McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-09-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., Sept. 9Th, 'S4.


pendent took flying vacation last week
and saw more sights than are to be seen
in Washington just now. Everybody
has heard, late years, of Watkins Glen,
but everybody has not yet seen it,
though judging from the stream of tray
ell in that direction at this season of the
year, everybody will have seen it some
of these days. Having had my interest
aroused by the enthusiastic accounts of
friends who have been there, | conclud-
ed could take just time enough to
make a trip to the new wonder, and [
have never taken a similar journey
which proved more enjoyable or more
replete with interesting features-not
even excepting my first trip to Niagara.
Watkins Glen is one of the greatest
natural wonders on this continent. [
have spoken of it as "new" wonder
because its fame has but recently gone
, forth, but that great crevice in those
vast lodges of rocks with its wonderful
caverns and beautiful cascades was prob
ably there when Columbus discovered
America. There is no telling how many
centuries of time the elements have been
employed in working out the grand ag
gregation of wonders and beauties which
are here presented. Fifty years ago,
only on the more complete maps of New
York could be found the little town of
Jefferson at the head of Seneca Lake.
Later the name was changed to Wat
kins, and the Northern Central Railway
pushed its line down the Chemung Val
ley, touching the town on its route to
Canandaigua. Soon after this the Glen
began to attract attention, and now pal
atial steamers pillow through the blue
lake where, within the memory of man,
bark canoes tossed on the waves or dart
ed into the shadows Of dropping trees.
Groves until lately the dark retreat of
night birds, unvisited save by the hun
ter, are thronged with daily picnics,
while every jutting point, where once
the tlmid deer stole to the waters edge,
is now the site of a summer cottage
or gay with the tents and banners of
camping parties.
The space of this letter is insufficient
for detailed description of the Glen
or its surroundings, and ] can indulge
in only few generalities. This canon
as it may properly be called is one of
the most remarkable yet explored by
man. It is vertical rift or gorge in
mountainous bluff, with walls varying in
height from 200 to nearly 400 feet,
through which rushes mountain brook |
ct purest water now roaring and tum-
bling over rocks in foaming cascades,
again plunging over lodges in beautiful
falls, and anon eddying about in quiet
little lakelets in the deep ravine, down
upon which from high rugged crags or
rustic little bridges the tourist may look
and meet his or her face in the water.
The Glen is divided into sections, each
of which is given a distinctive name in
accord with some one Of its many
beautiful or strange and wonderful tea-
lures. The division at the entrance is
called Glen Alpha, and the section at
the terminus, about three miles above,
Glen Omega. Near the latter point the
Glen is crossed by the Syracuse, Gene
va 6 Corning Railway, over an iron
bridge at a height of 165 feet ten
inches above the water, one Of the hand
soonest in the state A short distance
above the entrance to Glen Alpha, at
a height of nearly 100 feet, reached by
a beautiful stairway broken by plat
forms for resting places, is broad, safe
bridge across the chasm, from which an
excellent view of Minnehaha Falls is
which is one of the prettiest
cascades in the Glen. Further up, the
rocks assume all sorts of fanciful shapes,
depending, and quite per-
pendicular, until at a point, the high
and rugged walls draw close together
forming Cascade Cavern, where the wat
er falls over the rocks nearly 100 feet
INTO cavernous pool below.