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Show Geologists Fear End of Falls of Niagara Geologists say that the recent fall of rock at Niagara falls was only an Incident in nature's program for the complete destruction of the falls, unless un-less something is done to preserve them. About S0.0O0 tons of rock fell on January 37, 1931, and such falls have been observed by geologists since 1S42. The water from Lake Erie that tumbles over Niagara Is singularly free from grit and gravel, so there is nothing to wear away flu-bed flu-bed of the stream. When the force with which the water fnlls undermines under-mines the softer rock under the hard dolomite the substructure gives way and the rock under the water crashes. Erosion has been wearing the falls back at an average. of a little more than three feet a year. If that rate continues the 10 miles of falls and rapids between the present lip of the cataract nnd the lake will wear away by the year 23053 nnd there will be nothing but a swiftly moving river. Engineers suggest a system or submerged dellecting weirs by wbicli there would be an increase in the thin volume of water on the American Ameri-can side and a greater fall that would cover some of the exposed surface on the Canadian side. |