The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-09-07
The Fall of Table ROck..-By tn
Last Man who stood on 1T.

Last Man who stood on 1t.
George Wilkes writes this week from
Niagara to his Spirit:
Il said l had something to do with the
falling of Table Rock, that broad shell 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 of that, by me, well-re-
membered year. About noon on that day,
| accompanied lady from the Clifton
House to the Falls. Arriving at Table
Rock, we left our carriage, and as we ap.
preached the projecting platform I pointed
out to my companion vast crack or fs-
sure which traversed the entire base of the
rock, remarking that it had never appeared
to me before. The lady almost shuddered
as she looked at it, and, shrinking back, de-
clared that she did not care about going to
the edge. 'Ah,' said l, taking her hand,
you might as we'll come on, now that you
are here. l hardly think the rock will take
a notion to fall just because we are on it.
"The platform jutted from the mainland
some sixty feet, but, to give the visitors q
still more fearful projection over the raging
waters, wooden bridge, or staging, had
been thrust beyond the extreme edge for
some ten feet This terminated in a small
box for visitors to stand in, and was kept
in its position and enabled to bear its
weight by ponderous load of stones heaped
upon its inner end. The day was very
bright and hot, and it being almost lunch
time at the hotels, but few visitors were
out, SO we occupied the dizzy perch alone.
We gazed fearfully out upon the waters,
we stretched our heads timidly over the
frightful depth below, and we felt our na>
lures quelled in every fibre by the deafcn-
ing roar that seemed to saturate US, as it
were with an indefnable dread.
This is terrible place = said I. Look
under there and see on what mere shell
we stand. For years and years the teeth
of the torrent, in that jetting, angry
stream, have been gnawing out the hollow,
and some day this plane must fall My
companion shuddered, and drew herself to-
gether in alarm. Our eyes swept the roar
ing circle of the waters once again; we
gazed about IN fearful fascination, when sud-
denly turning our looks upon each other,
each recognized corresponding fear. i
DO not like this placer exclaimed I quick
ly. The whole base of this rock is proba-
bly disintegrated, and perhaps sits posted in
succession OF steps or notches ready to fall
out and topple down at any unusual pertur-
baton. That fssure there seems to me to
be unusually wide to-day! 1 think we had
better leave, for l do not fancy such a finish;
and, besides, my paper must be published
next week.
With these very wOrds-the latter uttered
half jocosely, though not without alarm-I
seized my companions hand, and in abso.
Lutte panic, we fled, as fast as our feet would
carry US, toward what might be called the
shoe. We burst into laugh when we re-
gained the land, and jumping into our car
riage, felt actually as if we had made for
tunate escape. We rolled toward the Clif-
ton, but before we bad proceeded two min.
utes on our way, o laundering report, like
the explosion OF an earthquake, burst upon
us, and, With long roar, the ground trem-
6led beneath our wheels. We turned to
tind that Table Rock had fallen. We were
the last upon it, and it was, doubtless, the
unusual perturbation caused by our flying
footsteps that disturbed the exactitude of
It's equilibrium and thrilled it from its final
polse. ln minute more the road was filled
with hurrylng people, and during the follow
ing bali hour we were told a hundred times
in advance Of the next morning journals,
that lady and gentleman who were on the
Table Rock had gone down the falls. We
are told that the trot of dog would shake
old London Bridge from end to end, when it
would not be disturbed by the rolling of
heavily loaded wains. Table Rock had not
been run upon in the way I have described
for years-perhaps never; and therefore
whenever 1 hear it spoken Of, 1 always shud.
der and feel as if l had had something to do
with its fall" .-.