The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-26
Under the Falls of Niagara.
A Thrilling Description OF the Great
Wonder OF Nature.


Of visit under the Niagara Falls. He
says -
We descended the stair; the handle
of pitchfork doing in my case the duty
OF mn alpenstock. At the bottom my
guide inquired whether we should go
first to the Cave Of tho Winds, OF to the
Horseshoe, remnrking that the latter
would try us most. decided to get the
toughest done first, and he turned to
the left over the stones. They were
sharp and trying. The base of the first
portion Of the cataract is covered with
huge powders, obviously the ruins of
the limestone ledge above. The water
does not distribute itself uniformly
among these, but seeks for itself chan
nels through which It pOurs torrential.
". We passed some Of these with wet
ted feet, but without difficulty. At
length we came to the side of more
formidable current. Ny guide walked
along its edge until he reached its least
turbulent portion. Halting, he said,
"This is our greatest difficulty il We
can cross here, we shall get far toward
the Horseshoe"
He waded in. 1t evidently required
all his strength to steadyhim, The wa.
ter rose above his loins, and it fONmed
still higher. He had to search for foot
ing, amid unseen powders, against
which the torrent rose violently. He
struggled and swayCd, but he struggled
successfully, and finally reached the
shallower water ut tho other side.
Stretching out his arm, he said to me,
"NOw come on.
entered the water. Even where it
was not more than knee.deep its power
was manifest. AS it rose around me, l
sought to split the torrent by present
ing side to it; but the insecurity OF the
footing enabled it to grasp the loins,
twist me fairly round, and bring its i'm
pctus to bear upon the back. Further
struggle was impossible and, feeling
my balance hopelessly gone, l turned,
flung myself toward the bank l had Just
quilted, and WINS instantly swept into
shallow water.
The oil cloth covering was n great in
cumbrance it had been made for n
much stoutcr man, and, standing up
right after my subnersiOn, my legs oc-
cupied the centGrs Of two bags Of water.
My guide e3horted me to try again.
Prudence was ut my elbow, whispering
discussion; but, taking everything into
account, it appeared more immoral to
retreat than to proceed. Instructed by
the first misadyenture, once more ell
tered the stream. Had tho alpenstock
been of iron it might have helped mo ;
but, MS it was, the tendency of the wa
ter to sweep It outof my liGndsrcndercd
it worse than useless. /, however, chung
to it by habit. Again the torrent rose,
and again I wayered but, by keeping
the left hip well against it, ] remained
upright, and ut length grasped the hand
OF my leader ut tho other side. He
laughed pleasantly. Tho first victory
was gained, and he enjoyed it, "No
traveller, he said, twas ever hero be-
FORE" Soon afterward, by trusting to n
piece of drift-wood which seemed firm,
| was again taken of my feet, but was
Immediately caught by n protruding
rock.
We clambered over the powders to-
ward the thickest spray, which soon be-
came so weighty rs to cause us to stag
ger under its shock. For the most part
nothing could be seen; we were in the
midst OF bewildering tumult, lashod by
the water, which sounded at times like
the cracking OF innumerable whips.
Underneath this was the deep, resonant
rom Of the cataract. tried to shield
my eyes with my hands, and look up
ward; but the defense was useless. My
guide continued to move on, but Mt n
certain place he halted, and desired me
to take shelter in his lee and observe
the cataract. The spray did not come
so much from the upper ledge as from
the rebound Of the shattered water
when it struck the bottom. Hence the
eyes could be protected from the blind
ing shock of the spray, while the line
OF vision to the upper lodges remained
to some extent clear. On looking up.
ward over the guides shoulder I could
sec the water bending over the ledge,
while tho Terrapin Tower doomed fit
fully through tho intermittent spray.
gusts. We were right under the tower.
A little further on, the cataract, after
its first plunge, hit a protuberance some
way down, and flew from it in n pro-
ligious burst Of spray; through this We
staggered. We rounded the promon-
tory on which the TOrrapin Tower
stands and pushed, amid the widest
commotion, along the arm OF the Horse
shoe, until the powders failed us, and
the cataract fell into the profound gorge
of the niagara River.
Here my guide sheltered me again,
and desired mo to look up; l did 30,
and could sec, MS before, the green
CLEAN Of the mighty curve sweeping
over the upper ledge, and the titful
plunge OF the water rs the spray be-
tween us and it alternately gathered
and disappeared. An eminent friend
Of mine often speaks to me OF the mis-
take of those physicians who regard
mans ailments rs purely chemical, to
be met by chemical remedies only. He
contends for tho psychological clement
Of cure. By agreeable emotions, he
says, nervous currents are liberated
which stimulate blood, brain, and Wis
cora. The influence from ladies' eyes
enables my friend to thrive on dishes
which would kill him II eaten alone. A
sanative effect Of the same order I ex-
perienced amid the spray and thunder
Of Niagara. Quickoned by the emo.
tons there aroused, tho blood sped OK.
ultingly through the arteries, abolish
ing introspeetion, clearing the heart OF
all bitterness, md enabling one to think
withitolerancc, il not with tenderness,
OIL the most relentless and unreasonable
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