Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-07-31
THE MAID OF THE MIST.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW
CRAFTS INITIAL TRIP.
Gated Elsewhere In the World
The New Boat More Daring
Than Its Namesaks.


About year ago two enterFrising citl
zens OF Clifton, Ont, decided that II
would be a paying investment TO hazard
about SlO,O 900 in a new Maid Of the Mist.
So they went ahead and built the boat at
the foot of the steep roadway which leads
down TO the waters edge from the Cliff
ton house. The keel was laid Aug 2 last
The plans. which have been followed
called for boat seventy feet long, sixteen
feet beam and seven feet hold. The hull
is all of white oak, and Is not unlike q
large tug. except that the lines are
straighter The hold is divided into
three water tight compartments. The
cabin, pilot house, and everything above
the deck are built like the upper works
Of gentleman yacht, and are painted In
white and green. with trimmings of yer.
million. and a pilot house roof OF blue
with a smokestack Of shining black and
cleaning red, with brass stair rails aud
gay ratings. aud goodness knows what,
the very apOtheosis of the rainbow made
up into Jolly little excursion boat
And this is the Maid Of the Mist Very
pretty she looked as she lay under the
green Canadian bank The boat was
a.ilutter with flags The British cOlors
hoated at the stern. From the bow the
American az was raised, and rcd and
white pennant on the wheel house bore the
name of the boat To test her engines a
few days ago the new Maid stole out from
her dock at ) o'clock in the morning and
ran little way up stream. But no regu
lar trip over this strange ruute was at
tempted until day or two later. At 2:30
she blew her whistle and cast of.
IL tnOlr inst txup anH n half Minimize co.
her 10 reach the new dock on the Ameri.
can side at the foot Of the inclined rail.
way. Then she swung out into the sire am
and started on the course which Capt
Webb surveyed Many people watched
her from the cliffs Carriages and pedes.
TRANS halted on the upper suspension
bridge and cheered the gay little boat a it
glided down stream. lao feet beneath
them, About bali a mile below the
bridge, aud some distance above
the old Maid of the Mist land.
ing, the boat was brought about and
started up stream.
The passenger is likely 10 experience q
singular sensation at this turning point
Not many hundred feet distant, almost
under the cantilever bridge. the water
breaks into great rapid and the river
falls away as at the crest If cascade.
The great descent Of the water at this
point cannot be seen or realized from
above. on bridge or banks One realizes
that he has yentured In probable safety
between termini of appalling possibilities
What an excursion route il is At one
end fall into seeming oblivion; ut the
other end mighty but We won't de.
scribe II until we get there
The Maid turned as il in stillcst water.
though the fast. passing cliffs showed that
she went down stream at u speed scarcely
realized. No one could think seriously ii
danger with so steady, stanch q little craft
under him. Up stream she went easily defy.
ing the current The green OF rocky walks
OF Niagara, from the river, present many
views Of SURPRISING beauty. From the
steamers deck the familiar falls. framed
:. ~ unfamiliar setting, took on new beauty
Beauty, however. was q second thought
with the passengers The condition Of a
drowned rat is not conducive TO the rap.
turous observation of beauty. There was
a strong wind down the river and the ey.
haustleSs mists Of Niagara were trailing
down stream in endless clouds and sheets
of spray. The passengers were wrapped
In oilcloth and rubber, but as the boat
steamed up to the foot Of the American
fall mists by the measureess gallon fell
on them. wrapped them about aud soaked
into them. Even In this Turkish hath
condition the passengers found new
beauty and grandeur in the view before
them. rom the deck of little steamer
under the American fall. the cataract
seems 10 come from the clouds
The Maid ran straight up into the
Horseshoe fall. up past Terrapin rock,
up into the foaming csldron where form
and color die. and only the volume of {
great sound-the tone Of the grandest or
campfire In creation-falls on the ear,
while the shifting mists now hide and now
reveal the looming crest OF the might,
fall, appalling in its volume
This is as far as the Old Maid of IN,
Mist ever ran. said Capt. Blond. thu
spray dripping from his beard. as the boa
met the foam 100 yards or so above Ter
rapin rock On the distant banks man,
carriages were seen 10 have stopped
There were PEOPLE. too, on every pon
of view. The whistle gave three toots o
exultaiion. The engineer looked at hi
steam gauge. IL registered eighty.fv
pounds, The wheel was pounding in III
own against the currents which boile
around her. The man at the wheel wipe
the water from his eyes and rang the he
go ahead" The Maid went up into th
cauldron. A crest Of water. more like III
spent force of "boiler" than Q wave, fe
over the bow, and there was Q retreI
smidships The boat crept on. The distaT
banks were lost TO sight The building
on the anadian shore the great precipiC
of Terrapin rock, faded from sight In III
oblivion OF mists The water boiling M
der the boat was the color of bultermill
river Of milky foam. without surfac
currents, but telling Of terrible force "a
below. All around was the dense opaqu
atmosphere OF mist; and before an
above, when the variable wind parted h
veil. doomed Niagara, awful In its Ia
mensity; while almost straight above d
deck OF the little boat the crest Of Il
mighty food, now foamy white and no
emerald green. seemed TO roll from Il
very heavens I'VE are further up tha
aboat ever ran before, said an old riy
guide The whistle gave three sauC
toots, Niagara roared on undaunted
The getting back was q momento,
question. Nobody wanted TO see the DO
turn In that cauldron; neither did Il
man at the wheel want 10 Try the expeI
ment The engines were stopped a fe
seconds, and the modest Maid stepped 0
Of the sanctuary Of Niagara, into viii
she had been the first 10 penetrate.
clearer water the turn was successful
made, and in less time than II takes
Ali Ill Al