The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-10-21

susceptible OF the grano ana glorious, you
were gazing with wonder and admiration
upon the huge volumes of vapor which roll |
! majestically upwards from the chasm Of this |
cataract, curling and wreathing in every
5eautiful'and fantastic form that poetical !
fancy can imagine, you should discover with J
a glass, half dozen German smokers puff
| fling the vapors of their tobacco pipes into
the ascending pillowy masses of mist For
this part of the exhibition, these are the !
most opposite comparisons | can give you. (
But the good people, the sovereigns of our
| country, and the subjects of the other, were !
marveously delighted.
The next "treat" was 10 be the descent
I of the schooner, at o'clock. Principally !
| at the hour, she was towed to the foot of
I Grand Island, and left to her own guidance |
! This was truly a beautiful spectacle. At |
first the Superior looked like a little dark |
spot upon the water, increasing in size as
it was borne down the current. The wa
tiers above the rapids, were as smooth as !
sea of glass and the sun shone upon them
! as upon the surface of polished mirror. |
How deceitful the calm And here I might (
moralize, if | had time. 1t was intended |
that the schooner should be swept down !
the main channel near the Canadian shore |
Her velocity became quicker as, she glided !
gracefully onward, running like a youth in
the smooth sea of pleasure, to swift and GER
tain destruction. By and by, her masts !
were discernable; and then the streaks |
upon her sides. And now she approached |
the rapids. 1t was moment OF breathess J
interest. Now she plunged into the break !
ers, and with loud crash, away went both (
masts in an instant Now she was lost in !
| the surf; and now again she rose proudly !
upon the surge, and though dismasted, !
plunged gallantly among the successive !
breakers, like the noble war-steed in battle !
She had entered the rapids at too great |
distance from the shore and wheeling |
round in an eddy, broadside to the current, |
she struck upon a fiat rock, about midway
between Goat Island and the shore, where |
she row lies, the hull entire, bidding def |
ance to the impetuous torrent which comes !
dashlng against and rushing by her. Thus !
ended the aquatic amusements of the day
/ for the Americans, who had promised to I
illuminate the falls, 10y a beacon, which was
to float down from Judge Porter's bridge,
talled OF the engagement, probably fearing
| that 1t would set the river on fire, and thus
/ give cause of war with his British Majesty i
though we ought clearly to have the right
of burning up our half of the river if we
havesa mind to do it. The preparations of
Mr., Sam Patch to jump, were, moreover,
incomplete, and the people on both sides
went home heavy and displeased. Indeed
they began TO think it was all hoax, the
! moment the schooner refused to travel any
farther down the falls. On the Canada
side, however, his Majesty's colored and
Killarney subjects added advertisements of
the evening, by sundry displays of puglism,
! which were enacted to the life Whether
the sovereigns, on our side, did any damage
to each others knowledge boxes, have
not heard.
Thus closed the memorable 9th of Octo-
Der, 1929, on the Niagara frontier-with
promise which nobody believed would be
performed, that Mr.. Samuel Patch, Gent,
should leap the cataract on the day follow
ing. at II O'Clock, precisely. Yesterday
morning came, and with it a succession of
heavy showers. But Sam was determined
to have his jump. His reputation was at a
stake. True, the people were gone: but
Sam was to jump for glory, not for filthy
lucre. 1t was arranged that he should
leap from ladder erected at the foot of the
precipice below Goat Island, midway be-
tween the British and American falls. A
/ boat was to be manned, to ride among the
whlrlpools, and pick him up, i. e. if he did
not go off subterraneously after the manner
of poor Morgan.
AT about IL o'clock, the ladder, one hun
dred and twenty-five feet in length, was
completed. and half erected, when down
/ it came by the parting of chain, with a
crash which broke off fifteen feet of its
length. This was a damper--to say moth
! ing of the rain. Mr.. Patch wept This is
! no joke. Mr.. Patch was visibly and very
( sensibly affected, insomuch that the big
tears did roll down his manly cheeks in
+ pearly drops. Indeed it must be conceded
that Mr. Patch carried himself well through
out. | have somewhere read of a senti-
mental tailor, whose perceptions of the
sublime were almost equal to those of
Capt Hall and who, after the first emo
tons on beholding these stupendous falls
were over, broke silence by the eloquent
and memorable exclamation" o what
fire place to sponge a coat !" In like man
ner did Mr.. Patch after a solemn pause
when he first beheld this tremendous cata-
ract exclaim in an ecstacy of delight
"What a darned fine place to Jump ~
But | am DEPRESSING. The friends of Sam
land he was the lion of the day-declar-
he should not be disappointed and if he
would jump he should. The hour was
changed from IL to 4 !; and the ladder was
mended and erected before the appointed
time. AT 4 O'Clock precisely he was there
and both shores were sprinkled with peo-
pie, while the trees and cliffs of Goat
Island bore respectable testimony to the
public curiosity. 1t now came on to rain
furiously, and Sam, who is more of a wag
than most people take him TO be. concluded
that it was not prudent to jump in the rain
lest he should get wet. But with the most
good humored patience the audience en-
dured the peltings of the pitiless storm for
an hour-until they were all as wet as