THE NIAGARA FALLS

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 3256, 21 September 1928, Page 7

THE NIAGARA FALLS

DESTINY OF GREAT WATERS,

THREATENED DESTRUCTION.

Niagara Falls is committing suicide, in the view of the experts. The tremendous power development of the past decade has materially decreased the volume of water, especially the amount flowing over the Canadian or Horseshoe Falls. With the idea of preventing Niagara destroying its own beauty from erosion, engineers have busied themselves with the problem of preventing the threatened destruction of one of the wonders of the world. The joint international commission appointed by the United States and Canadian Governments has recommended the construction of submarine weirs to deflect the course of the water, and, by thus turning a great quantity jof it aside, to prevent such an immense volume plunging over the precipice at the apex of the Horseshoe. Thus the wearing away of the riverbed at the rate of sft. a year would be retarded. The cost would be about £350,000, shared by both Governments. Engineers of the Ontario Hydro-elec-tric Commission, the largest and most successful Government enterprise of its nature in the world, claim that they have a much cheaper and more feasible plan. They suggest the building of a series of small islands amove the Canadian Falls, which would scatter the flow of the water and spread it more evenly over the course of the cataract. Engineers of the International Commission say these islands would detract from the natural beauty of the falls. The fact of the matter is, if geologists may be depended on, Niagara Falls has been committing suicide for the last 30,000 years, or even from its birth. The Niagara River is reputed to be 32,000 years old, and the Falls 1000 years less. The popular belief is that the basins of the Great Lakes were excavated or scooped out by the glacial movements of the Ice Age. But; in reality, the age of the ancient valley of the mighty St. Lawrence, now sub-

merged to a depth of 1200 ft., dates back to antiquity. The Great Lakes are the result of erosion of land surfeces by the ancient St. Lawrence Biver and its tributaries during the long period of continual elevation. Because of natural changes in the surface of the earth and the lake basins, the Niagara River came into existence. There are four episodes in the history of Niagara. During the first, j which extended for a period of 17,000 years, the cataract has receded from Lake Ontario to what is known as Niagara Glen, a youthful river, broad and shallow, acting evenly over the same breadth, and receding at about the same rate. At t«h.e end of this episode j the waters of the stream were concentrated on the east side of the channel and their descent was increased. During the second episode the increased height gave rise tonncrw r cascades; this period was of 10,000 years' duration. In the course of the third episode the gorge, in the. vicinity of the Whirlpool, was worn away by the action of the waters, Here the whole

force of the cataract was concentrated in one fall. The duration of this episode was 800 years. During the beginning of the fourth I episode the canyon became suddenly broad, in direct contrast to the narrow gorge in the vicinity of the Whirlpool. In the last stage of this episode the Falls required 1500 years to retreat a distance of 5,000 feet. During the last half, known as the modern stage, the falls have retreated to their present position of the Tonawanda Basin much more rapidly than during the ; previous episode, receding 6,000 ft. in 1500 years, thus making a total length of this epoch of 3,000 years. The most competent authority on Niagara Falls, Mr J. W. Spencer, says: "If the rate of terrestrial deformation continues as it appears t.o have done, then in about 5000 more years the life of Niagara Falls will cease by the turning of its waters into the Mississippi, the "Father of Waters," when the falls will have reached Buffalo. Thus it would seem that no effort of man could be effective. Niagara Falls, in the meantime, continues to be the Mecca of tourists from the four- corners of the earth.