The Trinity journal., 1856-11-15
The Highest Waterfall in the World.

A correspondent of the Lowell Courier,
writing from Norway, gives an interesting
account of a visit to the renowned " Nor-
ingfos," remarkable among other things for
being situated high in the mountains, four
or five thousand feet above the level Of the
sea. While it is undoubtedly the highest
it is believed to be the most difficult OF ac-
cess of any important waterfallin the world
Starting from Eidfjord the party Travelled
ten miles on foot to a deeply sunk lake,
across which they rowed in boat to the
village of Spboe Here they took horses
and guides and started for the mountains,
and after two hours ride, during which
they crossed some perilous passages, they
reached the foot Of the so-called Steep"
This is mountain mass Of barren rock,
rising two thousand feet, apparently perpen-
dicular, which it would hardly be imagined
on orseback, however, by the party, up
gigzag course, turning in every point OF the
compass in the space Of single rod, and
ascending flights Of irregular artificial stairs.
The party suddenly emerged upon broad
moorland, interspersed with quagmires, bar
rem rock beds, and vegetation. IL extends
for several miles, and at the farther extrem-
ity is u dairy-maids village. The river
runs through a cayernous gorge in this plain,
but the only sign of its vicinity was the
eternal cloud Of spray which rises and scars
above the plain. Says the writer
"In five hours after leaving the lake be-
low, We stood upon the brink of the preci
pice into which the laundering cataract
makes its final plunge of nine hNndred feet
Standing about six hundred feet above The
top of the fall, we could look down to it
base fifteen hundred feet belOtc rs. Hero
again, we were spell bound in mute amaze
ment at the wonderful works of creation,
and here would gladly lay down my pen
for who can describe such a scene or his OWL
emotions when contemplating it Lam
suage fails, and the beholler is made con
scious of aspirations that reach beyond this
world and take hold on eternity-aspiratiOn'
to comprehend lnfHay. SO deep is th'
chasm beneath this projecting standpoint
that every object within 1.-THE rocks anC
shrubery on the borders of the now quie
stream-haS tinge of reflected sky blue.
II the estimates are correct-and the
were made by Professor Hansteen of Chris
tina University-the fall itself is about 81.
times higher than Niagara, and the SUNNI
from which it is seen nine times higher. Th
cross on Trinity tower, New York, is 38
feet above the sidewalk Pile four sue
towers one upon the other. and they woul
rise but thirty-two feet above this precpice
and six Bunker Hill monuments would no
reach the top into $50 feet Should tn
Washington monument be carried to thre
times its contemplated hight, Though ther
is no immediate danger Of it., and were
set into this rayine, one could step from thl
rock upon its capstone.'
So steep are the walls of the gorge, tina
one yard from the brink the water is NJ
where visible. The channel extends sewers
miles, and the vegetation of the plain
some places SO conceals its verge that ventu
ems sheep are sometimes precipitated in
its frightful depths. 1t is said to be We
authenticated fact that a broken heart'
girl once deliberately threw herself off in
the yawning gulf