Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-10-02


no one v&s able 20 successfully pierce
thr0ugt the flerce and terTible under cur
rcus nt Niaczra 20 the bottom until re
cenfls ne government itself thought it ne
cessz-y in sehslf ot science TO undertake the
task AT the great schemes imagined 10
b. srrlctl Y scien inc were PIT i'm operation
ly tunC1erS u otltain the depth Of water
heneafh tine falls. Bars Of railroad iron,
pGils CT stones and all unreasonable bulky
and swkward instruments were attached to
long lines and cast of from the railway
Rrldre and clsCwhere, hui positively refused
lO sink- The very bulk of the instruments
WRs sufficient no matter what their weight,
20 Cire the powerful undcr-Current way
10 buoy them Up upOn the surface or near
e. The United States Corps Of Engineers,
hgweveT. with 3 small lead Of oniy twelve
pounds weight sTtsched 10 slender rope,
Cr sounding cord. EASILY obtained the depths
fram the falls - the lower bridge. As your
correspondent assisted in the hydrographi-
cal operations the facts may be given as
they present themselves. One day we
launched I'm a small boat not far below the
fails and entered ON N most exciting and
ne-TluuS exploration Of the canon. The old
guide. long IN charge of the miniature ferry
sifusied here, accompanied the party. With
crg@1 difficulty we approached within a
Sh0-S distance of the AmencSn falls, which
oNIted groaI jets Of water on US and far out
into the stream. The roar WAS ~ terrible
that no voice or human sound, however
neST We were Ia one another. could be
heard Tie leadSman cast the line which
VSSsc6 rapidly down and told us - feet
Tins WAS quite near the shores. Passing
out 0f the friendly eddy which had assisted
Us up 50 near h falls We ShI rapidly down
the Stneam- The next cast of the lead told
OF Too feet, deepening 10 1872 Get at the
inOlInea railway. The average depth TO
the Swift Drift. where the river suddenly
hecomes nSrrow with a vcloJity too great
20 l1e measured. WAS l5S feet Just under
the lower bridge thc whirlpool rapids set in
and 50 violently are the waters moved that
they rise like ocean waves 10 the height of
twenty feet. Al this polnj your corrrspon-
dent. a. the time Of The survey computed
The depth al 2l0 fe,t which Is accepted as
sproNims1ely caTrecG
The tonors q the gorge Glow this point
Nre known 10 bur lew. Indeed the foot of
man scarcely ever trcaiS this internal rc-
giOR where almost perpendicular walls rise
0n each side Of tie verge of the river from
S7U 10 $50 fegt in height Here the con
rinual c-1lmhinC Of the rocks have formed
7,r-ciTai1ogl> eaJhWay in places on the rivers
sdEe- olSeAbere one must cling to crevices
IN The rock, 10 JuJIing craCS or otherwise 10
Cel al0aC. A party OF four of Us made
SlIrvev 0f the interior Of this canon from
IsrVlsloNn - Suspension Bridge. with great
Cii6cnlgv we clamheued along. Ii was a
L. rfIll yei exciting exploration. Al times
me river weald rise suddenly some ten and
even fifteen feet as IL a great dam above
had hroken- causing haSfy retreat of the
psrFv G1p the sides Of the canon. From
nairlS above. rocks and stones frequently
fell, cansInE lively apprehensions and TO
auG o. the catalogue 0f cmbarEaSSmeniS. an
o-casiOaal raf1lesnake attempted TO retard
cur progress and one Of them was Killed
and his ratfleS preserved i'm canlmen. ora
fi0n II the event &sesting into the canon
a. l8ew1stewn was cOuI q -atively easy. but
i as1inC ones WAY out is another thing. |
NesIrly 4 mile below DeveanX collegJ, /
Wkich is situated half 4 mile north Of Sn>- |
pension Bridge. the possibility Of making /
our way along the riv,rs edge ceaSe6. !
NIGHT was JUS approaching and il was a |
aav's hard work nezrly, 10 make Lewis /
town Ab0se. the rocks lowered neatly |
3t0 feei- We had tie alternative Of re |
manning In TINS abode of terrors over night |
ard returning ~ LeNist0wn the following |
czy. 0r Ct fighting AZ almost impossible |
passage TO the s1eps beading down from the |
college VI determined 10 accept the lat |
aEr- AfseT an hours Climb we made our |
WAY tO within Too fees Of the top where |
II
tSiel,-is seemed 20 extend We followed this |
perhaps half mile when IL came 10 an ab- |
1sTi sermin4-ion- Several rods bevOnd !
Was a broad pafhway leading UP to the col |
leEt, bur in the interval only the bare walls |
ot rcck., almOss PerPendicu ar frCm the top
10 the rushing waaer, go feet below, met |
tine desEaaIrTng gaze OF our party. Just |
above CUR head was n crevice i'm the rocks
wlIich seeme6t0 cross the intervening space. |
With almost certain doom staring us di- |
rcc-,y IN -he face we determined To try to |
cos by standing tiptoe in the erevice and
climbing 20 the iuflinC Of the rocks. The
vsrlouS implements Of the party were dl-
videC up. q heavy theOdOlite falling TO your
correspondent. which was strapped on his
hack The taIlest clambered up To the
crevics -1rst the others assisting and fol-
lowing and the writer getting I'D last. Then
becsn a terrible struggle TO reach the path
wsy beyond Al arrived there safely
when rOur correspondent with the heavy
burden 0n his back was bat midway across
Here sharp rock Just at the height of the
hreas impeded the way. In attempting to
-g zr0anG this the boot failed to find a
resting place The heavy instrument was
pulling me of my balance. The fingers
were lO0sing their slender hold one hundred
fces above waS the calm. safe world one
hundred and seven fec; below the roaring
oi the wSier, Ont foot slipped of and was
CoinC down. down; mist came over the
eyeS when my foot caught on a slender
COoseaserTv sglsh and hand suddenly grasp
ed nv back and dlew me around TO a safe
standing pace. In a moment more the
parhvay Was reached and the safety of all
ensured bur never will the frightful scene
leGve the senses One of the party saw
the participant or else the CoOscberry bush
WraS the saving moSns-I have never quite
understood which.