St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-04-14
Going West.

Central at syracuse. by InlS JTdln
there is close connection to all points
West This train is now run only
once a week, but | understand it is
expected to make this arrangement
daily with the opening of the summer
business. On present time table, pas
sengers leave st. JOhnsbury on the
mail train at 3.I5 p. m, reaching
Rouses Point at 9, Norwood at mid
night, Syracuse at 7 the next morning
and Niagara Falls at one p. -m.-less
han - hours from St. JOhnsbury.
There is sleeping car from ROuses
Point to Syracuse. This promises to
be popular route West.
Reaching: Suspension Bridge at. one
p. M, our party spent the rest of the
day at the Falls most agreeahly and
trust profitably. 1t is reported that
Mr.. o. Wilde, although disappointed
with the Atlantic ocean, declared Nj
agara Falls to bc perfectly satisfactory.
We found them so. The impression
given one on first viewing the Falls
can never he effaced, nor can it he de
scribed. | certainly ;shall not try to
do it. But | enjoyed their marvellous
grandeur more to-day than when |
first saw them years ago.
During the past eight years, the sur
roundings of the Falls, on the Ameri
can side, have been.greatly improved.
A park has been laid out and enclosed,
and the approaches to the cataract
made much more desirable. The
Canadian side remains unchanged, eX-
cept that an elevator is being built
down. to the whirlpool below tlie rail
road suspension bridge. This is an in
clincd railway, similar TO the one APP
preaching the foot of the American
fall, and others throughout the cOun
try. They are simply small open ears,
run by heavy cable. on an incline of
some ID degrees.
The Niagara river, as perhaps every
reader knows, is divided above the
cataract by large island called Goat
island. The larger part of the river
passes north of the island, and just ut
its eastern terminus breaks over the
cataract, making the wonderful Horse
shoe fall, as it is called, because of its
shape. The portion of the river on
the southern side of theeisland makes
the American fall. Immediately be
low, these two streams:Gagain unite,
and for several miles pass seething ana
boiling down through gorge, the per
pendicular rock sides of which are
from $50 to $50 feet high. While
there are higher falls than Niagara,
suppose there are none other in the
world comparable to them in majesty
and GRANDEUR
There are some changes going on ut
the Horseshoe which are to he regret
ted but cannot he prevented. Within
the past few years the rock i'll the cen
tire of the fall has broken off some two
hundred feet or more up the river, SO
that instead of Il perfect horseshoe
shape, it is now more right angle.
In the point of the angle, where the
two immense streams rush over in
conjunction, volume of water and
spray is thrown up considerably high
er than the top of the fall, envelOping
that part of it in continual cloud.
But | promised not to give a de
scription of the Falls. They are some
thing to see, not to describe. Although
there is much complaint, and with
more or less reason, of the fencing in
of this great natural wonder, and max
ing every one pay for seeing it, it must
be admitted that the Park Co. give
visitors an equivalent for their money.
The numerous 'guides" and runners
and peddlers are nuisance that
should be abated, but | wish to put on
record for the benefit of the ever abus-
ed hackman, that his charges here
were smaller in proportion to service
rendered, than those of any others
about the Falls. When party can
get good carriage and driver-whO is
also a guide-for long halliday. for
one dollar and half, it is time this
oft accompaniment individual should be
commended. Nevertheless it will
take about five dollars to see all there
is ut the Falls for one should go on
both sides of the river should go un-
der the American fall-drive over the
Five Islands to the Burning Spring
drive to the Whirlpool below the rail
road suspension bridge go upon Goat
island, and up some observatory, as
well rs down into the chaSm where the
surging pillows roar. Until one does
all this, he has not seen the Falls and
when he has done this. he has travelled
from six to ten miles on Il level. and
up and down great many steps. |
counted the steps in the stairs coming
up from the Whirlpool are 300,
and the chasm here is 260 feet deep.
The Burning Spring is very much OF
a curiosity. 1t is about mile above
the Canadian fall. and directly on the
edge of the great rapids of the river.
The spring boils and seethes like a
cauldron, and the water is so highly
charged with sulphuretted hydrogen
gas, that it will light and burn like a
gas jet-or rather more like the torch
of a street patriot just before a nation
al election. This spring is phenom-
.n,,, Of crr.at iptaras+