The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-01-11
Our O9lio.
NIAGARA IN WINTER.

A Courier reporter was sent to the falls
on the 3D. instant and learned that the ice
bridge became an assured fact on Saturday
last 1t is really child of the great snow
storm of last week, which accounts for its
uucomlnonly early formation. For some
days large amount of snow-coyered ice
from Lake Erie has been passing over the
falls, aud about the beginning of the pres
ent week old inhabitants began to look ex-
pectantly for an ce.bridge, though it was
at leas, a month earlier than the usu-
al appearance Of this phenomenon. At
O'Clock Sunday morning the accumulat-
cd mass Of ice came to s.and-still be.
meath the new suspension bridge and the
watchers began to hope that there would
be bridge with smooth surface thing
unprecedented so far as history or ira.
dition bear record. But the hope was
soon dispelled, for the huge dam of ice
sufNenly tegan to heave, grind and break
up into fragments with loud noise which
is described as being exceedingly trying
to the nerves. At 10 o'clock there was
second stand-still, and it seemed certain
that the bridge had been formed, but at 2 in
the afternoon there was a third and more
severe disturbance as the prisoned waters
exerted their giant strength in an effort to
be free. The battle was a grand one
Vast quantities of Ice and snow were
caught in the waters arms and tossed hith
er and thither like playthings. Great
hummocks weighing hundreds Of tons were
pushed into the air and remained there as
monuments Of fearful battle. Large boul-
ders were torn from the shore and swept
into the stream, and the solitary fir which
was wont to mark the landing place
of the ferry became victim to the war.
ring elements, though ordinarily it stands
three feet above high water The slow
awful strength of the infuriated waters
was SO apparent that it seemed as if they
must rend the great gorge in twain and
escape from their thr9ldom by some new
road; but there w's only one gateway for
them, and as thoy could not break the mile.
wide dam in two, they lifted it up bodily
and swept away beneath. The bridge is
nearly mile in length, extending from
a line drawn perpendieulary to Point Look
out in the American Park half way to the
railroad bridge, and filling the gorge from
shore to shore.
The first view of the falls brings the
heart up into the mouth with shock that
is almost painful in its suddenness and
force. The story of Sampson and Delilah
comes into mind as one sees how the ice
has shorn the water Of their strength As
the spectator stands upon this point, the
wind blows the spray into his face aud
soon covers him all over with ice Jewels
but what cares be for the spray in the en-
thusiasm of the glorious viewl In the
park the ice has been as destructive as it
is beautiful, and though it has robcd the
trees and building in snowy beauty, it has
torn down huge limbs by its overpowering
weight. Looking over to the Canadian
shore the observer can see huge icicles of
many tons weight hanging like the
ropy locks on the foreheads Of giants il
the story ybooks But these sights ar,
nothing compared to the broad sheet Of
wrinkled snow-ice which lies at his feet
There it is-the conqueror of Niagara
sparkling in the sunlight as calmly ant
peacefully as patch of snow There i,
something majestic, sublime, in its quiei
Indifference to the influences of the water
power. All traces of the battles Of Sun.
day have departed, save in the rough sur
face which from the height of the point:
is not noticeable to any great degree. Al
its upper end the swift current may be
seen sweeping 6crcely against it, then
creeping beneath with a defeated air and
coming up again at the lower end quite
meekly. Our reporter stood and watched
this wonderous spectacle until his eyes
were well nigh blinded by the glare and hi.
notebook leaves were quite stiff with froz
en- spray, and then descended in the in.
clined plane to get nearer acquaintance
of the Frost Kings handiwork. Verify
King Jack has turned his time to good
account on this occasion and proved that
he is as good an artist on grand scale as
on a minute one. Beside the rotunda
which stands at the base of the American
iaii a mountain OF snowy spray ice towers
up eish ieet hlgh, and Is each day climb
ing higher aud higher toward the summit
The dome of the rotunda bears an ice.
crown oil exceeding beauty and along the
rooi OF 'he Gressing'shed are curious ice
formations whicn nothing less that the pho
IoSraPnic camera can adequately picture
ulant lcieies hang from the cliffs and
every once IN while huge fragment
comes tumoilng down. The ice is per
ieetiy white and seemingly quite porous,
out excessively hard-irozen, As 1t warns
IN the mouth lt assumes gum-like con
siisteney which tempts one to chew it,
though he hnds It little too brittle for
that purpose. Its appearance is exactly
That oil spun glass, and could it be made
indestructible and retain its present con
slstency 1t would make very superior bill.
hard balls. It's said that the spray which
formed tins ice was perfectly pure, aud
ana that II ton OF 1t were melted it would
produce no appreciable quantity Of sedi-
ment. The ice mountain is still in its
comparative infancy, but if the wind and
the mercury are favorable it will soon be
IN condition to form coasting hill fol