Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/431

 NIAGARA 417 with a swift current for the first 2 m., and then more gently with a widening current, which divides as a portion passes on each side of Grand island. As these unite below the island, the stream spreads out to 2 or 3 m. in width, and appears like a quiet lake studded with small low islands. About 16 m. from Lake Erie the current grows narrow and begins to descend with great velocity. This is the com- mencement of the rapids, which continue for about a mile, the waters accomplishing in this distance a fall of 52 ft. The rapids terminate below in a great cataract, the descent of which is 164 ft. on the American side and 150 on the Canadian. At this point the river, making a curve from W. to N., spreads out to an extreme width of about 4,750 ft. Goat island, which extends down to the brink of the cataract, oc- cupies about one fourth of this space, leaving the river on the American side about 1,100 ft. wide, and on the Canadian side about double this width. The line along the verge of the Canadian fall is much longer than the breadth of this portion of the river, by reason of its horse-shoe form, the curve extending up the central part of the current. The waters sweep- ing down the rapids form a grand curve as they fall clear of the rocky wall into the deep pool at the base. The space between this sheet of water and the wall widens near the bottom, the strata being there of a loose shaly character, and consequently hollowed out by the continual action of the spray. A cave (called the Cave of the Winds) is thus formed behind the fall, into which on the Canadian side persons can enter and pass by a rough and slippery path toward Falls of Niagara. Goat island. Among the great cataracts of the globe that of Niagara stands preeminent for the enormous volume of water that is carried over so high a precipice. There are many cataracts which descend from greater heights, but the sublimity of Niagara is in the vast power displayed by a mighty current descend- ing down the long rapids, and finally plunging in one unbroken sheet into the deep abyss below. In the deep chasm below the fall the current, contracted in width to less than 1,000 ft, is tossed tumultuously about, and forms great whirlpools and eddies as it is borne alori^ its rapidly descending bed. Dangerous as it appears, the river is here crossed by small row boats. On each side of the gorge the walls rise almost perpendicularly from the talus of fragments piled up along their base, and access to and from the summit is had only by means of stairways constructed at several points. For 7 m. below the falls the narrow gorge contin- ues, varying in width from 200 to 400 yards. The river then emerges at Lewiston into a low- er district, having descended 104 ft. from the foot of the cataract. Several objects of inter- est are met with in this portion of its course. About 2 m. below the falls is a suspension bridge, thrown across the gorge at the height of 245 ft. above the water, and supported by towers upon each bank, the centres of which are 821 ft. apart. The current is here about 350 ft. wide. The bridge was constructed in 1855 by Mr. Roebling for the passage of rail- way trains, and 18 ft. below the railway it also sustains a carriage and foot track. From this bridge a fine view is had of the falls. A sus- pension bridge about m. below the falls was finished in 1869 at a cost of $175,000; it is 1,190 ft. from cliff to cliff, and 1,268 from tower to tower, and is 190 ft. above the river,