Category: Travel Writing

The Falls of Niagara and Other Famous Cataracts

America the old world--Geologically recent origin of the Falls-- Evidence thereof--Captain Williams's surveys for a ship-canal--Former extent of Lake Michigan--Its outlet into the Illinois River--The Niagara Barrier--How broken through--The birth of Niagara 32

Chapters

29. CHAPTER X.

Judge Porter--General Porter--Goat Island--Origin of its name--Early dates found cut in the bark of trees and in the rock--Professor Kalm's wonderful story--Bridges to the Islan...

27. CHAPTER VIII.

Recession above the present position of the Falls--The Falls will be higher as they recede--Reason why--Professor Tyndall's prediction--Present and former accumulations of rock-...

31. CHAPTER XII.

A fisherman and a bear in a canoe--Frightful experience with floating ice--Early farming on the Niagara--Fruit growing--The original forest--Testimony of the trees--The first ho...

30. CHAPTER XI.

The history of the navigation of the Rapids of Niagara may be appropriately concluded in this chapter, which is devoted to a notice of the remarkable man who began it, who had n...

25. CHAPTER VI.

America the old world--Geologically recent origin of the Falls--Evidence thereof--Captain Williams's surveys for a ship canal--Former extent of Lake Michigan--Its outlet into th...

32. CHAPTER XIII.

Incidents--Fall of Table Rock--Remarkable phenomenon in the river--Driving and lumbering on the Rapids--Points of the compass at the Falls--A first view of the Falls commonly di...

34. CHAPTER XV.

For many years Niagara has been a favorite resort for bridal tourists, who in a crowd of strangers can be so excessively proper that every one else can see how charmingly improp...

37. CHAPTER XVIII.

Before the last fall of Table Rock, there stood upon it for many years a comfortable summer-house, where people could take refuge from the spray, look at the Falls, partake of l...

36. CHAPTER XVII.

In the year 1858, a short, well-rounded, fair-complexioned, light-haired Frenchman made his appearance at the Falls, and expressed a wish to put a tight-rope across the chasm be...

28. CHAPTER IX.

If the first white man who saw Niagara could have been certain that he was the first to see it, and had simply recorded the fact with whatever note or comment, he would have sec...

26. CHAPTER VII.

Composition of the terrace cut through--Why retrocession is possible--Three sections from Lewiston to the Falls--Devil's Hole--The Medina group--Recession long checked--The Whir...

20. CHAPTER I.

In 1534, Jacques Cartier, a shrewd, enterprising, and adventurous sailor, made his first voyage across the Atlantic, touching at Newfoundland, and exploring the coast to the wes...

39. CHAPTER XX.

In South America is the remarkable fall of Tequendama, on the river Bogota, which, at this point, is only one hundred and forty feet wide, and is divided into numerous narrow an...

33. CHAPTER XIV.

On the morning of the 19th of July, 1853, a man was discovered in the middle of the American rapid, about thirty rods below the bridge. He was clinging to a log, which the previ...

35. CHAPTER XVI.

The first Suspension Bridge--The Railway Suspension Bridge--Extraordinary vibration given to the Railway Bridge by the fall of a mass of rock--De Veaux College--The Lewiston Sus...

24. CHAPTER V.

From the earliest visit of the French missionaries and _voyageurs_ to the lake region, the banks of the lower Niagara were to them a favorite locality. Very early they were clea...

38. CHAPTER XIX.

For the purpose of comparison it may be interesting to note other cataracts in the United States, and in other parts of the world, and also some of the remarkable rapids, which...

21. CHAPTER II.

Even more exaggerated than Father Hennepin's is the next account of the Falls which has come down to us, and which was written by Baron La Hontan, in the autumn of 1687. Fear of...

23. CHAPTER IV.

The name Niagara has been so thoroughly identified with the river and the Falls that the question whether it was also the name of an Indian nation or tribe has been quite neglec...

40. CHAPTER XXI.

In all its features and characteristics the great water-course, including the great lakes, which feeds the Niagara, is peculiar and interesting. It is more than two thousand mil...

22. CHAPTER III.

There is in some words a mystic power which it is not easy to analyze or define; they fascinate the ear even of those who do not understand their meaning. The very sound of them...

19. CHAPTER XXI.

The writer, having resided in the village of Niagara Falls for more than a third of a century, has had opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with the locality, and to stud...

10. CHAPTER X.

Judge Porter--General Porter--Goat Island--Origin of its name--Early dates found cut in the bark of trees and in the rock--Professor Kalm's wonderful story--Bridges to the Islan...

13. CHAPTER XIII.

Incidents--Fall of Table Rock--Remarkable phenomenon in the river-- Driving and lumbering on the Rapids--Points of the compass at the Falls--A first view of the Falls commonly d...

12. CHAPTER XII.

A fisherman and a bear in a canoe--Frightful experience with floating ice--Early farming on the Niagara--Fruit-growing--The original forest--Testimony of the trees--The first ho...

7. CHAPTER VII.

Composition of the terrace cut through--Why retrocession is possible--Three sections from Lewiston to the Falls--Devil's Hole-- The Medina group--Recession long checked--The Whi...

8. CHAPTER VIII.

Recession above the present position of the Falls--The Falls will be higher as they recede--Reason Why--Professor Tyndall's prediction-- Present and former accumulations of rock...

16. CHAPTER XVI.

The first Suspension Bridge--The Railway Suspension Bridge-- Extraordinary vibration given to the Railway Bridge by the fall of a mass of rock--De Veaux College--The Lewiston Su...

6. CHAPTER VI.

America the old world--Geologically recent origin of the Falls-- Evidence thereof--Captain Williams's surveys for a ship-canal--Former extent of Lake Michigan--Its outlet into t...

11. CHAPTER XI.

2. CHAPTER II.

5. CHAPTER V.

17. CHAPTER XVII.

18. CHAPTER XVIII.

3. CHAPTER III.

9. CHAPTER IX.

15. CHAPTER XV.

1. CHAPTER I.

14. CHAPTER XIV.

4. CHAPTER IV.