Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1875 — The Changes in Niagara Falls. [ARTICLE]

The Changes in Niagara Falls.

A correspondent of the New York Times writes as follows from Niagara Falls; :J ■ . . :JL- _ The inquiring and speculative visitor at Niagara lias read many items in'tlie papers about changes in the physical aspect of the falls ? and from the appearance of the irregular line of the American fall and the deep angle of the Horseshoe he is apt to imbibe erroneous notions in regard to the rapidity of the change. He often supposes that if he were to return ligi'e next year, and annually for years following, he would be able to mark the progress of the cataract on its backward journey toward Buffalo, to the extent of some feet. But this is erroneous. The oldest residents-of the vicinity COT see hardly any appreciable difference between the falls as they now are and as they were fifty yea.-s ago. It is true that the constant friction of the water loosens and chafes away the limestone rock at the edge of the fall; but the process is so slow that its effects cannot be said to visibly alter the general appearance. At rare intervals great masses of rock are detached, and piles of them may be seen below, except, of course, within the Horseshoe, where the water is of vast depth and the mist is always hanging like a curtain. But the general effect is always the same. It is difficult for an old habitue of the place to point out any particular feature iu the whole face of Niagara that is substantially different from what it has been in the past. Geologists tell if§, taking a long series of years together, the rate of recession may he about one foot per year, but, considering the stability of the present location for a very long series of years past, this seems, atter all, little better than a mere conjecture.

The earliest visit to the falls of which we have any record was that of Father Hennepin about 200 years ago. Thegood priest was so wonder-struck with the sight that he estimated their height at about four times the actual truth. He left a sketch of the scene, showing their appearance at that time, and it does not materially differ from the views of Niagara at the present day, excepting: as to one feature, described as follows; “This is a third fall from the Canada side toward the east, facing the line of the main fall, and caused "by a great rock that turned the divided current in this direction.” In 1756, a Swede, one Kalm, visited the place and found that this rock had fallen, and that this side channel liad been thereby turned back into the great stream. And this is really the only marked change in the appearance of Niagara that can be discovered from the first day that it was known to white men; and this made no difference in the position of the cataract. The rude sketches of the French missionary exhibit the same Niagara which we see to-day, and apparently in the same place. Ido not apprehend that our elaborate engravings of the scene will lose much of their fidelity when examined two centuries hence. It is unquestionable that Tit some time, cycles ago, the falls were seven miles north of their present position, and poured their waters over the face of the mountain ridge at Lewiston; and the best contemporary authorities agree that cycles hence they will have worn tlieir way to a point about four miles up the river, where, in the course of other indefinite cycles, their character will entirely change. The wearing-away process Mill then be confined entirely to the crown of the fall, so that after the lapse of a sufficient number of hundreds of centuries there will be no cataract at all, but an immense inclined plane, down the bed of which the M ater M ill shoot Mitli an amazing velocity unknown to the rapids of the present Niagara. These are the well-founded speculations of geology, which are supposed to be well known to every hotel-keeper, hackman, guide and trinket-seller here, and Mhich are regarded by them Midi smiling complacency. They should be no less comforting to the general public of tourists and sight-seers. The stability of such grand M orks of nature is not * the least wonderful of their attributes. Were Methuselah himself alive, and permitted to approach Niagara by May of the Prospect' Park entrance (on payment of 25 cents), it would be a great satisfaction to him to knoM- that lie could return in 500 or 600 years and find no especial change in the appearance of the cataract; and, in less degree. Me may enjoy the same assurance. —A correspondent'of Home and Garden describes a home-made ice-chest thus: Procure two dry-goods boxes (or make them) one about eight inches smaller than the other. Procure some thoroughly dry and clean sawdust, sift it and pack the space between the boxes thereMith as solid as possible, making a cover (and packing it also) to shut tightly; put a small pipe from the bottom of the inner box to the outside of the outer one, to draw off the water as the ice melts. On the inside box nail cleats on which to place racks, made of lath. The ice is placed at the bottom, and whatever you wish to keep cool, such as butter, fresh meat, cream, etc., placed upon the racks. Such & box is also excellent to keep articles of food in when there is no ice in it.” —Bankers do not often find titne-'to join in picnics, but they are high old boys when it comes to panics.