The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-21


A LAWYER, wuo r0oLIsnI.y crEYr OUT OVEN
NIAGARA, DESCRIBES WHAT DE SAW.
"Did YOU ever hear Of man's standing
on top OF Niagara Fails without losing his
ifeg: asked MFR. G.. J.. Sherman yester.
day. {. well. I did. You have heard OF
the maSnifcent icc-bridge below Tire
falls. Having business at Buffalo,,
ran up TO look at the ice-gorge. Tns
Ice which bad poured down from the
upper lakes piled UP az the foot OF ths
Horseshoe and froze under the spray.
eismbered over the bridge, and, going az
on the Canadian side, went down under
the Horseshoe Fall into the Cave OF the
Winds. What superb staiagmites and sta
lacsites OF ice there were there. reaching
from roof 10 floor, with The thunderine
curtain OF the fall between us and the
light.
after had recrosssd the river by the
suspension bridge crossed the bridge
above the American Fall TO GOAT isianu'
which was covered with snow ana desert
ed. The shrubbery and trees near the ialis
we're coated with ice--in places, on some
of the trunks, several inches In thickness
looking ~ II they had been cut out OF mar
Bile. or were the ghosts oil dead trees,
Wandering across the Island, crossed
over to the Three Sisters, and, by means
OF lam OF great blocks OF Ice, out TO the
old canal-boat, past which the water was
rushing swiftly.
"Going back to Goat island, went
down TO the foot-bridge to Terrapin Rock,
where the old tower used TO stand. and OIL
on the rock. when got there l observed
that quantity OF ice, covered with snow
had by some means become fixed upon The
projecting rocks on the edge OF the Horse
shoe Fall beyond the rock where | stood
| forming a bridge on the extreme edge
OF the fall about a hundred feet long
by perhaps ten or fifteen feet wide.
INSTANTLY the desire to 90 upon TINS
bridge and look over the fall seized me.
dug out stone from the snow as heavy as
/ could lift, and stepping out as far as
dared, threw it with all my force upon the
bridge, which stood firm, the stone stick
ing fast in the snow. Then L ran back u
the island and broke off good, stout staff
and coming back to Terrapin Rock, COM
mcnced the rather trying Journey.
1.-THE snow which covered the ice was
itself covered with thin coating OF lee,
which broke beneath my feet, thus giving
me a good foothold; and as to my head,
was sure OF that, as had thoroughly tested
its anti-dizziness the preceding summer on
shipboard and among the SWISS glaciers
and precipices. Prodding my stan or al
| penstock heavily into the snow before me
TO try the way, walked out until bad
reached about the middle Of my ice-bridge,
and then l stopped to look. The sighl
was the grandest and the most awe-inspi'
ring have ever beheld. AS looked ur
the river the curve OF the on-coming water
seemed almost as high as my head, and,
steadying my eye upon some floating partl'
Gle, 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 swift, hiss
ing rush, il swept under me. leaped 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.
SteqdyIng myself by my staff, / sank
quietly upon my knees, then stretched
myself fiat upon my stomach and looked
down over the fall. You can imagine what,
saw. When the spray would clear away
the water, rushing so swiftly as 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 chaos which the eyes could not
penetrate. 1 could feel my bridge trem-
hling with the rush OF the water, and,
realizing that any moment might see it and
me following the descending flood, arose,
took one look UP and down-a look to last
for lifetime-and retraced my steps. As
passed the rock | had thrown on the
bridge. could not resist the temptation
OF dislodging it and seeing 1t whirl away
over the LIQUID precipice.N