Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-03-03

ParI5-The scene from the E'oina--Iee
Mountains below tho Falls, &c, &c.
From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
Those who visit the Falls now, gem
orally do so for the sake Of the scene
itself, while many are attracted thither
in "the season." because it is a popular
resort, fashionable watering place.
The intensely cold weather Of the pres
ent winter has wrought wonderful
things at Niagara, which, it is generally
conceded, has not been so magnificent
and beautiful for period longer than
the memory of the Oldest inhabitant
Prospect Park, if such it can be termed
with correctness now, has lost its pleas
ant, bowery appearance, and assumed
the garb of Arctic desOlation. The
trees have all been transformed into
curious fantastical emblems of the win
ter's might, and the Frost King
has twisted and warped some of them
into the most remarkable and utterly in
describable shapes that can be imagined.
The branches of many Of the smaller
trees and shrubs near the shore have
been seized and bouad down to the
earth by icy chains, and the frozen snow
and spray has covered them till they
the limbs have resisted the pressure
aud stand out from the trunk upright,
while the same material, which is per-
haps little softer than marble, has
thickly encrusted them. But in no III
stance have the trees escaped this en-
crtlstation, which has formed and
hardened very rapidly, being FINISHED
off, by the action OF the temperature
and the wind into myriads of distinct
shapes, some grotesque and
curious, others marvellously beau
tiful. The thickness which these
formations have attained is unparalleled.
The scene at Prospect Point, which
is at the extreme edge Of the American
I all, is q grand one The great river
in the gorge below is all frozen, and
the ice looks rough and uneven as
though it had been upheaved by some
terrible CONFUSION, then forced togeth-
er and solicited in the most unequal
manner The g ice bridge" so called,
is complete, and a crossing can be eff
fected with comparative ease. We would
recommend no one to try it, however,
without stout ''alpen-stock, and
above all, good pair of rubber over
shoes Ice mounds always form to
some extent below the Falls in winter
but this year they are perfect noun
tains. The largest of these towers is
alongside the precipice over
which the American Fall rolls,
and is entirely accessible, though woe
be to him who attempts to scale it's
slippery sides without his feet are at
tire as above recommended This
ster,-hummock, mound, noun
ain,-whatever it may be called, can
not be less than one hundred and fifty
feet Iii height from the river level, and
apparently has not done growing yet,
either Its circumference must be
equal to about twice it's height, and al
together it is stupendous affair. The
other mounds visible from Prospect
Point are not SO large, though monsters
IN their way, and are, we believe, inacces
sible to even the most daring explorers,
en- account OF the thick clouds of spray
which constantly drift over them. These
formations began on the rocks with the
first. g freeze-up" of the winter, and
they have gradually attained their pres
ent colossal proportions. They all bear
witness IL an unnistakable way to the
wonders which are wrought at this
point " the influence Of zero tempe
nature.
All along the American side of the
great ravine, beyond the fall, and ex-
tending below the Suspension Bridge,
the spray has drifted and frozen, and
the frost work is graceful and beautiful
In fact, this wonderful wall is adorned
with splendid ice frescoes and bas-
rehefs, carved and fashioned marvel
lousy by the invisible hand Of glori-
GUS ''Old Master, who uses the whole
world as q canvass for his pictures. The
spray does not reach to the Canadian
side Of the ravine, which consequently
remains mostly undecorated. On cross
ing to about the centre Of the ice bridge
fine view Of the Horse Shoe fall is
obtained. Here there are also num-
Der Of ice mounds, one of which, hard
by the Cave of the Winds, looms up al
most to the top of the precipice. In the
centre, however, the force OF the falling
water Is too strong to allow any large
formations, and therefore the scene,
though really grander perhaps, is not
SO picturesque, as in the vicinity Of the
American fall.
The various islands above the falls
are III full winter costume, and on all Of
them nature has found field in which
TO produce many rare and curious
specimens of her skill. The trees, like
those spoken of in Prospe~+ Park, are
all th1ckly encrusted; g zr shapes
of some are undistinguishable; the
branches of others have been woven
together; while the forms of others
have been rendered shapely, with bold
graceful lines and curves of beauty. In
fact the scene is one (which passes
show" On Luna Island, especially,
during the recent moonlight nights, the
spectacle has been one of surprising.
amazing splendor, the brilliancy of the
magnificent lunar bow adding much to
the general effect.
The photographers have been reaping