The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-04-11 00:00:00

A SCENE AT
NIAGARA.

rorent severe weather le America made Its Influence
even at the fall, of Niagara. A correspondent of the
London Guardian says :

For about 120 ft. from Goat Island the fret-king
had fettered the great Horse-shoe fall, and huge pillio
of ice stood like the front of a Titanic organ the full
height of the cataract. In the shallows near the base
of the ieland was reared a colossal table of ice, the
summit of which sluniat rivalled in altitude the top of
the chi!. These were the only acts of homage paid by
this great cataract to the presiding spirit of the scene,
as the remainder of the vast curve of some 1,8001 t.
poured down its resistless floods with monotonoue
roar as it has done for centuries, bridged only by a
gorgeous rainbow. A new suspension bridge is in
cess of erection below the Clifton House, and when
complete,' the view from it will be very grand. Down
the river as far as the eye could reach an ice bridge
had formed, great tnaeseis of ice gradually accumulat-
ing iu the best of the stream to a depth of probably
50 feet We could see groups if people like flies wend-
ing their wee over a path that bad been made where
the ferry-boats pass in ulumer. A young lady of our
party expressed a desire to cross to the American
ride on this natural bridge, and I accompanied
her. The road to the river is very steep, and runs
down under the cliffs, from which were suspended
several icicles 60 or 60 feet in length. They were
beautiful objects, but I could not help speculating as
to where they would fall should the sun happen to
'amen their grasp. Presently two or three did fall
with a startling crash a short distance from us, but
only a few small fragments rolled out on the roadway.
The heavy missies of ice fell among the debria chew to
the cliff,alit-re they could do no harm. Looking
from above, the ice-bridge appeared tolerably smooth;
but. to reaching its surface, we discovered that it re.
sembled • aea that had been suddenly frozen while a
great gale was raging. The heat of the sun WWI op-
prelusive, and the climbing over roug4 rocks and avoid-
ing crevasses rather tiresome. My fair companion,
however, was maimed to see all that could I). seen, no
we pressed onward, declining the hospitable invitation
of an enterprising Yankee to " take a drink," who
had established a whiskey booth in the very centr, of
the river. On reaching the base of the cone to
which I have alluded, we found that rude
steps had been cut on its side, and the heat of the
sun having softened the surface, we had little
difficulty in climbing to the top. We could look
behind the scenes from this point and see the
dark abysm into which the water was ttunbling ; but
suddenly we were compelled to make a precipitate
retreat as a dense cloud of spray of a most penetrating
character enveloped us. Near us a group of adven-
turous Americans had succeeded in climbing to the
summit of a sheet of ice which lay like the side of a
roof against the bank, and where they could look be-
hind the falling water. Half choked with the dashing
spray, they endeavoured to return the way they got
there, but they could not accomplish their wish.
Thoroughly alarmed, they then determined to elide
down, a feat they performed with more rapidity than
grace. The snow at the buttons was moft, so that their
clothes only received much damage. Looking at the
fall from below, we observed several new beauties
which we had not seen from the opposite bank. The
most singular of these was an arch of ice bristling with
icicles, with a span if about forty feet, under which a
tremendous torrent was rushing. How this was formed
was a mystery we could not solve. On returning to
the foot of the cliff we were very glad to avail our-
selves of a sleigh we found there waiting for passengers,
to carry us back to the upper world again.