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Really the Niagara River is not a river at all but a great spillway or strait some thirty-seven miles long and connecting Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, the strait starting at the city of Buffalo on Lake Erie and emptying into Lake Ontario at Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is at almost the midway point of the strait where this great flom of soft blue water encounters the precipitous drop of some 160 feet and plunges with mighty thunder and billowing spray into the gorge of what is known by residents as the Lower River. Where it enters Lake Ontario it is 338 feet below Lake Erie. No less than 215,000 cubic feet or 1,500,000 gallons of water pass over the three Falls every second amounting to the drainage from 255,000 square miles o mid-continent North America. Every week of the year; cubic mile of water slips over the embankment and rushes away to the sea via Lake Ontario and the picturesque St Lawrence River. |
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Prospect Point is reached by entering Prospect Park at the foot of Falls Street and bearing to the right. Immediately upon entering the Park one is exposed to a view of the Upper Rapid, a turbulent stretch of water less than a mile in length above the American Falls. Pasking facilitie are available here and riding on the Viewmobiles has become one of the great pleasures of the trip. If one enjoy walking, all of the best vartage points for viewing all three Falls from the American side may be visited by foot, the dis tance to be covered not exceeding two miles. This includes walking around Goat Island, from which the best American view both of the Horseshoe Falls and of Luna Falls may be had. The parking accommodations on the Island are also apt to be crowded during the height of the season, and park-
the highways of the State Park, no matter how advantageous or tempting, is strictly forbidden. Embarrassing encounters with State Police will be avoided if this is kept in mind.
As we stand viewing the crest of the American Falls from Prospect Point, we see all three of the Falls and the great basin of the Lower River into which they pour countless millions of tons of water each day. It is here that many people feel a strong and oftentimes overpowering fascination – a sense of standing on the brink of eternity. With some, the effect is hypnotic, even terrifying. Few indeed are those who feel flippant enough to repeat Oscar Wilde's undeservedly famous remark, "It would be much more interesting if the Falls ran backwards." At this point one may almost touch the gliding water with one's toe at the moment of its sliding over the brink.
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Here the Falls have been viewed by sightseers for over 250 years. Millions have stood on this spot, awed and inspired by the timeless spectacle. Princes and paupers, kings and common men have come from all parts of the earth to behold this, perhaps the greatest gem of all natural wonders. Lincoln, Dickens, Audubon, Grant, Lee, Lafayette, Barnum, La Salle, Longfellow, Tyndall, Huxley – all have been here among the nameless millions before us. Many, like the good Franciscan Father Louis Hennepin, have been moved to prayer. When first the tall gray Friar parted the branches of the crowded hemlocks and looked out at the cataract, the thunder of which had been in his ears for hours, he dropped to his knees to thank his Creator for the rich spectacle. Rising, he slowly took the small altar from his back and said mass, the Te Deum from the lips of his small party lost in the thunderous sound. That was on the cold morning of December 6, 1678. "The universe does not afford its parallel," said the tall man in gray.
Hennepin Point, the promontory from which Father Hennepin first viewed the Falls, is a few hundred feet downstream from Prospect Point. This was in the year 1678, when Hennepin came, accompanied by the explorer Rene Robert Cavelier de la Salle. Thus was the fleur-de-lis of France first moistened by the mists of Niagara.
At Prospect Point our eye may run along the contour of the American Falls and note the spot where thousands of tons of rock fell into the gorge a few years ago, a part of the natural erosion, or wearing away, that goes on year after year. The pile of rock at the base of each Falls is evidence of this geological fact. It is the great volume of water dashing against these rocks that generates the huge volume of spray so much in evidence at Niagara. When the wind is in the right direction one may soon become drenched. A rain coat may permit lingering until we have had the opportunity to drink in the full grandeur of this scene, which is not to be duplicated at any other spot on earth.
That building near the base of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side? That is a hydro-electric power plant, its waters taken in above the Falls. It is one of three plants owned and operated by the Canadian
Hydro-electric Power Commission. That tiny boat that bobs along the waves and almost touches the base of the Horseshoe Falls before it beats a timid retreat? That is the famous "Maid of the Mist," veteran of thousands of passages and as safe as a skiff on a placid lake, however perilous its voyage may appear to one standing above. Countless thousands of people, dressed in oilskins, have thrilled to the view of the Falls it provides. Its intrepid skipper has never lost a soul and probably never will.
If one knows the history of the cataract, many tragic reminiscences may come to mind as the view from Prospect Point is contemplated. During the months of January and February the shifting wind on Lake Erie may send countless millions of tons of ice over the Falls. This accumulates in the basin beneath and ice-bridges as much as one hundred feet in thickness are formed.
Years ago the authorities on both sides of the River permitted tourists to climb over this jagged surface and to cross the River by this means, if they were rugged enough to endure the hardships of such a journey. Oftentimes, close to the exact center of the River, one would find a bold purveyor of strong liquor perched, without benefit of license. If Canadian authorities approached these warming stations. they would be told to mind their own business and remain on their own side of the International Boundary. American authorities were told that the liquor was being sold in Canada. In the absence of exact data and the expert services of a surveyor, the operators continued the sale of their bottled heat at twice the prevailing prices. The intrepid tourist, chilled to the marrow, never complained. It was said that the Southerners were the best customers and that many of them had to be. carried back to the American side.
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Niagara Gorge Discovery Center
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The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center showcases the
natural and local history of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge. You can learn
about the ancient rock layers, local minerals and fossils, the history of the
Great Gorge Route trolley line, and much more! Interactive displays, a virtual
elevator trip and a 180° multi-screen theater presentation will show you how
the mighty Niagara River carved the gorge and the falls over the course of more
than 12,000 years
Admission:
US $5.00 for adults 13 and older
US $3.00 for children 6 to 12
Admission is free for children 5 and under.
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The Goat Island
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The oldest state park in the USA, the Niagara Reservation State
Park also features premier viewing areas. A vision and design of famed
landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, this scenic preserve covers 400
acres of nature’s beauty. You’ll find hiking trails, picnic sites and
convenient pathways to the Three Sisters Islands, located just above the
river’s drop. Downtown Niagara Falls is also the location of the Niagara
Aerospace Museum, which holds a large collection of antique planes, a 200-seat
theater with full surround sound, and an impressive display of interesting
artifacts.
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The Observation Tower
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For the most comprehensive view of the American Falls, head to the Observation Tower at Prospect Point. The Tower's observation deck extends over the Niagara Gorge wall to provide spectacular views. Take the elevator to the top and you'll stand far above the gorge, gazing down at the full drop of the churning cascade. Also from the lower landing of the elevator, you can board the Maid of the Mist boat ride.
Admission:
$1.00 (US) for adults and children
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The Aquarium of Niagara Falls, NY
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