USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 19
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The High falls on Chateaugue, near the four corners, form a beautiful cascade.
Orwell Falls.
. These falls are in the town of Orwell, in the county of Oswe- go, on Salmon river-the descent, which is nearly perpendicu- lar, is one hundred and seven feet. The stream is about sixty yards broad-at high water, they are covered-the banks are rocky, and are nearly two hundred feet high below, and eighty or ninety above. Directly above the falls, there is a smooth ex; panse of boatable water.
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HISTORY OF THE
Oswego falls, on the river of the same name, are midway be- tween Lake Ontario, and the union of Seneca and Oneida rivers, and occupy an extent of three-quarters of a mile. They are to be considered rather as rapids than falls-there is, how. ever, one descent of nine or ten feet, which is short and abrupt.
Red sandstone underlays the river and constitutes its banks.
Chitteningo Falls.
On Chitteningo creek, in Madison county, three miles north- wardly from the village of Cazenovia, the water drops perpen- dicularly seventy-five or eighty feet. Limestone constitutes the bed and banks of the stream-the volume of water is incon- siderable.
Falls of Ithica.
These are on Fall creek, a main branch of Cayuga inlet; distant three-quarters of a mile from the rising village of Ithica. They amount to three.
The first has a descent of one hundred and sixteen feet : the second, distant twenty rods, has a fall of fifty feet : the third, a little higher up, has a descent of seventy feet-each has a per- pendicular pitch.
The first, which is the lower fall, may be seen very advanta- geously from the bridge on the Auburn road, and from the side . of a promontory-the views are strikingly grand.
Fall creek. in the last mile of its course, has a depression of four hundred and thirty -eight feet, two hundred and thirty-six of which are comprised in the Ithica falls-slate forms the bed and banks of Fall creek.
Seneca Falls.
These falls are on Seneca outlet, in Seneca county-they are inconsiderable, and have no abrupt pitches.
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
On the outlet of Crooked lake there are several falls. 'I'he outlet is about six miles long, and has a depression of two hun- dred and sixty-nine feet.
Genesee Falls.
These are five in number, three are in the county of Munroe, between the Erie canal and the ridge road. -
The first is at Carthage, between five and six miles south of Lake Ontario : the second is about twenty-five rods above : the third is at Rochester, a-quarter of a mile below the canal aqueduct.
Besides these there are two rapids which aspire to the cha- racter of falls-the one is below the falls at Carthage, the other is at Rochester, and is crossed by the canal aqueduct.
The falls and rapids occupy an extent of three miles and a- half.
The two remaining falls are at Nunda, in the county of Al- leghany. They are designated by the name of the Upper Falls. They are one mile apart-the first has a descent of ninety feet, and is at the head of boat navigation. The descent of the second is sixty feet. Below the former, the river rolls for ten miles through a deep, narrow, and crooked ravine.
We shall confine the residue of our description to the falls in the county of Munroe. In order to convey correct ideas of these, it will be necessary to advert to the topography of the country through which the Genesee runs. The whole is natu- rally divided into two parts, the upper and the lower. The former terminates at the foot of the Alleghany hills, ten miles north of Nunda. The latter, at the southern shore of Lake Ontario. The first is a mountainous and hilly tract : the second consists of plains and champaigns, and rises by easy gradations. A steep crosses the latter about nine miles south of the lake, and in some respects, subdivides it into two parts. The steep in the vicinity of the river is hardly visible -- this steep, as far westwardly as Niagara county, detaches a branch VOL. I. 27
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HISTORY OF THE
which crosses the river between the canal and ridge road. The subdivision, lying north of the steep, rises, and attains an alti- tude of nearly three hundred feet above the surface of Lake On- tario. The subdivision, lying south, rises still higher, having an altitude of nearly or quite four hundred feet. The vale of Genesee is comprised in the latter. From this it will be seen, that the river, after it has emerged from the Alleghany hills, flows on the summit of an elevated plain, till it has passed the steep, two miles south of Rochester- here its current becomes more active, but it is still gentle for a mile, where rapids occur ; these rapids, however, are boatable in swells, and the stream may be descended to Rochester.
The aqueduct of the Erie canal, at this place, is two hundred and seventy-one feet above the level of Lake Ontario.
The actual depression of Genesee river begins just above the aqueduct. Here long rapids occur, which are succeeded by swift running water. Both exceed five hundred yards. The swift running water ends in the falls at Rochester, which are ninety-seven feet perpendicular descent. A mile and a-half below this, the water descends at the second falls, about twenty feet. These falls are shelving. The Great Fall is at Carthage, about twenty-five rods lower down-here the water descends perpendicularly one hundred and six feet. The lower rapids are below these falls-they end at sloop. navigation. The bed and banks of Genesee river, are limestone from the head of the rapids above the canal aqueduct, almost down to the great falls at Carthage, where they are sandstone. The whole distance from the falls at Rochester, to those at Carthage, is a narrow, deep, rocky ravine, having a depth of upwards of one hundred feet-the lands, on both sides, are very level, and have a descent towards Lake Ontario, which is made up by a steep and easy gradations. On approaching the river, above this ravine, and even on its sides, we see nothing indicative of a ravine, nothing indicative of a river and cataracts, before we reach its banks- extended plains appear on all sides : these appearances struck us very forcibly when we approached Rochester, from the side of Pittsford, and as we approached the ridge road, west of Car-
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
thage, on the side of Rochester. In travelling to the latter place, and from the latter place to the ridge road, the country had very nearly the appearance of a plain, the only interrup- tions were some gullies formed by small runs, which make their way to the river. Every thing under view, seemed to an- nounce that the river, before it had delved out the deep ra- vine, through which it now makes its way, had flowed on the summit of this plain.
At the period when the river run on the summit of the plain, and before its waters had scooped out the ravine between Ro- chester and Carthage, the waters of Lake Ontario must have come up and stood as high as the ridge road, or ancient beach. Then the falls at Rochester must have been down near where those of Carthage are at present-they must also have had less elevation. The bed was then much higher, and the waters of the lake were near the foot of the falls. In the course of time, the falls, in consequence of the wearing down of the rocks by the waters receded step by step to where they are at present. The bed as the falls receded, became deeper and deeper, and narrow- er and narrower. The waters of Lake Ontario subsided dur- ing the same time, and the mouth of the river changed its place, and pursued them in their retreat. In the mean time, the falls of Carthage appeared, being disengaged from the waters of the lake, but they were below where they are at this day-like those at Rochester, they have ascended, and are still ascending the stream. The sandstone and limestone, which form the bot- tom and sides of the ravine, are slaty, divisible, and give way to the action of the waters and elements-then all the lands along the river, in these parts, must have been an almost uniform plain, with a trifling declination towards the bed of the stream. The bed, or course of the river, must have been much broader than it now is-the waters must have had much less celerity than they now have, on account of less declivity, impulse and concentra- tion. As the bed, however, deepened, it acquired more declivity, and became narrower, and the waters being brought into a less compass, moved with increased velocity.
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HISTORY OF THE
Whoever has passed along the Erie canal, must have noticed that it reaches the river on a level, and departs from it on a level, the aqueduct preserving the level over the stream. The top water line of the canal is lower than the surface of the river two miles above, as is demonstrated by the Genesee feeder. The banks of the river, above the rapids, at the aqueduct, are low. . The Rochester level is sixty-three miles long. . It extends from the foot of the heights at Lockport, to two miles east of Rochester, where it ends in a gentle declivity. We shall close by giving a table of the ascents of the falls, and the probable estimates of those of the rapids and stream from the lake, up to where the feeder is taken out of the river above Rochester.
1 .. Ascent from the mouth of the river, up to the first rapids 3 feet. 1
2. The rapids
3. The falls at Carthage
106 feet.
4. Intermediate falls
20 do.
5. Falls at Rochester
97 do.
6. Intermediate ascents
7. Rapids at the aqueducts, &c. 15 . do.
8. Ascent up to the feeder 8 do.
Those not carried out, including the descent of the bed, are estimated at 22 do.
Total 271 feet.
Allen's, Oak Orchard and Tonnawanta creeks have several- ly falls-the falls on the two latter streams are occasioned by the steeps extending across the plain.
Falls of Niagara. -
These celebrated falls are on the Niagara river, or strait, about fourteen miles from Lake Ontario, and about twenty miles from Lake Erie, computing the distance by the road which runs along, or very near the margin of the stream-the distance from Black Rock, at the outlet of Lake Erie, to Lake
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
Ontario, at the mouth of the river, is twenty-eight miles in a di- rect line. The bed of the river, from the outlet, down to the falls, is winding, but from thence pretty direct. 'The falls are very nearly midway between the two lakes.
Before we attempt a description of the falls, we shall take a cursory view of the extensive regions which contain the five great lakes. We do this for the better understanding, and ob- taining juster ideas of these stupendous falls.
'The regions containing the lakes comprise three plains which rise, one above another, like so many platforms. The first embraces Lake Ontario-the second, Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan-and the third Lake Superior. The lower and mid- die plains, on the side of Lake Ontario, are separated by an elevated steep-this steep extends from the east side of Genesee river, westwardly to the head of Lake Ontario, where it turns, and proceeds north northwest. In this State it is from four to eight miles south of the lake. It holds a parallel course till it has reached the western extremity of the lake. It crosses Gen- espe river above the falls of Carthage, and Niagara at Lewis- town. At first, its acclivity is gentle, by-and-by steep-its height at Lewistown, above the lower plain, is rather over two hundred feet. The plain, at the base of the heights, is one hun- dred and thirty feet higher than the surface of Lake Ontario, and two hundred and two feet lower than that of Lake Erie.
The space between the two lakes, which varies from twenty- one to thirty miles, where they approximate, presents two plains, the lower and the upper. The former commences on the. southern shores of Lake Ontario, and extends southwardly to · the steep : the latter commences at the brink of the steep, and extends southwardly to Lake Erie. . The steep is composed of red sandstone, slate and limestone. Tlie sandstone underlay's the lower plain, and part of the upper. It is found in the lower parts of the ravine through which the Niagara flows, as far up as the falls. On the upper plain, limestone is the superior rock.
The Niagara, after issuing out of Lake Erie, runs on the summit of the upper plain to the falls, where it descends into a
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HISTORY OF THE
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deep ravine ; it then pursues its way to the lower plain, at the base of the upper.
In the beginning, when the waters of this river began to flow, the falls were on the declivity of, the steep at Lewistown, seven miles below where they are now. The ravine has been formed by the waters.
On approaching the falls, from Lewistown, the country ex- hibits little else than an extended level. The only interruptions are the ravine and the beds of some small streams. The river flows in the bottom of the ravine, which is on the right. It is : now visible, and then not. A distant sound is heard in the south. This sound becomes louder and louder as you ap- proach the falls, but you see nothing of them, nor any indi- cation before you arrive within a mile and a-half. Here the ravine opens to full view, at the end of which you see the great fall very distinctly. You also see the spray ascending towards the heavens. The water in the ravine, runs with great rapidity. As you advance, you soon pass by and loose sight of the ra- vine and falls, and do not see them again before you reach them.
There are three distinct falls. The first is the lower fall. It is about two hundred and twenty yards broad. Its breadth is in some measure determined by Gen. Porter's bridge, which is a little above, and which is thirty-nine rods long-(about 214 paces.)
The second is the middle fall. It is separated from the preceding by a small island. Its breadth is seventy or eighty yards. A bridge in some measure also determins its breadth.
These falls are on the side of the ravine, and face Canada.
The third is the upper or great fall, situated at the head of the ravine. Goat island,, containing abont seventy acres of land, divides it from the middle fall. It looks down the stream, and is shaped somewhat like a horse shoe. Its breadth is esti- mated at six hundred yards. The three falls, taken together, do not form a semicircle, as has been asserted by some.
- Above the falls, for an extent of half a mile, the waters rush in two vast columns, down a highly inclined plain. The se-
STATE OF NEW-YORK. 215
paration takes place at the upper end of Goat island. The beds are covered with breakers, occasioned by many crevices or grooves, worn in the rocks by the waters. On the northeast side of Goat island, the waters, owing to these brakers and their velocity, are nearly as white as soap suds. On the oppo- site side, where the volume is much greater, and where there are fewer brakers, their colour is more natural. Some have supposed that about seven-eighths of the waters of the river are precipitated over the great fall, and the residue over the middle and lower.
The waters do not descend perpendicularly, but shoot ovef like those of a mill dam. The sound caused by the fall of such immense bodies of water, is louder than that of the ocean in a tempest. The weight, impetuosity and descent of the waters occasion a tremulous motion all around. The doors of the houses in the adjoining hamlet, have slight oscillations. Goat island vibrates beneath your feet.
These falls are seen to the best advantage on the Canada side, at a place called Table Rock.
The ravine is seven miles in length, and ends at Lewistown. The waters of the river have formed it. Its sides, which con- sist of rocks, are mural. The rocks are perpendicular, retir- ing and overhanging.
Within the ravine there are several large ruins, which have been formed by the breaking off of portions of the walls. One of these extends from the foot of the great fall, some way . down the stream. It resembles the debris at the base of the Palisadoes, on the west side of Hudson's river.
The descent of the rapids, above the falls has been comput- ed by some at fifty-two feet, and by others at fifty-nine. The perpendicular descent of the great fall is estimated at one hundred and fifty feet, that of the others at one hundred and sixty-four. The difference arises in the difference of the length of the rapids. Those above the great falls are shortest, ow -- ing to the waters wearing faster at the pitch or break. The descent from the foot of the great fall, to Lewistown, is one hundred and four feet, very nearly fifteen feet to the mile. The
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HISTORY OF THE
ascent from the head of the rapids up to Lake Erie, is fifteen fret, and the descent below Lewistown two feet. The aggre- gate of all these is three hundred and thirty-four feet. '
'The Niagara falls, in the winter, exhibit phenomena which they do not at other times. This was the case when we saw them. The weather had been cold for about eight days, but had then changed into a thaw. Great quantities of ice had formed in Lake Erie, but had not become fixed, except around the outlet. The loose floating ice driven out of the lake by a strong southwest wind, was descending in such abundance as to cover nearly or quite one half of the river. In passing down the rapids and the cataracts, it was broken into very small pieces. That which passed on the northeast side of Goat island was chopped very fine. The truuks and limbs of the trees, on the margin of the stream, were loaded with ice, made by the congelation of the spray. The ground was also covered with ice, which was a foot thick in some places. The spray, which ascends when the air is calm, or approaching to calmness, was beat down by the southwest wind, and confined chiefly to the ravine. The sun shone very bright. Its rays acted with effi- cacy on it, and produced all the vivid colours of the rainbow, without, however, producing the bow itself. We saw these colours from General Porter's bridges, and from Goat island. They appeared in succession, as we shifted. our position. Noth- ing was wanting but arches to give them the appearance of rainbows. They extended across the ravine, and had declina- tions, occasioned by our superior position.
The river, above the rapids, widens .. Its banks are very low all the way up to the steep at Black Rock. Between the falls and Tonnawanta they are generally not over eight or ten feet. Above they are somewhat higher. The ancient banks com- mence near Chippeway, and terminate a little below the falls. They are but a short distance in the rear of the present. At first they are low, but increase so much, that opposite the falls they have elevations of seventy or eighty feet. This apparant increase is occasioned by the depression of the bed of the stream above the perpendicular pitch, which is upwards of sixty feet,
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
in two miles and a-half. Behind the ancient banks the country is a plain. When the falls were some miles lower down the waters came up to the sides of these banks, as they now do above Chippeway, and presented a smooth surface. The bed of the stream, as the falls advance towards Lake Erie. contracts. The contraction is caused by the sinking of the bed, and the consequent contraction and acceleration of the current.
The whirlpool is on the west side of the river, about a mile and a-half below the falls. It is a kind of bay, containing a number of acres. The stream on reaching it, turus short to the left. Lofty rocks enclose it on all sides, except on one. Its shape is similar to a horse shoe, bent out considerably. It is remarkable for a powerful eddy, which carries into it most of the floating substances brought down by the stream. It ap- pears that the river must have been stopped by the hardness of the rocks at this place, whereby it had to shift its fall to several points, till finding out the weakest, it continued its course by it.
The wear, of the great fall, is computed to be about one rod in three years. Assuming this as a standard, the great fall must have been about fifty rods lower down the stream when visited by Father Hennepin in 1681.
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HISTORY OF THE
CHAPTER IX.
SPRINGS.
Mineral Springs at Saratoga, &c.
1. Congress Spring. This celebrated fountain is situated ou the westerly border of a swamp. The water originally rose in · the bottom of a small brook, which is now diverted. It dis- charges less than a gallon in a minute.
The gas escapes through the water as it rises, in fine bubbles, giving to the surface the appearance of simmering. When first dipped it is limpid.
'The water. to most persons, is not unpleasant to the taste. Its most obvious effect, when taken as a medicine, is that of a cathartic and diaretir. In most habits, this effect is produced by drinking five or six half pints in the morning before break- fast.
The temperature of the water is about 50 degrees of Fahren- heite.
On analysis, one gallon, or 231 cubic inches of the water, was found to contain
Muriate of Soda
471.5 Grains
Carbonate of Lime
178.474
Carbonate of Soda
16.5
Carbonate of Magnesia
3.356
Carbonate of Iron
6.168
Total 676.000 grains
The carbonic acid gas, contained in the same quantity, amounted to 343 cubic inches.
2. Columbian Spring. This spring issues out of the earth, at the foot of a steep bank, consisting principally of sand and loam,
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
about fifteen rods westerly from the Congress spring. The quantity of water is so considerable, that it is difficult to empty the spring with a bucket.
The gas breaks up through the water in large bubbles, at irregular intervals, giving to the surface the appearance of a violent ebullition. The surface of the earth over which the water escapes, is covered with the carbonate of iron and lime.
The water is quite limpid. Its temperature is the same as that of the Congress.
One gallon, on analysis, yielded
Muriate of Soda - 201.5 grains
Carbonate of Soda 22.5
1
Carbonate of Lime 121.0
Carbonate of Magnesia
1.5
Carbonate of Iron
7.5
Total 354.0 grains.
Carbonic acid gas 236 inches.
This water seldom operates as a cathartic, unless taken in large quantities.
3. Washington Spring. This spring is situated by the side of a little rill of very pure water, about fifty rods to the southwest of the Columbian spring. The earth around it is incrusted with calcareous and ferruginous substances. The water is sparkling, acidulous and very limpid. Its temperature is 48 degrees of Fahrenheite.
One gallon affords Muriate of Soda 231.5 Grains
Carbonate of Soda 16.5
Carbonate of Lime 127.5
Carbonate of Magnesia 2.5
Carbonate of Iron
6.0 *
Total 384.0 grains
Carbonic acid gas 247 cubic inches.
The water of this spring, when applied externally, is found to be very efficacious in ulcers aud eruptions of the skin.
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HISTORY OF THE
4. Hamilton Spring is situated in the marsh which forms the border of the brook, about fifty rods in a northeasterly di- rection from the Congress spring. The water issues through a loose black earth. The external appearance around it is simi- lar to that around those already spoken of. Its temperature is 48 degrees. It emits large quantities of gas.
One gallon, on analysis, yields
Muriate of Soda 269. 5 Grains
Carbonate of Soda 24.5
Carbonate of Lime
147.5
Carbonate of Magnesia
7.5
Carbonate of Iron
3.0
Total 452.0 grains.
Carbonic acid gas 284 cubic inches.
The water of this spring ranks among the first as a diu- retic, &c.
5. Flat Rock Spring. Following the course of the brook, about one hundred rods from the Hamilton spring, we come to this spring. It is situated on the verge of a marsh at the foot of an eminence, which bounds the west side of the little valley, through which the brook passes. The eminence is mostly com- posed of an impure limestone covered with clay and sand, and is about forty feet high. The ground around the spring is incrusted with calcareous tufa, which forms a commodious platform. Near the center the water issues in a small stream. It resembles the Columbian. Its temperature is 48 degrees.
One gallon affords
Muriate of Soda 194.8 Grains
Carbonate of Soda 11.2
Carbonate of Lime 107.0
Carbonate of Magnesia
1.5
Carbonate of Iron
7.5
Total 342.0 grains
Carbonic acid gas 252.5 cubic inches.
The water is used in all cases in which the Columbian is.
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6. The High Rock Spring is in the same valley, about one hundred rods in a northerly direction from the Flat Rock Spring, near the foot of a ledge of calcareous rocks, which constitutes the westerty side of the valley at this place.
This spring is surrounded by a conical rock, composed mostly of calcareous tufa. The rock is about nine feet in diameter, at its base, and between three and four feet in height. Very near its summit there is an orifice or opening, about ten inches in diam- cter, which gradually widens as it descends, leaving the rock, of nearly an equal thickness throughout. The water formerly flowed out at the orifice, but at present it does not rise nearer than about two feet. The water within the cavity is in a con- stant state of ebullition in consequence of the disengagement of carbonic gas. The rock which covers this spring has been made in time by the depositions of the water. Its temperature is +8 degrees.
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