National Republican., 1882-08-10
AT NIAGARA FALLS,
Varied and Awr,iI scnaations-A Now Path
IN Sec GRANDEUR.


"Tom" Conroy, the well-known Niagara Falls
guide, had some disagreement with the Table
Rock management several years ngo and severed
his connection with them. Them In sheer re-
verge, and with his brother Jacks" assistance,
he made the passage behind the American Falls
available for tourists, by means Of continuous
series of plank walks and siairways leading
through the wet grass and up and down the rocks
at the foot of the inclined railway In Prospect
Park up to the verge Of the cataract
More varied and awful sensations are expert
enced upon this trip, taken hand in hand with
Conroy, than upon any other for the same price
s1-upon this terrestrial ball. And as 1t is COM
pnratvely new side. show, It offers an inducement
even to habtues of Niagara. AZ peace WIN your
conscience, you descend in the Inclined knllWay
car. Having been in operation over forty years,
and having carried one million people, no accl-
dent has ever occurred TO cast "A suspicion upon
its safety. Entering one OF the dreSsins rooms rs
below in obedience to commands you take oil
every rag of clothing" Then you onvelop
yourself In shGpcSSSs Waterproof for op"Se sST.
NUNS fat woman, sumouuted by greasy
dank -" "sou'westcr" Just rcinqulshed by your pre-.
decessor. Its pointed hood Is drawn over the
head and laced together with a hempen cord.
The feet protected from the rocks by felt moe
| casns tied over the instcp with stout rope Ihus
cheeks dying away Us You see yourself reflected In
| group of fellow EsquimauN: Folowing lhe So,
roys, Tom Jack 'tall burly auburn H., haired
|
sons Of some of the american gentry" might well
envy, you pass out upon the first staircase leading
toward the Falls which are tumbling into the river
at your right. Having been summnrily ordered to
| halt several times and admire the double prismn-
tic rainbow that enclrcles the evergreen grass
below the cataract you pass up several SHINY
stairways and down others, and when already a
little too the cataract 10 feel perfectly happy
you ore told, as on Halloween, to turn and Walk
down n long flight of stairs backward. Clinging
| to your guide, you obey, then you make SWIM
| passage over some trembling boards anchored 70
| the rock. suddenly he says, Right about face "
| and behold Niagara is pouring down before
| you with tho noise of twenty thousand
| cannon as 1t thunders in the foaming
| gorge below. You have stolen march on the
| cataract, tackled into her, as 1t were, and arc
| standing on rocky ledge behind the American
Falls By stretching out your hand you, can
almost touch the inner volume of water, ana one
misstep would plunge you Into the horrible abyss
| yawning below, hell of waters. Women, the
| gallant Conroy says are bravest in this situation
| and have dared to venture further along the
| abrupt ledge than even he deemed safe
From the sublime to the ridiculous is in this case
literally only few steps. for as you emerge again
| into the outer atmosphere, your garments clingng
| like cerements, your eyes weeping involuntary
torrents, the roar of thousand waterfalls in your
ears, and prepared to beat hasty retreat to youl
| dressing room, the enterprising photographers
steps forward and suavely offers to hand YOU
| moist hdeousness down to fame.