The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-11-12
Az SABLE CHASM.
"Down from the Adirondack woods,
The swift Au Sable pOurs Its hoods:
Rushing on with might and main,
To stlll 1ts tumult I'm Lake Champlain. !"

vi all the mighty wonders, IN canyon, Chasm,
gorge or glen, the great Au Sable stands pre-
eminent and alone! You may talk about your
grandeur, wild magniacence, and all that sort OF
thing, but II you want to see something that is
simply terrific and differing from all else of its
kind, take in Au Sable chasm. Within 1t, you
will imagine yourself transported from this globe
to some region where, in the dim distant ages Of
the past, all was confusion, destruction, or that
even hell itself had broken loose and went
sweeping through the chasm. This wonder OF
wonders Is located in an eastern spur OF the Adj
rondack mountains, near the head OF Lake Cham
plain, in the state OF New York, and almost OPP
posite Burlington, Vt. 1t is reached by rail from
Saratoga to Port Kent, or by boat from Fort IL
conderOga TO Port Kent, and thence by stage
inland distance Of four or five miles, but un-
like many OF our stage routes, this is an excep-
ton. The stages are first class, the road splen-
did, the ride glorious and the country charming;
indeed, what might be termed an eyer-chnngng
panorama OF landscape attraction.
1t was dusk on the anniversary Of our national
independence as the stage drew up in front OF
the Chasm House, In the village OF Au Sable to
discharge Its load of human freight all tired, dus
ty, dirty and hungry; but the application OF the
usual remedies and good nights rest, caused
all to disappear and as we opened our eyes In
the morning "Old Sol" was gliding the horizon
with his glorious rays; and as he rose higher and
higher, it seemed like lifting veil from the face
of mother earth, until ut least thirty miles OF
mountain, hill and lake opened to our view, while
far away to the eastward doomed the cloud
capped SUBMITS Of the Green mountains in the
old New Hampshire state
The scenery Of Au Sable chasm begins u little
above the town, at what is called
ALLACE FALLe.
Here the water goes tumbling over rugged
rocks In the most dire confusion, which are per.
haps thirty feet high, after which the torrent
goes rushing on in wild confusion through mar
row channel until another ledge Of rocks twenty
feet In height is reached, over which 1t leaps and
then winds on for quarter OF mile or 30,
where it takes another bat wilder bound OF sew
enty feet over what is called
RAINBOW FALLS,
and then goes boiling and foaming down the
chasm, through which it has now fairly entered
upon It's mad career Rainbow Falls is u minia-
ture Niagara, and sends up It's spray and mist In
dense clouds, which returns from its aerial flight
with moistening effect upon all within its scope.
Entering a rustic lodge, while up to this we
have been only ON the banks Of the chasm, and
registering our names, we pay the requisite
fee-one doildr-Which Is double the amount
charged at any similar place in America sur.
passing in cheek and swindling propcnsites even
the acknowledged champions Of all swIndlers,
the denizens of Niagara Falls
Making our way down rickety, crooked stair
way Of l25 steps, we find ourselves at the bottom
OF the chasm. As one looks around and takes In
the situation, he seems lost in wonderland, and
then after few moments solemn medi.
tation, he asks himself, "what CONFUSION OF ma
ture could have caused ali thisg" The chasm
here is not over thirty feet in width and within
its narrow precinct the laundering roar OF Rain
bow Falls is almost deafening; the foaming tor
rent rushes madly by, and the projecting rocks
fringed with beautiful foliage and Its summit
crested with lofty pines and cedars and all form.
ing picture that is rather striking.
Moving on the right u few yards we step across
a little cascade and land on an immense smooth
flag, to which has been given the name OF
ROCK ISLAND,
name to say the least that may lack poetry. but ID
truthful. From this ON the chasm varies in width,
in some places not over ten or twelve feet, and
again widening to something oyer one hundred
and City feet.
PULPIT ROCK
is one OF the next wonders that meet our gaze
its massive form, projecting lodges and towering
walls rise one hundred and thirty feet above US,
fringed with ferns and graceful foliage. This
rock Is one Of the most striking characters In the
entire chasm. An attempt at description Is on,
OF the question. for to understand It's magnitude
and greatness II must be seen and studied. Our
footway here Is smooth and level, worn so by the
floods Of time OVERCOMING the rock, which, al
geologists claim, Is "Potsdam sandstone" and
the formations being Of the most primitive ages
Ahead OF us the walls look as though they met
and further passage seemed barred, with the ex
ception Of narrow rift in the rocks, which looks