Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-28
The Fan Of Table Rock.

George Wilkes writes from Niagara to his
Spirit ofthe Times:
said had something to do with the fall
ing of Table Rock, that broad shelf on the
Canada side, which in 1850 jutted over the
very cauldron Of the seething waters, but which
tumbled into it on certain day in the month
Of June, ofthat by me well remembered year.
About noon on that day accompanied a
lady from the Clifton House to the Falls
Arriving at Table Rock we Left our carriage,
and as we approached the projecting platform
pointed out 10 my companion q vast crack
or assure which traversed the entire base of
the rock, remarking that it looked wider than
it had ever before appeared to me. The Lady
almost shuddered as she looked at it, and de-
clared she did not care about going to the
! edge. "Ah,n said L taking her hand, ~You
might as well come on now that you are here.
Y I hardly think the rock viii take notion to
fall-merely because we are on it,
The platform iutted out from the main land
some sixty feet; but to give the visitor a
/ stiH more fearful projection over the raging
/ water, a wooden bridge or staging had been
thrust beyond the extreme edge some ten
feet. This terminated in a small box for Wis
itors to stand in and was kept in its position
and enabled to bear weight by q pondrous
load Of stones heaped upon its inner end
The day was very bright and hot, and it be-
ing near lunch time at the hotels, but few
4 visitors were out, so we occupied the dizzy
\ perch alone. We gazed feaTfnlly out upon
/ the awful waters, we stretched our heads
timidly over the frightful depth below, and
we felt our natures quelled in every fiber
by the deafening roar that seemed to salute
US, as it were, with an undehnabie dread.
'fThis is a terrible placeP said ], "Look
under there, and see on what e mere shell we
standt For years and years the teeth of the
torrent in that jetting angry stream have
been. gnawing out that hollow, and some day
this place must fanr' Ny companion shud-
dered, and drew herself back in alarm. Oul
eyes swept the roaring circle of the waters
once again; we gazed about in fearful fasci-
nation, when suddenly, turning our look
upon each other, each recognized a cores
ponding fear. ~ do not like this plaeeP
exclaimed I quickly. aFhe whole base o
this rock is probably disintegrated, arr per
haps sits poised in a succession Of steps o.
I7otches, ready to fall out and tOpple down a
any unusual perturbation. The fsure there
seems to be more than usually wide to-day
] I think we had better leave, for I do not hkl
such q fnis; and besides my paper must b
published next week"
| With these very words-the latter uttered
! half loosely though without alarm seizei
nv eompanio4s hand and in absolute pani'
we fed as fast as our feet could carry u
towards what might be called the shore
We burst into a laugh when we regained tn
land, and Jumping into onr carriage felt act
ually as If we had made q fortunate escape
We rolled back toward the Clifton, but betor
we had proceeded two minutes on our way
laundering report ike the explosion of al
earthquake, burst upon us, and, with ATOM
roar, the ground tremLied beneath our wheels
We turned to find that Table Rock had fall
en-. We were the last upon il, and it was
doubtless, the unusal perturbation caused b.
our flying footsteps, that disturbed the exac
titude Of its equilibrium, and thrilled It from It
final pOise.
In pinute more the road was filed wit
hurrying people, and during the following
half hour we were told hundred times j
advance Of the next morning Journals that
lady and gentleman who were on the Rock
had gone down the Pals. We are told tha
& trot Of a dog would shake old LondO
u Bridge from end to end, when It wonid no
be disturbed BY the rolling Of heavy wag
bns. Table Rock had probably not bee
run upon in the way described for years
perhaps never; and, therefore, whenever
hear it spoken Of always shudder and fe'
as if l had something to do with its fall.