Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-09-13
The Gazette 4 Gn1ltet
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE

fanciful and fuctuating, yet physic-
allv fixed, as they have ever been
while centuries like shadows have
flown over them. The river re-
Stunning it's course is again divided,
and takes a second tumble of sixty
feet still further, but this time by
only three different streams. Three
falls are the result; one on each side,
unbroken and falling in solid sheets;
the central one being formed by
seven fan-shape steppes OF rock.
From the one of these benches to
the other underneath, the water falls
in a smooth, transparent sheet, form
ing cascade unsurpassed in the
world, and contrasting strangely, ~
its dark transparent color, with the
rustling, roaring, foaming streams
surrounding it both above and at the
sides. The river becomes once more
smooth and dark in color. Its banks
suddenly jut out from both Sides
narrowing the channel to four hun
dred feet; and through this gap the
confined mass Of water precipitates
itself in one whole volume, without
break or hindrance, into an ominous
ABYSS almost three feet in depth.
No pen can describe this scene. This
is in reality the "Great FALL" and is
well worthy of its name, leaping as
it does from the loom of nature like
colossal sheet of silver.
Forming slight horseshoe, it's
central waters appear blue until they
meet the spray that rises heaven
ward from the foot of the foaming
cataract. The sides are trayed into
foam. and remind one of the pictured
avalanches in the Alps. Right on
the edge of the fall stands lone
pillar of gray stone, on whose sum-
init, undisturbed by the whiz of wa
ters or the fear of fate fast yawning
on their eyrie, pair of bald-headed
eagles have built their nest, and are
now rearing their young, secure in
sight of the sublimity and solitude
surrounding. The cataract's sound
but slightly heard above-as alb
solutely deafening as you reach the
rivers base, the roar Of the falls con-
fined, as it is, by the canyon, rushing
down the chasm and increasing in
volume as it rolls, so as to be heard
fully thirty miles southwest. Close
to the cataract is square-shaped
cave of fifteen feet each side and
twenty high, whose walls are sup
ported by basalti columns the regu-
larity of whose formation is unsur-
passed by anything in the Isle OF
Staffa or the Giants Causeway
Sliding out of this cave and falling
about feet on to grassy slope that
leads to the waters edge, within two
hundred feet Of the foot Of the falls
you are right in the middle Of
the mist, and wet through in an in.
slant. It is here that, by looking
up, the enormous altitude of the fall
can be realized, and the first feeling
is one of self-preservation, an invol
unfairly drawing back, for the whole
mass seems ready to drop and crust
you where you stand. Never car
the weird beauty Of this scene b'
forgotten by beholders. Rainbows
of a thousand hues seem to surrounc
YOU, and their irises to arch you il
the skies.
The white foaming waters form
brilliant background to the magic
prisms pictured by the spray. Th'
dark frowning rocks, relieved by thu
bright green jumpers, make a fitting
frame for this magnificent sight, sec
ond to none in point of volume IS i
is second to none in savage grand
eur. As measured by officers Of tn
LIST Oregon infantry, encamped ad
joining, the main fall is 2lo feet from
the edge to the level Of the wate
below. The upper falls have no
yet been measured, but the total fal
Of the river, on the three distinc
tumbies it takes, cannot be less tina
three hundred feet, while the rive
itself is over four hundred feet at it
narrowest with. The channel Of tn
stream below the falls is chasr
1900 feet in width and 1000 i
depth, with perpendicular walls
rock inclosing it.