Niagara Falls 



1877 



1877 BARLOW, W. H. The upward jets of Niagara. (Jour. Frank, inst, 



Barlow Oct., 1877. 104:275-277.) 



When visiting Niagara last year, ... I observed certain 

 physical effects connected with the Great Falls, to which I desire 

 to draw attention. 



1 . It was observable that the doors and windows of our hotel, 

 unless tightly closed, were subjected to a jarring movement, the 

 impulses of which varied in time and degree. 



The hotel in question is Clifton House, on the Canada side; 

 its southern face being parallel to and nearly opposite the Ameri- 

 can Falls, from which it is distant about a quarter of a mile, and 

 its south-west corner is not far from being opposite to the mean 

 line of face of the Canada or Horse-shoe Fall, the distance being 

 somewhat over half a mile. 



The windows of the hotel opened on hinges, and if one of 

 them was set slightly opened, and the observer placed himself in 

 such a position as to see the reflections of distant objects on the 

 surface of the glass, the times and varying intensity of the jarring 

 impulses could be clearly seen. 



2. On looking at the Falls themselves, and especially at the 

 Horse-Shoe Fall, there appeared from time to time, through the 

 mist which always envelops the lower part of the Falls, jets of 

 water projected suddenly upwards. 



These jets frequently rose much above the level of the upper 

 part of the fall. Judging from the known height of the Falls 

 they frequently rose from 10 ft. to 30 ft. above the upper 

 level. They occurred at varying intervals ; but very few minutes 

 elapsed without seeing one of greater or less magnitude. It was 

 also observable that they had a characteristic form, somewhat 

 resembling a pine-tree, that is to say, small or pointed at the top, 

 and widening out downwards. They were not formed of a 

 compact mass of water, but had that appearance, which is seen 

 in large fountains, of being composed of lumps of water of 



570 



