﻿70 
  . 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  has 
  been 
  uninfluenced 
  by 
  preexisting 
  relief 
  features. 
  (Fig. 
  iC) 
  

   Another 
  feature 
  of 
  importance 
  is 
  the 
  varying 
  width 
  of 
  different 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  gorge, 
  and 
  the 
  corresponding 
  increase 
  in 
  velocity 
  of 
  

   current 
  in 
  the 
  narrower 
  parts. 
  The 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  channel 
  also 
  varies 
  

   in 
  different 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  gorge, 
  being 
  in 
  general 
  greater 
  in 
  the 
  

   wider 
  and 
  less 
  in 
  the 
  narrower 
  parts. 
  (Fig. 
  i8) 
  

  

  Fig. 
  16 
  Blrdseye 
  view 
  of 
  Niagara 
  gorge 
  showing 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  river; 
  the 
  falls, 
  the 
  railroad 
  

   bridges, 
  whirlpool, 
  location 
  of 
  Fosters 
  flats, 
  escarpment 
  at 
  Queenston 
  and 
  flaring 
  mouth 
  of 
  old 
  St 
  

   Davids 
  gorge, 
  (After 
  Gilbert) 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  mile 
  and 
  three 
  fourths 
  of 
  the 
  gorge, 
  or 
  that 
  portion 
  

   marking 
  the 
  retreat 
  from 
  the 
  escarpment 
  to 
  the 
  Devil's 
  hole, 
  extends 
  

   nearly 
  due 
  south, 
  and 
  is 
  fairly 
  uniform 
  in 
  width, 
  comparatively 
  nar- 
  

   row, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  current 
  of 
  great 
  velocity. 
  The 
  narrowness 
  of 
  this 
  

   stretch, 
  when 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  channel 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  present 
  

   cataract 
  from 
  the 
  railroad 
  bridges 
  southward, 
  seems 
  to 
  indicate 
  a 
  

   smaller 
  volume 
  of 
  water 
  during 
  its 
  formation 
  than 
  that 
  now 
  passing 
  

   over 
  the 
  falls. 
  An 
  alternative 
  hypothesis 
  accounts 
  for 
  the 
  narrow- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  this 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  gorge 
  by 
  assuming 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  preglacial 
  

   drift-filled 
  channel, 
  made 
  by 
  an 
  obsequent 
  stream 
  flowing 
  north- 
  

   ward 
  to 
  the 
  Ontario 
  lowland, 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  made 
  the 
  old 
  

   St 
  Davids 
  channel, 
  but 
  reexcavated 
  by 
  the 
  Niagara. 
  It 
  is 
  highly 
  

   probable 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  shallow 
  channel 
  which 
  served 
  as 
  

  

  