﻿72 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  with 
  huge 
  boulders 
  of 
  Hmestone. 
  The 
  cHff 
  which 
  hmits 
  Winter- 
  

   green 
  flat 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  or 
  downstream 
  side 
  is 
  the 
  highest 
  and 
  

   most 
  precipitous, 
  and 
  from 
  its 
  base 
  a 
  well 
  marked, 
  dry 
  channel 
  

   leads 
  northward 
  for 
  a 
  third 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  to 
  the 
  river's 
  edge. 
  This 
  chan- 
  

   nel 
  is 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  present 
  river 
  channel 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  by 
  a 
  

   ridge 
  which 
  appears 
  to 
  consist 
  of 
  huge 
  limestone 
  blocks, 
  though 
  its 
  

   base 
  is 
  probably 
  formed 
  by 
  undisturbed 
  remnants 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  

   strata 
  of 
  the 
  region. 
  The 
  floor 
  of 
  this 
  old 
  channel 
  is 
  strewn 
  with 
  

   huge 
  limestone 
  boulders, 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  

   American 
  falls 
  today, 
  and 
  its 
  -left 
  bank 
  is 
  the 
  precipitous 
  west 
  wall 
  

   of 
  the 
  Niagara 
  gorge. 
  (Fig. 
  17) 
  

  

  ±pii^^:j^T^'W^^fj^^^^^^^ 
  

  

  

  Fig. 
  17 
  View 
  of 
  Niagara 
  glen 
  or 
  Foster's 
  flats, 
  looking 
  south. 
  Forests 
  omitted. 
  (After 
  Gilbert) 
  

  

  These 
  various 
  features 
  have 
  been 
  well 
  explained 
  by 
  Mr 
  Gilbert,^ 
  

   who 
  holds 
  that 
  a 
  narrow 
  island 
  comparable 
  to 
  Goat 
  island, 
  divided 
  

   the 
  fall 
  in 
  two, 
  when 
  it 
  had 
  receded 
  to 
  the 
  northern 
  end 
  of 
  Fosters 
  

   flats. 
  The 
  foundations 
  of 
  this 
  island, 
  which 
  has 
  since 
  crumbled 
  

   away, 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  ridge 
  which 
  divides 
  the 
  old 
  dry 
  channel 
  on 
  

   the 
  left 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  The 
  eastern 
  or 
  American 
  

   fall 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  was 
  the 
  larger 
  of 
  the 
  two, 
  and 
  it 
  receded 
  more 
  

  

  ^Nat. 
  geog. 
  monographs. 
  Niagara 
  falls 
  and 
  their 
  history. 
  

  

  