Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-08-29
New Western Correspondence.
Correspondence of the Lewisburg Chronicle
NIAGARA FALLS, July IS, 1856.

thurderlng in my ears its avalanche Of
falling waters jarring the table and rattling
the easements, as if shaking with ague or
seized with an uncomfortable panic-its
thunders one moment louder than cold
oceans roar," then unruflled and subdued,
with the changing wind, as if nature. at
least, could sometimes tame and temper
her own stupendous marvel.
frhaps you expect full and graphic
description Of this worlds wonder, but it
Is too late In the day for that and if YOU did
! you would be disappo.uted-for no pen or
pencil, that fnow of, can picture the
scene to the minds eye with a..g approx
mate degree of life-like vividnes Tho
great original refuses to be caught e,n bv
the daguerrotypc, except with dimmed .,d
tarnished glory. Like other tourists, | ca.
only give nay own most obvious impress
sions. To do this properly, perhaps l had
better go back and ''bring up the record"
On closing my last at Cleveland, we
repaired to the "Crescent City, ''one of the
two night boats to Buhilo connecting the
Southern and Western trains, with the
Eastern routes, at the later point thus
affording dusty, jaled trvelers nights
rest, yet landing them nerly 200 miles
further on their way. Shggling parties
kept constantly arriving, ntil, about Q
o'clock, the arrival of the tncinnati and
Chicago trains poured rus.ng multitude
on board, old and young, bi and little.
with tons of baggage, uni the huge
Steamer, capable of carryingwelve hun
dred passengers in pinch, s literally I
swarming like human hive.
At last the gang plank WAS anded in, I
the lines cast off, and the Stea,r backed S
out of the slip with deliberate rugclipp
motion, aud swinging slowly ared east.
ward, pushed out two or three rs from Il
shore--an average distance mtaiued
throughout the trip-then with head e
of steam proceeded swiftly and adilv t'
upon its dusky voyage; the new,oop CT
giving parting glance, then hidi her P
dim radiance behind the western htop u
Supper was the first thing in order id p
several miles from Cleveland, show,f c'
rockets were sent up from Station, y
shore, and an answering shower sent 1t
from the boat. ST
Seated out by the guard with my wifes'
we watched the curious influx of passenl
gers, and as the boat was loosed from its
moorings, and the shore receded, we tho't
of little ones at home, of the many disasters
by "fre and food" on this fated lake, and
the doubt pouH arise in our minds, whe-
ther, like many others apparently as safe,
We were speeding to our chartered destina-
ton, or hurrying, with fiery funeral rites,
to watery grave. The distant shore was
dimly visible, the blazing light houses at
Cleveland dwindled to twinkling stars,
then disappeared and as the hours wore
on, single propeller, with red and white
lights, hurried past along our backward
track, tapping its stern screw like some
monster in torture, seeking escape from
its own agony; an occasional sail would
fit, with spectral silence, across the line
of vision; and at length the pert prattle
of the piano in the ladies' cabin was hush
ed, the hum of voices died away, berths
and state rooms received their occupants,
and the pilot was left alone with his pre-
cious charge, in the solitude and silence of
the night and the peaceful sea.
Every precaution seems to be taken
against fire, and no lights are permitted in
the state rooms for fear of accident. Safe
ty evidently consists in these precautions,
and not in the means of escape, ample as
the latter seem to be. counted eight
small boats on board, and two large laun-
ches; but between pine and paint, the
heat of the weather, and the oven heat
from the furnaces, in case Of f.e at night,
one half the Steamer would be in blaze
before the other half would know it, and
the boats not burnt would be swamped in
loweripg,or sunk by frantic multitudes leap
ing into them from the scorching flames.
So that the idea of saving the half of such
a crowd under such circumstances, would
be simply absurd and impossible. l noticed
several stacks of short pine plank with rope
handles to hold by, and these thrown into
the water, would be worth more than all
the boats.
Sunrise found US nearly opposite Dun
kirk, five miles out, the back ground rising
and billy, unlike other parts of the lake
shore, in this respect A few sail, snow
white in the morning sun when west Of
US, and dark as shadows while east of us ;
here and there a white light house,
or spire or building, along shore; fresh
ening breeze and ruffled surface; and a
silence, unbroken by any sound but the
motion Of the Steamer, altogether impaired |