the sea would naturally create those sea-cliffs, and during the up- heaval they would of course become inland. In Europe, proofs that limestone rocks have been washed away are abundant. In Greece, in the Morea, this is especially conspicuous. We have there three limestones one above the other, at various distances from the sea. Along the line you may see littoral caves worn out by the action of the wrves. The action of the salt spray, which has effected a sort of chemll;al decomposition, is easily to be observed. So completely is this the case with each of these lines that you cannot doubt for an instant that here is a series of inland cliffs; and this phenomenon being 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 some change going on at the Falls, even now. There occurs, as we know, .occasionally a falling down of fragments of rock, as may be seen at Goat Island The shale at the bot- \ 54 GUIDE TO NIAQAfiA FALLS. torn is destroyed in consequence of the action of the spray and frost; the limestone^ being thus under- mined, 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 admitted to have been overstated. There is at least a probable recession of about one foot pvery 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 obser- vations upon this point are necessarily imperfect; and when we reflect that fifty years ago the country was perfectly wild, and inhabited by bears, wolves^ and here and there a hunter, we shall think it sur- prising that we have any observations at all, even for such a period back. We have an account of the ^alls, given by Father Hennepin, a French mission- ary, who gives an exaggerated description, of them, and yet one which is tolerably correct. He repre- sents a cascade as falling from the Canada side across the other two. He says that between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario there is a vast and wonderful water- fall ; after speaking of this, he says there is a third cascade at the left of the other two, falling from west to east, the others falling from south to north. He several times alludes to the third cascade, which he says was smaller than the other two. Now, those who consider that because Father Hennepin I H !!lil / GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 55 leprn g]^ve the height of the Falls at six hundred feet, cimall value is to be attached to his testimony re- specting any part of the country, do him injustice. I think it perfectly evident that there must have been such a third cascade, falling from west to east, as that to which he alludes. ^ ** A Danish naturalist, who came in the year 1750 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 general features his description agrees well with that of Father Hennepin. He went seventy-three ;fears after him, and there was then no third cascade. But the point where Father Hennepin had put his cascade he had marked, and says that * that is the place where the water was forced out of its direct course by a prodigious rock, which turned the water and obliged it to fall across the Falls.' He goes on to say, that only a few years before, there had been a downfall of that rock ; which was un- doubtedly part of the Table Rock ; and after that the cascade ceased to flow. Now, it does not appear whether he had ever seen Hennepin's account or not: he only mentions the fact that there had been a third cascade ^ and it is a striking confirmation of the accuracy of Father Hennepin's description. "W e find these two observers, at an interval of seventy years apart, remarking on the very kind of change I ; 56 GUIDE TO NIAOABA FALLh. 'ill whioh 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 the American Fall has become more ores* cent-shaped than it was thirty years ago, when it was nearly straight. The centre has given way, and now there is an indentation of nearly thirty feet. The Horse Shoe Fall also has been considerably al- tered. It is not of So regular a crescent shape as formerly, but has a more jagged 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 quite certain that things there are not stationary; and the great question is whether, by this action, the whole Falls have been reduced in this manner. From representations made by other travelers, I was desirous of ascertaining whether iresh-water remains were found on Goat Island, as had been said ; for it would be striking if on this island there should be a stratum of twenty-five feet of sand and loam, pebbles and fresh- water shells. They were found there, and I made a collection of several species of shells found on the island : among them were the planorbiSy a small valvatay and seve- ral other kinds. They were of kinds generally ^f: GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 67 found living in the rapicU in the river above, or in the lake. ** In digging a mill-raoe there, only a few years since, there were found a great number of sheik, and also a tooth of a mastodon, some twelve or thirteen feet below the surface. It was the common Ohio mastodon, and must have been buried beneath these twelve or thirteen feet of fresh-water deposits, one layer at a time, each containing different she) Is. In answer to my question, whether similar shells were ever found lower down, the guide said ho would take me to a place, half a mile below, where the strata had been laid open. We ^ound there depo- sited in the rock a small quantity of fresh-water shells, showing that this old deposition extended down to that distance. Here we ha/e proo^ that the river once stood at a higher level aid in a tranquil state; and there is every appearance oithe rock having been like a solid barrier to hold the waters back in a lake-like state, so that they might throw down those fresh-water deposits at that height You will understand this better if you consider tba^ if the Falls go on receding, no matter at what rate, — an inch, a foot, a yard, a year, — in the course of time the whole must recede considerably/ from its present condition. What proofs should we have of this afterward ? You will easily see that if iY.d river should cut its way back to a certain pointy the effect M 58 <}UIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. would be to remove the rocky barrier, the limestone of the rapids, which has been sufficient to pond the river back. But if the river cuts its wav back, this barrier could no longer exist; the channel would be deepened, and the deposits existing high and dry upon the land would become proof of the recession. This kind of proof we have, that the Falls have re- ceded three miles from the Whirlpool, the limestone having been higher at the Whirlpool than the river at 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 gene- ral rise of the platform to the north, so that when at the top of the clifif you are at a great0r height than the level of Lake Erie ) and if the Falls were formerly at Queenston, their height was probably near double what they now are. '^ Mr. Hall suggested that at that time the whole fall was not at one place, and I think it quite likely that such was the case. There is reason to believe that one fall was upon the quartzose sand below, and the other on the Protean bed. The upper part would of course recede faster than the lower^ because it is softer, as is seen to be the case at Rochester ; but the limcrtone, becoming thicker and harder, would recede more slowly. There may have been several falls, as at Eochester, each one of them being « :\ . \\ w \ , \ ;■'; .'.. ■I, J i' \ ,4 * V ' GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 59 I less high than at 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 rate. This slope of the river, and then the upward slope of the platform, are the reasons why the Falls are now of less height than formerly : so when we carry ourselves back in imagination to the time when the river had not re- ceded 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 to the American side is about three-quarters of a mile, wherea3 at half a mile below it is only half that distance. <' Farther investigations, by tracing the fresh-water deposits lower, will give more precise information. You might suppose that if we find the remains of a mastodon in a fresh-water ' deposit so lately laid dry as that near the village of Niagara, and only twelve feet below the surface, the mastodon has lived in the country at a modem period ; you might think that a few centuries would have been sufficient for the accumulation of twelve feet of shelly sandstone and limestone, and that it may have been recently that this mastodon was buried, when the barrier was at the Whirlpool, before this 1 1 I \'' It 60 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. i li II twelve feet of fluviatile 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 power- ful cause than by a slight stream. " But this I regard as no objection at all, for on ex- amining the nature of the soil, &c., I am convinced that even the small stream which now flows would have been perfectly competent to out out the ravine, and that we need look for no more powerful cause. '^ Suppose the Falls once to have been near Queens- ton, they would recede differently at different times, — faster when the soil shale was a,t the base, at other times slowly, when the hard sandstone was to be cut through. First of all comes the quartzose sand- 'Stone^or a certain distance ; then the Falls recede slowly, but more rapidlyVhen it came to 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 period it receded more rapidly; ind it is probable that for the last mile its recession has beeL comparatively slow, because the Protean group, and about twenty feet of sandstone, making about fifty feet of hard rook at the base, were to be cut through. It is cer- GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. 61 tain that the moveiueD^* now is at a faster rate, as the shale is exposed/' The above reasoning perfectly coincides with the opinion of Dr. Dwight, and others who have devoted any time to the subject, and strangers, as far as the author has been enabled to learn, have come to the same conclusion. The following fragment, written in the Register of the Point View Garden, at^j Niagara Falls, on, Sunday, August 1, 1847, by Dr. Baxley, of Bal- timore, illustrates the profound impressions produced on the mind and heart by this most wonderful work of nature. A Sa1)1)ath at Niagarat Here, near the temple of Almighty God, The soul, wrapp'd in humility, hows down In awe and reverenoe. 'Tis meet that man, • The creature, heholding the bold displays Of power stupendous, wisdom infinite. Should look, through nature's grandest witness, np To nature's God. And deeming here all time A Sabbath, yet on this day appointed Holy to Him who rear'd these rocky walls, Buttress'd below 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 6 02 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. Ilji II Radiant with starry hosts, whose mirror'd beama Carpet the billowy floor with silvery light, — Who raised yon altar, and upon its brow Of emerald, in characters of light, Inscribed, e'en with his own right hand, " To God I" 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 voice to man presumptuous calls, " Thus, and no farther, shalt thou go," and points To ceaseless whirling tides, the awful Maelstrom of Niagara, dread emblem of Th' eternal doom of man, vain man, who seeks To pass the limit of assigned command, And moral law, — E'en on this Sabbath day. Here, near God's own great temple, would we bow I In humble praise and prayer; and, while the lip Bests silent, would the soul its homage give. And favor seek ; petitioning that in The devious path of life so may we move. That 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 flow, and its Deep cadence cease, when the blue dome that spans The earth shall pale away, and radiant spheres No longer shed abroad their hallow'd light, V: \ Then may the hope that rests upon His word '. Who ne'er was false to man, who hangs his bow^' 1 GUIDE TO NIAGARA FALLS. es Upon the oloud, and spreads it night and day Upon his altar's inoense, token to man ^ Alike of his redeeming power and will, — Then may the hope that on his word relies, Nurtured by love and rectitude, grow strong In trust and prescience of a home " not made With hands, eternal in the heavens !'' AoausT 1, 1847. [ >i To Niagara. WBITTEIT AT THE flRST SIOHT OF ITS FALLS, 1838, BY J. S. BUCEINOUAM. Hail ! Sovereign of the World of Floods ! Whose majesty and • might First dazzles, — then enraptures, — then o'erawes the aching sight : The pomp of kings and emperors, in every dime and zone, Grows dim beneath the splendor of thy glorious watery throne. t, No fleets can stop thy progress, — no armies bid thee stay, — But onward — onward — onward — thy march still holds its way; The rising mist that veils thee as thine herald goes before, And the music that proclaims thee is the thundering cata- ract's roar. .s?- ms Thy diadem is an emerald green, of the clearest, purest hue, Set round with waves of snow-white foam and spray of feathery dew. While tresses of the brightest pearls float o'er thy ample sheet. And the rainbow lays its gorgeous gems in tribute at thy feet. II 64 GUIDE TO NIAOABA FALLS. Thy reign is of the anoient days, — thy sceptre from on high ; Thy birth was when the morning stars together sang with joy; The sun, the moon, and all the orbs that shine upon t)iee now Saw the first wreath of glory which twined thine infant 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 ceaseless sounds have still proclaimed the Great Etemftl Name. For whether on thy forest banks the Indian of the wood. Or, sinc6 his days, the red man's foe, on his fatherland has stood, — ' Whoe'er has seen thine incense rise, or heard thy torrent's roar. Must have bent before the God of all, to worship and adore. Accept then, Supremely Great ! — Infinite ! — God ! From this primeval altar — the green and virgin sod — The humble homage that my soul in gratitude would pay To thee ! whose shield has guarded me thro' all my wander- ing way. For, if the ocean be as naught in the hollow of thy hand, And the stars of the bright firmament, in thy balance, grains of sand. If Niagara's flood seem great, to us who lowly bow, Great Creator of the whole ! how passing great art thou! r- GUIDE TO NIAGARA TALIS. 65 Yet, tho' thy power is greater here than finite mind maj sean, Still greater is thy mercy shown to weak dependent man. For him thou cloth'st the fertile fields with herhs 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 orhs in their fiz'd courses roll. And from creation's grateful voice thy hymn ascends ahore, While Heaven re-echoes back the chorus, God is love. ( I I Feny to Oanada from the Foot of the Amerioan Fall,— The Cheapest Bonte. Thb high bank is descended by a stairway of two hundred and ninety-one steps, or by a parallel inclined plane three hundred and sixty feet long, the oars being moved by water- power. Ferriage, twenty cents. The boats carry with entire safety twenty to thirty persons ; and the crossing affords a magnificent amphitheatre view of both Falls, river, &o. The Ferry is reached by a short walk from the railroad-station down the broad street leaving the International Hotel on the left. From the Canada landing. Table Rock, half a mile distant, may be reached by a walk or by carriage, as may be preferred. Visitors should be at Table Bock at four to six p.m., when the sun is in rear of the spec- tator, thus forming the rainbow. For the same reason, the view on the Amerioan side is best in the morning. The great stairway is free to visitors, as are all the Ferry grounds, buildings, &o. [ Gave of the Winds. This point of interest is unequalled by any locality about the Falls. It is approached from Goat Island on the American side. To those wishing to go behind the sheet of water, a passage through the Gave of the Winds far excels one behind the Fall at Table Bock. This fact is universally confirmed by all who have experienced both. Strangers should visit this cave before hiring a carriage to convey them to the Canada side. By so doing, they will save expense, and be better pleased with their tour than they can be elsewhere. W. C. WARBBir. 66 spsoia.il. notioe. [ A IiABaS OOIaliBOTIOIT OV VIEWS FOB THE STEBEOSOOFE, INCLUDING THE Falls Taken In Summer and Winter, Saspeniloi Bridge, Rope Ascension, War Views, &e. These Views are manufectured by the undersigned, opposite th« CATARACT HOVSB, NIAGARA FAI«I « JAMES' Mcpherson, PHOTOGRAPHER. Main Street, between tbe Oatftract an< International Hotels (East Side), Manufacturer of SXER,EOSCOI»IC VIEl?rS, on Glass and Paper, of Niagara Falls and other Amehioah Souiut- A large and beautiful stock of NEW VIEWS, superior to any offered in this place heretofore, at Wholesale ... AMBBOTTPES AND PHOTOGRAPHIG TIEW8 of the Falls taken to or<}er from Point Yibw, near the Ferry House, with the parties ordering included in the picture. \ t JOHN THORNLEY, No. 311 CHESTNUT STREET^ PHILADELPHIA, MANUFACTURER AND DEALER IN India Rubber and Gutta Percha Goods ADAPTED TO MECHANICAL PURPOSES, MACHINE BELTING, STEAM PACKING, HOSE, fto. ■VTJXiO.A.liTIZEID IS PREPARED UNDER GOODYEAR'S PATENT, So that, after the article Is once manilfuctured, it will not bo affected hj And when combined with *' Cotton Duck," or fibres of Cotton mixed with it, It offers a perfect substitute for Leather for BELTING AND HOSE, , IW'ltboiit the lilablllty to Craclc, and can never be affected by Heat or Cold I When prepared with or without Cloth or Fibre, it offers an ELASTIC SUBSTANCE FOR PACKING AMD INNUMEBABIiE MECHANICAL FUBFOSES. INDIA RUBBER R.R. CAR AND CARRIAGE SPRINGS, HANUFAOTURID BT THE NEW ENGLAND OAE 3PEIN0 OOMPANT, Sole Manufacturers, under Qoodyear's Patent, of India Rubber Springi Car Railroad Cars, Carriages, and Vehicles of all kinds. JOHN THORNLEY, Afftnt at Philadelphia, JPn^ Jij^ M FOB THE NEW ENeUND CAB SrBINO COMPANY. •■:- (!■:»-•: IIA, ds 9£ t ( ted lixed r«r yes, pringi hxMtl^hu f nquim, DOUBLE SHEET, FORTY COLUMNS. ^ Pnblished every Horning (except Sunday), by WILLIAM W. HABDINO, No. 121 South Third Street, Philadelphia. .•♦■ The Great Newspaper of Philadelphia! The trying times of the nation's history in which we liT«« render a LIVE NEWSPAPER an indispensable necessity to every man who would keep him* self informed of the important events which are daily trans- piring. AS AN ADVEBTISINa MEDIUM IT HAS HO EQUAL The increase in the circulation of THE INQUIRER during the year is the best evidence of the extent to which the public rely upon it for the news of the day. Its circulation his averaged, for SEVERAL MONTHS past, OTer Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand Copies a week, or Sixty Thousand a day ; and it has, during the year, in times of excitement, reached over Seventy Thousand a day, testing the capacity of OUR FAST PRESSES to the utmost to supply the demand. By the use of the newly-in- vented system of Stereotyping, the type is used with the same effect as if it was new every day. The Inquirer is Independent in Politics. Prices at which THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER is serred by oaiefal Garriers everywhere, or sent by mail, Twelve Gents a Week, and sold by all News Agents. DAILT PAPER, FIFTT GENTS for one Month, payable in adTsaoe. ^ " ONE DOLLAR for two Months, " " " . 69 I I & , OF THE FALLS TAKUf TO ORDER, BT i JAMES Mcpherson, From Point View, near the head of the Ferry Stairs, giving in one Picture the « UORSE-SUOE AND AMERICAN FALLS, with the parties in the foreground. Visitors to the Falls, wishing to carry with them a Souvenir of their visit or a gift for a friend, can find nothing more •atisfaotory and interesting than a picture which will contain a perfect delineation of one of the grandest scenes in Nature, and of themselves as they appeared while viewing it. AMBROTYPES IN CASES. Also, a large and varied stock of on both Glass and Paper, containing a great many NEW VIEWS, far superior to any ever made or sold in this place before. Parties wishing to procure Views should not fail to call and examine my Stock before purchasing elsewhere, as they will find it greatly to their advantage. Vignette, Bust, and Fnll-Length CASTES D£ VI8ITE, 4 of the proper size for Albums, taken in superb style. Orders received at the Operating Rooms, near the Ferry House, or at the PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT ROOMS, Main Street, between the Cataract and International Hotels (East Side), .^ NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. 70 , r \'. FOR NEW YORK AND BOSTON TAKB THE ERIE RAILWAY. itain h ture, \ wiU r- Express Passenger Trains leave BuSklo as follows : 5.00 A.H., NEW TOBK DAY EXPRESS, Via Attica and HomelUville. Through to New York without change of cars. Now and splendid Parlor Cars, free from dust, and luxurious Bmoking-Curs attached to this train. Arrives in New York at 8.26 P.M. 6.46 F.M. KEW YORK NIGHT EXPRESS, Via Attica and HomelUville. Through to Now York without change of cars, arriving at 0.56 A.M. Connecting with Trains and Boats for Boston and New England cities. Luxurious Sleeping-Cars run through to New York on thii Train. ' 10.66 P.M. NEW YORK FAST EXPRESS, Via Attica and Homellsville. Through to New York without change of cars, arriving at 1.54 P.M. Connecting with TriUns and Boats for Botiton and New England cities. Splendid Sleeping-Cars attached to this train. 49*Pa88engers for Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington changs cars at Elmlra. For Tickets, and all information, apply at the GENERAL UNION TICKET OFFICE, CATARACT BLOCK. H. MicItA-Tir, Ticket JLeent. CHA8. MINOT, Gen'l Sup't. WM* B* BARRf Gen'l Pass. Agent. 71 , ) : wt Ilii If! II, M NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. v ON FALLS STREET, \\ -; OPPOSITE THE INTERNATIONAL, Leading to the Ferry and the American Falls. The undersigned, grateful for the patronage received for many years, beg leave to announce to the TRAVELLING PUBLIC they have enlarged their stock, and '*an accommodate strangers with ---■■■ -:■:, ,, ,,. ; ^.■,„ some of the ,.w...., BEST CARRIAGES IN THE UNITED STATES: having in former years acted as GUIDES TO THE FALLS, are personally and familiarly acquainted with this WORLD'S WONDER, uid will point out all the places of interest on BOTH SIDES OF THE BIYEB, together with the ^.ime necessary to visit them, expenses, Ac. OHAHOKe BCA«0NA81C» T DAVY & BROTHERS, / Proprietors. 'W '» .4:^ ears, with DER, t' • orSt