The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-25
of the Baltimore American.
NIAGARA IN WINTER.
Goat Island and the Frozen Spray

PROSPECT PARK-THE FALLS IN WINTEl
ATTIRE-THE ICE BRIDGE-A BEREAvE1
WIDOW, ETC.
NIAGARA FALLS, January 6, 1877.
Having long had desire to view the Fall
of Niagara in the winter season, the write
joined party of friends similarly inclined
and started off whilst the cold term was a
its height, taking passage over the Northern
Central Railway. which conveyed us safely
to our destination in nineteen hours runnin.
time from Baltimore. Being in no special hur
ry, however we stopped over at Willamsport
and also at Rochester, taking the trip b.
easy journeys, and reaching Niagara on thu
afternoon OF the third day. We thus had :
good opportunity Of viewing Rochester, ;
bright and beautiful city Of some eighty
thousand inhabitants, and of going over TIN
entire route by daylight. The whole
country, after reaching the borders of New
York State, was covered with snow to the
depth of nearly three feet, nothing being
visible in the fields but the tops of the posts
of the rail fences. The view was rather mo-
notonous, but there were no clouds of dust
to blind the eyes which makes summer trav.
ell SO unpleasant at times.
NIAGARA IN WINTER.
The Falls OF Niagara during the winter
season is an interesting attraction, but visit
| ors are few, though there are dozen or more
arriving daily who are well taken care of at
the Spencer and Niagara House, which are
open Throughout the year. The larger houses
are closed at this season OF the year, and
all that section looks like deserted watering
place, with closed stores and streets banked
up with snow. There are about six sleighs
lodging after each visitor, each undertaking
the other in the effort to secure customer,
and cheap rides are in strong contrast with
summer prices. Niagara village is a dull place
in winter, and the people who prey upon
strangers in summer are said to prey upon
each other during the balance of the year.
SCENES ON GOAT ISLAND.
The portions of Goat Island that face the
Falls, including Luna Island and the Three
Sisters, with all their trees and bushes, were
literally encased in ice, collected upon them
by the spray from the cataract. The mist,
which rises much more dense in winter than
in summer, would soon similarly encase the
visitor if he tarried long in the locality. The
beauty of the scene is grand beyond descrip-
ton, and is well represented in the fine
photographs which Blerstadt spends the win
ter in multiplying, and for which there is
great demand by the summer visitors. The
trees are thus encased to their very submits,
sparkle in the sun in crystal grandeur, whilst
the dense underground is fringed with silver
spray. The bridges connecting the Sister Is
lands look like ice structures filigreed and
Ornamented i'll the most artistic manner With
a daily increasing weight of frozen spray
The seething rapids which flow around Goat
Island carry over the Falls great deal of
floating ice, but their general aspect is pref
ty much the same as in summer.
Goat Island is one of the wonders of Nj
agara in the summer season, being both
charming and picturesque, with its noble
growth of forest trees, its sylvan dells, It's
fertile, sunny openings and its delightful
shades. On either side of it are the marvellous
Falls, separated by the island itself, and the
roaring OF the cataract, with its fall Of one
hundred and fifty feet, makes the scene at all
seasons one Of startling interest. Here Lake
Erie disposes of its superabundant water,
feeding Lake Ontario with a sufliciency to
float hourly line-of-battle ships to the sea.
Surrounded by the mighty river rushing on
ward to its stupendous plunge, with its small
cascapes, boiling whirlpools and rushing
channels, the island seems to gain additional
beauty in it's winter attire, and new wonders
develop themselves at every visit.
PROSPECT PARK, ETC.
Next to Goat Island, in its attractions asa
point to view the Falls, is Prospect Park,
which has been vastly improved of late years.
1t is the point overlooking the American
Falls, and being densely covered with forest
trees, presents grand sight in winter
Every tree and bush is coated with the fro
zen spray which rises here from the cataract,
some of which are so heavily laden that they
might he expected to break down with the
superintendent weight of accumulated ice.
These trees have, however, been accustomed
In all the years OF their existence to their an
nual icy embrace, and are thoroughly natu-
rallied to the burthen they are required to
bear.
THE FROZEN SPRAY,
The Falls of Niagara summer or winter
are too stupendous to be described by mortal
the surroundings in winter must come and
see for themselves the vagaries of the frozen
spray. Even Daniel Webster gave up his
attempt to describe the scene with the excla-
-"Before lis is hurry burly of waters
too deep to be fathomed, too irregular to be
described, shrouded in too much mist to be
Gle arly seen; water, vapor, foam and at
mosphere are all mixed up together in sub
lime confusion. By our side, down comes this
world of green and white waters and pours
into the invisible abyss. A steady, imaginary,
low-toned moan thnnders incessantly in oul
ears. AS we look up we think some sudden dis
aster has opened the seas, and that all then
floods are coming down upon us at once; but
1 we soon recollect that what we see is not a
sudden or violent exhibition, but the perma-
nent and uniform character CT the object
which we contemplate. There the grand
spectacle has stood for centuries-from the
creation as far as we know, without change
From the beginning it has shaken, as it now
| does, the earth and the air; and its unvary.
ing thunder existed before there were ears
| to hear it. Reflections like these on the du.
ration and permaneney of this grand Object
naturally arise and contribute much to the
deep feeling which the whole scene produces
We cannot help being struck with sense Of
the insignifcance of man and all his works
compared with what is before u.s.
THE ICE BRIDGE.
Some idea of the accumulation of the
frozen spray from the cataract may DC
Judged from the fact that during some sea
sons it gradually accumulates from eacf
shore, just below the Falls, until it forms
bridge, upon which the river can be crossed
There will probably be no bridge this year
unless the cold weather should be greatly
prolonged, though the formation had com
menced on the American side and made con