CHAPTER XXII. 



NIAGARA FALLS POWER INTRODUCTION. 



As our readers know, Niagara Falls is sit- 

 uated upon the Niagara River, which is the 

 connecting-link I 'tween Lake Erie and Lake 

 Ontario. The surface of Lake Erie lies 330 

 feet above that of Lake Ontario. The high 

 level upon which Lake Erie is situated ab- 

 ruptly terminates at Queenstown, which is 

 near tin- point where the Niagara River emp- 

 ties into Lake Ontario. From Lake Erie to 

 the falls the level of the river is gradually low- 

 ered a little less than 100 feet, and .most of 

 this (making " the rapids ") occurs in the last 

 mile above the point where it takes a perpen- 

 dicular plunge of 165 feet into a narrow gorge 

 extending for seven miles, through which the 

 river runs, gradually falling also 100 feet in 

 that distance. The river above the falls is 

 broad, varying from one to three miles in 

 width, but below that point it is suddenly nar- 

 rowed up to a distance of from 200 to 400 

 yards. 



It is supposed that at one time the fall was 

 situated at the bluff overlooking Queenstown, 

 186 



