, 1860-08-27
The Fall 0f Table T1osk-.Hy the Laae
Man who Stood on it.

Man who Stood on 1T.
George Wilkes wri:.s this ncek from Niagara
to his Spirit:
sid bad something to do with the falling
OF lao!e Rock, t1Ia: bruah shell on the C4ru Ia
side. Which In 1870 iu,ted over the very cautd.
;fon Of The seast'.ng raters, but which tum31ed
into 1t on cafsaln d y 10 she month Of June Of
noon on thai day, accompanied lady from
the Cl.f' on Htase to tho Fails. Arriving at
Table Rock, We le CUR curriaee. and a. va m
proucted tile nrojectnK Pl4tfaFm pointed out
to my compnnion 4ast craqk;er tisause which
trnvessed the entire base Of the rock, remark
ing that it locked l1e1 1h4a it had sver befora
appeared to NE befcre.- Tee lacy almost Ahud-
dered rs she looked ii it, md aar,t king back
decllred ale did not care about pong 10 the
edge. 'Ah," said I. taking her haad, ''you
>ru,ghta ~ Wstl como or, nov. that you arc here.
hardly think the roc < will take potion to fall
merely btcAusa we a1e On it-n !:
The platform j1tted from the mainland some
CO feel. but to glra tee Visitor still more fear
iul pFs jsc ion over the raging wasers, wooden
bridge, or staging. had been thzust beyond tho
extreme eege tur so1ae ten feet. Thi> teImiaa-
ted in . small box Tor visitors to stand in, and
was kept ia its position and enabled to bear
weight by prud=ruus loud of olea heaped
upon its lnperend.' The day YVES very bright
and hot, and 1t being almast lunch titao II tho
pied the dizzy peEca alone. We gaz ID feartully
out upon tas AWFUL waterJ, We stretched our
heads tinildly over the ftightful depth below,
aud We felt our natures quelled in eyery fibre
BY the deafehing roar that seemed to saturate
us, a. it were, WITH IN l1d-6pabie dread.
This is terrible place." said l. "Look
under there, and a.e on what mare shell VIC
stand: For ye.rs and 5cars the teeth OF the
to11eot, IN that je:ting, angry stream have been
guaW1ng out tnAt holfo", and some day this
plsne muss tall" Ny companion sbuddered,
and dEc* herself together in ala,m. Our eges
s"ept the roaring circle OF the waters once
axa'n; re Rszed shout in !:arfal fascination,
otter, each rscogniz-d corresponding fear.
do not like this pra:c" exc cis: med quickly,
"The Waoia Gsso OF this rock IS probably did.
1Etegrased, aud perhaps sits poised ia a success.
sioa OF steps or Dosches, 1dy to fall out and
topp!o down ut any unusual perturbation. That
hssuIe ih:Ee seems to ms to lie rnnre than
u:ua!il wide today l think ne had better
leare, for lto TO: fancy such q finish; acd b.
sioes, my paper must be published next week"
. With shess very uords-1re latter uttered
hall jocosely, though no: Without aiarm-l
se'zed m7 compan1on's hand, and, in absolute
panic, We Had a5 fass as our teet would carry
a",toTasd "hat might be cA!led The shore. We
burst i,sto !4ugh 1tcn We recair ed lhe land.
ano JamP;EE lain our carriage; ;-le!t actually as
IL w ban Eede fortunate escape. We 1oi|et,
back toward .ae Ctliton. bu: be'ore we had pro-
ceeded' i've n''cue'rn oue way, t. md r1oz
Iepa't, Ike the explosion Of an earthquake
oarsi npon III, and, with atang roar, the gr1uld
dad that Table Rock had fallen. We were the
last upon il, and it VAS, douutIqas, ,he unusual
pertui oatiou cauitd By our a}ia9 footsteps
that disturbed tse e1ac i'uds Of its equilibrium,
aud thrilled It trtin lsa tns prise. In minute
more the road was filled With hu1ry.ne people.
aud during The io:owlrg La htur, " were
tod hu.,drsd t1Ees III ad7a1c c. Vi the next
mrrniag jouraals, tha; u lady aud eent;emaa
;: = no were Oh :he .ao!e Il .ck, had gvnc down
the tass. We are 1ol1- 1hA: The tr3t OF dog
would sh=ke old London bridge from end 10
md, when it Woud d net bu disturbed by the
rolling OF heavily LOADED Wales. Table Rock
had probably rot been run upon in the way
1a'e desc'iaed tor yeArs-p+rhaps never; aud.
therefore, whenever | hear il spoken OF. | al.
Ways shudder acd teel as it had something to
10 with its fall.