The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-30
Niagara I'm Winter Garb-The Term
sEce.Brfdge "a Misnomer.

a Niagara Falls correspondent writes
For q mile and a half below the falls the
river gorge Is filed with stationary masses
of ice. At the foot Of the American falls
is an enormous hill Of ice, rounded and
falling in graceful curves to the Jagged
billocks below. A person can climb this
ascent and stand under the great wet shoul-
der OF Niagara. Looking up TO the Horse
shoe, the mist hangs so heavily over it as
entirely to conceal the great green tor
rent, and at the sides, where the water
il shallower, the cliff is actually cased
with solid ice, in its whole 100 feet per-
pendicular. Water is probably running
under il, but one cannot see II. Goat
Island and Prospect Park are masses oi
frost foliage. The face OF the clih below
is everywhere sheathcd i'm ice. Some clear
water-not much-is visible just at the foot
Of the falls. The ice begins 10 seal up the
gorge almost at the impact Of the descend
ing waters. Opposite the lower side OF
the American Falls, and two thirds OF
the way across the river, there Is n
great irregular pit, where the green
water is visible for the length OF 100
and the width OF 80 feet, the sides OF
which are perpendicular masses OF ice 10
feet high. II looks rs ii the chatting flood
had demanded breathing-place at this
point, and forced the great ice-blocks up
and off with their upheaval. With these
exceptions the icc-bridge covers the waters
OF the riyer-and this open pit with its
precipitOus sides affords guide in cstima-
ting its thickness. For at least forty feet
probably double that in places-in this ice
piled over the raging flood OF Niagara.
IriI Il l. al
the situation requires more particular
description to set the reader right rs to its
real character. Viewed from the suspcn.
sion fooi-bridge at the lower end OF the
park, it has the appearance OF n rough
pack of ice, without great irregularities OF
surface, through which run thread-llke
chasms at intervals. Descending the park
stairway to the highest point reached by
the glacier. the adventurous visitor
looks across desolation oi huge
blocks of ice, with which the gorge
is choked Hills, valleys, ridges, pro-
montories are before him, lying much
as millions OF tons OF loose rocks might lie
if dumped carelessly down upon a level.
There is 10 pathway across ii; the stua-
tiOn is not old enough vet for local enter
prise to have hewn out and filled up good
foOtway, and planked over the uncomfort-
able assures. Cross, if you will-the ice Is
all before you; but take notice that If you
do, the hardest hali-hour's toll and veX-
alton OF body is before you ere you
reach the Dominion. The uncomfOrt-
able sense of danger which starts with
YOU will soon be overcome, as the evil
dence comes to your senses OF the thickness
Of the mighty mass, and it will speedily
give place to realizing sense OF toll such
as YOU will not care to repeat. The jump
ing, the slipping, the falling, the scrambling
which attend every step of your way are
simply indescribaDle, and when, blown
and hot, albeit the mercury is well down
toward zero, you stand on the shore Of
Canada, and are instantly welcomed by the
backman who waits for the mwary at
the foot of the roadway with solemn
promises to take you all over the
American continent for twenty-five
cents. you VOW TO yourself that
you will get back to the United States OF
America some other way than by the ice
bridge. The passage is not without dam
ger, arising from several long assures or
crevices from five TO tea feet in width,
which reach down thirty feet or so, and
which need to be circumspectly crossed in
the absence OF planks. 1t would make lit
tie difference TO the unfortunate falling into
one OF these whether he reached the water
or not; he would hardly get out again in
either event. OF course the reasonably
long continuance OF the ice-bridge will see
a good path smOOthed out over il and these
perilous chasms bridged.