Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-10-05


t they are all rough in manner, and gen
/ orally outlandish in costume
! The Niagara river, from Buffalo L
0 the Falls, is beautiful sheet OF water
. l travelled its entire length in a carriage
t once when the railroad was disabled
! and early in the morning before the
{ sun grew warm. 1t was as delightful
( a ride as can be found anywhere. Its
, average fall before it reaches the rapids
, is foot to the milo. Grand Island, Il
, miles long, and from to G miles wide
divides the river exactly in the middle.
) In the last three miles before il reaches
r the cataract it falls SO feet. Theaver,
age fall is 164 feet, and the river fall
, 9S feet more between he foot of the
falls and Lewistown, soyen miles below.
, Thus it falls nearly $50 feet in less than
/ 30 miles. Goat Island, on the brink
, of the precipicS, divides the American
from the Canadian fall Somebody
built a wooden bridge to the Island
early in the century, and an iron one
, took its place about 35 years ago,
. Goat Island is cool and shady. II is
surrounded by several smaller islands,
none of which have any great interest.
Whom they were repairing the old
bridge, about 40 years ago, a workman
named Chaplin fell overheard and
lodged on one of tho little islands, and
il has ever since been called Chapin's
Island, Goat Island is owned by the
Porter family, and suppose they are
responsible for the 80 cents toll. The
island contains over 60 acres AT one
side of Goat Island is slippery but
solid wooden stairway, fastened to the
rock with heavy iron bolts, leading far
down into the abyss This is known
as Biddle's stairway, and was built by
Nicholas Biddle, President of the
United States bank, in 1929. There
are about one hundred steps, leading
halfway down the cliff. At the lower
end are two paths-one leading to the
Canadian fall, the other to the Ameri.
can. The Canadian path is blocked
up, but the American is still used and
leads to the Cave of the Winds Price,
81. The Horseshoe Fall, as seen from
the island, has nothing Of the shape of
horses loot, but is an acute angle.
This fall looks its best from Goat
Island, and only here can an idea of
the immense body of water constantly
going over be obtained. The depth of
the water, at the instant Of going over
is estimated at 20 feet. A ship called
the Detroit, drawing Is feet, once
went over without touching. 1t was
Grand Island, a few miles iurther up
the river, that the late Major Noah, OF
New York, selected as the gathering
place for the scattered tribe of Israel.
More than half century ago he there
laid the corner stone Of the "City OF
Ararat aud built q monument, which
is still standing.
"How deep is the river below the
falls 2" is a never failing question, and
one not easy for the obIigIng boatman
to answer. But the Government set
tied the question last year, when an
official survey was made. In the mid
die Of the river, in the track crossed by
the frail ierry.boats, the water is 1872
feet deep. 1t is clear and cool, and
quite fit for drinking, To dig out the
vast trench it is said the water has
been falling for forget how many
years with weight OF Of 1000, 900
tons minute. The man who weighed
it is dead Table Rock, on the Cana
dian side, is thing Of the past. Guides
still pretend to take you under it, and
charges 81 for the kindness but Table
Rock fell some twenty years ago, only
few minutes after number Of per.
sons had lett it, 1t was on Table
Rock, so the guides say, that Mrs.
Sigourney wrote her "Apostrophe to
Niagara If she could see it now she
would be more likely TO write a semi
colon TO the toll.gates and an exclama-
ton point to the hack-drivers. About a
mile above where Table Rock used TO
stand is the Burning Springs. The
spring is at the head of the rapids, and
the water is charged with gas, which
burns when lighted. Whenever. the
people in charge of the spring see a
visitor coming they light the gas.
Anybody who has so cents worth of
curiosity can see the gas burn in a
dark room. The new suspension bridge,
about a quarter of q mile below the
falls, is 1900 feet long, and the natives
are fond of calling it the longest sus-
pension bridge IN the world. 1t has
slender towers one hundred feet high,
TO which, of course, an admission fee
is charged. 1t is wideenough for only
one carriage at a time, and for this
reason it sometimes takes nearly an
hour to get across it. 1t is very high,
one hundred and ninety feet above the
water Natives buy commutation
tickets over this bridge at the rate OF
eight cents each. Strangers pay fifty
cents. The old suspension bridge, two
miles fartherdown the river, was built
by ], A. Roebing. In crossing either
of these bridges, a custom house officer
comes out and examines your baggage.
As they leave you nothing on the
American side, aud there is nothing to
buy on the Canadian side, this is an
unnecessary precaution. The whirl-
pool rapids, and tho whirlpool itself,
we're both built for tho benefit OF
hackmen. They are some distance
away and there is no comfortable way
to reach them but with a carriage
The water in the rapids is said to be
250 feet deep.
IL was in an unintentonal visit TO
the whirlpool and greater things be-
yond that gained the experience of
Niagara hackmen that has since served
me well. Starting ont a twenty-five
cent trip from the Spencer House,
under contract 10 be taken to the falls
and back for "a quarter" | was gradu.
ally inveigled into driving down to
the old suspension bridge, up the
Canadian side, and over two or three
toll bridges, till the hackman's bill was
a little OVERSIZE, TO say nothing of the
five or six toll.gates on the Canadian
side, between the bridge and the falls.
Falls street is the principalstreet in
this town OF 5000 inhabitants 1t has
all sorts of stores and several largo
hotels, and great many trees. 1t
a broad street, dusty, and not particu.
larly attractive. Down at the Amcri.
can end OF the old suspension bridge
is town with the am bitious name of
Niagara City. 1t is composed princl.
pally Of restaurants and ale.houses,
If there is house in the town where
oyster stews are not to be had IL is
devoted 10 the manufacture Of lemon.
ado Rntmnnn tho two inwna ia the |