Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-01
A Rival to niagara Fails.

snake h a riyer-the south fork OF the
Columbia-haying the alternate name OF
Lewis river The valley OF the Snake
lies along an almost direct line
from the South Pass Of the Rocky
Mountains, aud In the early days u fur
pished the most practical route overland
40 the Pacific. In its descent over the
elevated plains Of Idaho, about four hun
dred miles from where Il takes us rise
in the Rocky Mountains, the Snake river
forms the great Shoshone Falls. Inc
river here runs through narrow rocky
gorge, which widens and terminates
abruptly in precipitate cliffs, the summit
of which is about one hundred feet above
the level of the rapids, and so steep that
the traveller can only descend ut one
point-an old Indian trail, its numerous
wiudinps making it about q mile IN
length. Following this trail slowly and
carefully. the tourist will in due time
find himself standing upon the bank OF
the river. on level with the rapids, and
overlooking the falls. The width Of the
river nj this point has been variously
estimated-we thought it at least two
hundred yards.
The rapids here form a series OF cas-
cades. ranging from thirty to sixty feet
each in hight, and just below them the
river, in an unbroken mass, leaps Two
hundred and ten feet into the bottomlsss
pit below. The course OF the river At
This point is almost due east and west;
the contour Of the falls is that OF an
irregular horseshoe, and their width,
following the course Of the water, is at
least four hundred yards. Although the
river is not quite as wide at this point as
the Niagara river, the falls are higher
and quite as besuti!ul The most COM
nlete view of the falls, including the
river above and below the rapids, cliffs,
and surrounding scenery, is Obtained
from Lockout Point. Lookout Point IS
narrow cape Of rocks projecting from
the main bluff about three hundred yards
lower down on the river than the faii, so
narrow that two persons cannot Walk
abreast. Standing upon this point, we
Will endeayor TO name the prominent
nlaces of interest. The first object
which attracts our attention Is Eagle
Rock, a perpendicular pillar OF rock,
about one hundred feet IN hight, rising
from the,main cataract. On the topmost
peak of this rock an eagle has built his
eyre. .e
the cataracts, is Ballard Island, small
rocky island, covered with cedar and
;nniner trees. Several smaller islands,
70 the right and left of the large one or
Ballard Island, add to the beauty and
n;o,uresoueness OF the scene. The Two
ssntinels-tws huge rocky pillars--are
one on the north, the other on the south
side. overlooking the falls, and remind
ing one of grim sentinels guarding their
object. Lower down the river, and
from a higher standpoint, one can OBJ
serve fine panoramic view OF tne
whoIe-the falls, the foamiug rapids,
Eagle Rock, the Two Sentinels,. the
huge pillars of perpetual spray rising
from the bottom aud near the center oil
the cataract, and extending as u rises
10 either side, and made beautiful by
the many-colored rainbows which shed
a halo Of glory upon the whole scene.
Still lower down the river is Prospect
Gulch. Several gentlemen Of the party, |
aetuated by the spirit of adventure, de-
termiped to attempt, through the gulch,
10 reach the river below the falls. They
lowered themselves fifty feet on the rope
down the perpendicular sides OF rocky
cliff. Reaching firm ground, they man
aged, with but little difficulty, to scramble
down about FIVE hundred feet to the
banks Of the river.
Arriving there they found their trou-
blss had just begun; they were six hun
dred yards from the falls, to reach which
their path lay around and over some huge
powders Of slippery rock, winding along
the foot of the steep banks, and then
through the foaming and bubbling water,
the heavy swells of which reminded them
strikingly Of the breakers from the sea-
shore. Finally they reached point
about thirty feet from the falls. Their
tourney here came to an abrupt termiDa-
ton by the shelving of the rocks
into deep water. The wind struck
this point with such violence that
they feared TO trust themselves in
an erect posture On their knees,
they held with their hands to the
overhauging brush to prevent being
blown into the river. We think that one
cannot comprehend the immensely OF the
sheet of water, and the sublimity OF the
scene, until he can gaze upward as we
did. This point is the Cave OF the
Winds. The Shoshone Falls, as whole,
will compare favorably with Niagara.
Those of our party who had seen both
places pronounce the former superior in
many respects. In beauty and wildness
of scenery, the Shoshone cannot be sur
passed. Niagara excels in magnitude
nnlv.