Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-12-29
Niagara Pals, Cleveland, &c.


Mr.. EDITOR IL believe it has become gen.
orally fashionable for every i,inerant Yankee to
duly report his progress and adventures TO the
presiding genius Of his family newspaper; and
sinpe ii il n UNIVERSAL, allo~e, trui-n that zone
may as well be out Of the world rs out Of the
fashion" il follows of course that must not be
behind my travelling brethren in a matter Of 80
much importance; stipulating, of course, that
you are to exercise your editorial prerogatiye,
in accepting or rejecting my humble scribbfings
This matter arranged, | commence by inform
ing you that on the morning Of the 22d Oct
left my home in the valley OF the Connecticut,
bound On route for Ohio by way OF Springfield
and the Western Rail Road. Stopping one day
at Springfield, and two at Syracuse, n: Y, it
was not until six days had passed, that found
myself landed in the village at Niagara Falls /;
having come the distance from Syracuse TO
Lockport by canal packet, and from Lockport
to the falls by Rail Road, by the way the most
wreiched one | ever saw,--ihe numerous snake
heads and jumps on the track reminding one
constantly of the fact, that he is "ridng on
rail"
Five minutes had not elapsed from the time
when stepped Off the cars, before was stand
ing on the brink Of the American Fall, with a
feeling Of disappointment /. feeling which
thousands of wiser men than !, have experienced
when standing for the first time on the spot
where ! stood. The fact is, as | aitcrward
learned, the surprising grandeur of the Cataract
cannot be realized when viewed from the Amer
lean side, owing to the imperfect view to be OBJ
tanned there; and hence my disappointment
Descending the staircase Of two hundred and
ninety steps that leads to the level Of the river
below the Fall, found the ferry boat upon the
opposite side, and to pass the time while It was
returning, | walked towards the huge pile of
rocks where the waters Of the American Caiar.
act strike in their descent; but was soon glad
to retreat, stunned by the tremendous roar, and
drenched by the spray that saturated my dress
aud converted my hat into miniature cascade.
The boat having now returned, took my
seat in company with four other gentlemen, and
after an elaborate argument with the consequen.
tal darkie, who was to row US over, relative to
the proprety of waiting for more passengers, We
finally carried our point. and were soon safely
landed in the dominons OF the ROYAL Victoria.
During the passage over, found my dsap.
pointment sensbly vanishing, aud giving place
to the only emotion of which the soul is suscep-
tbe when the mighty cataract is seen from this
point Of awe and uncomfortable terror
But il was not until had climbed up the steep
pathway that leads to the top of the overhang-
ing cliff, and found my way to the far famed
Table Rock" at the very brink of the Great
Fall-it was only when had gained this point,
that Niagara in all its maichless sublimity was
before me. The tremendous rush of the waters
over semi-cireular cliff three quarters of a mile
in extent and one hundred and sixty feet high
the appalling roar, the dense cloud of spray ris
ing toward Heaven in thousand fancifnl shapes.
and collecting on the rocks, descending again in
beautiful little cascades-and last, not least, the
splendid rainbow that the sun, just then breaking
through the clouds in which II had been shroud-
ed all the morning, hung over the whole-al
combined to produce an impression which can
nerer forget. Looking upward to the rapids, the
pillows are seen rolling, dashing and erowdng
each other onward as il impatient to join the
deep green waters below; while far down the
stream, the perpendicular limestone cliffs on