Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-03-12
ON THEBRINK OF NIAGARA.

A Philadelphia Lawyer Tells How he
Crept Out on an Ice Projection.
[From the Philadelphia Press.I
''Did you ever hear of man standing
on top of Niagara Falls without losing
his life?" asked Mr. G. p Sherman, yes
terday. "Well, [ did. You have heard
of the magnificent ice-bridge below the
Falls. Having business at Buffalo /
ran up to look at the ice-gorge. The
ice, which had poured down from the
upper lakes, piled up at the foot OF the
Horseshoe and froze under the spray.
I clambered over the bridge, and, going
up on the Canadian side, went down
under the Horseshoe Fall into the Cave
of the Winds. What superb stGiag
mites and stalactites OF ice there We're
there, reaching from roof TO floor, with
the laundering curtain Of the fall be-
tween Us and The light. After [ had re-
crossed the river by the Suspension
Bridge I crossed the bridge above the
American Fall to Goat Island, which
was covered with snow and deserted.
The shrubbery and trees near the falls
were coated ice-in places, on some of
the trunks, several inches In thickness
looking as ii they had been cut out of
marble or were the ghosts Of dead trees.
Wandering across the island, I crossed
over to the Three Sisters, and, by means
of jam of great blocks Of ice. out to
the old canal boat, past which the water
was rushing swiftly,
"Going back to Goat Island, I went
down to the foot bridge 10 Terrapin
Rock, where the old tower used to stand,
and out on the rock. When 1 got there
| observed that q quantity Of ice covered
with snow had by some meass become
fixed upon the projecting rocks on the
edge Of the Horseshoe Fall beyond the
rock where I stood. forming Q bridge on
the extreme edge ofthe fall, about 100
feet long by perhaps ten or fifteen feet
wide. Instantly the desire to go upon
this bridge and look over the fall seized
me. | dug out stone from the snow,
as heavy as I could lift, and, stepping
out IS far as l dare, threw it with allmy
force over the bridge, which stood firm,
the stone sticking fast in the snow.
Then I ran back TO the island and broke
off good stout staff, and, coming back
10 Ierrapin Rock, commenced the rather
trying Journey. The snow which Gov
cred the ice vas itself covered with a
thin coating of ice, which broke beneath
my feet, thus giving me good foothold
and as TO my head was SURE Of that, as
L had thoroughly tested its ant1-dizzi-
ness the preceding summer on ship
board and among the Swiss glaciers
and preclpices. Prodding my staff or
alpenstock heavily into the snow be-
fore me to try the way, I walked cut IN
til had reached about the middle Of
my ice-bridge, and then I stopped to
look. The sight was the grandest and
the most awe-inspiriDg I had ever be-
held. As I looked up the river, the
curve Of the On-cOming water seemed
almost as high as my head, and, steady
ing my eye upon some floating particle,
the whole mass seemed coming down
upon me with an irresistible power that
must inevitably carry me over the brink
and into eternity; but, with a swift, hiss
ing rush il swept under me, Ieaped out,
and, with horrible roar, plunged into
the awful chasm, whence huge clouds of
spray, like the smoke Of its torment,
ascending, swept back and over me.
''Steadying myself by my staff, I sank
quietly upon my knees, then stretched
myself fat upon my stomach, and locked
down over the fall. You can imagine
what I saw. When the spray would
clear away, the water, rushing so swift
ly rs to appear to be drawn into lines
and burrows, and, springing out under
my very face, could be seen to fall, at
first a solid, greenish mass, then broken
into foam, into q chaos which the eyes
could not penetrate I could feel nv
bridge trembling with the rush of the
water, and, realizing that any moment
might see il and me following the de-
scendipg food, arose, took one look up
and down look to last for lifetime
and retraced my steps. As I passed
the rock T. had thrown on the bridge. r
could not resist the temptation of dis
lodging it and seeing it WhirI away over
the liquid precipice."