The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-27
THE NEW MAID OF THE MIST.
Graphic Description of Her Initial Trip Close
Up to the Falls.

Up to the Falls.
Buffalo Express.
About year ago Messrs. La Blond and Carter,
two enterprising citizens of Clifton Ontario,
decided that it would be a paying investment to
hazard about $40 600 in 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 Clifton House. The
keel was laid on Aug 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 a
large tug, except that the lines straighter.
The hold is divided into three water-t:ght com
partments. The cabin, the pilot-house. and
everything above the deck are built like the
upper works of a gentlemans yacht, and are
painted in white and green, with trimmings of
vermilion, and a pilot house roof of blue, with
a smokestack of shining black and cleaning red
with brass stair-rails and gay ratings, and good
ness knows what, the very apotheoss of the
rainbow made up into jolly little excursion
boat
And this is the Maid of the Mist. Very pretty
she looked yesterday as she lay under the green
Canadian bank. The boat was a-hutter with
flags. The British colors foated at the stern.
From the bow the American flag was raised, and
red and white pennant on the wheel house
bore the name of the boat. To test her engines
two or three days ago the new Maid stole out
from her dock at o'clock in the morning and
ran little way up stream. But no regular trip
over this strange route was attempted until yes
terday.
At $50 she blew her whistle and cast off. She
crossed over to the American side as quietly and
steadily as a dredging scow goes up the Hamburg.
She did not careen as the old side wheeled Maid
used to do, and she did not loiter. It took just
two and half minutes for her to reach the new
dock the American side at the foot of the in
clined railway. Then she swung out into the
stream and started on the course which Captain
Webb surveyed. Many people watched her
from the cliffs. Carriages and pedestrians halted
on the upper suspension bridge and cheered the
gay little boat as it glided down stream, l40
feet beneath them. About half mile below
the kbridge and some distance above
the old Maid of the MIST landing, the boat was
brought about and started up stream. The pas
senger is likely to experience a singular sensa-
ton at this turning point. Not many hundred
feet distant, almost under the cantlever bridge,
the water breaks into great rapid and the river
falls away at the crest of cascade. The
great descent of the water at this point cannot
be seen or realized from above bridge or
banks One realizes that he has ventured in
probable safety between termini of appalling
possibilities What an excursion route it is!
At one end a fall into seeming oblivion at the
other end mighty-but we won't describe it
until we get thsre.
The Maid turned as if in stillest water though
the fastpassing cliffs showed that she went down
stream at speed scarcely realized No one
could think seriously of danger with so steady
stanch a little craft under him. Up stream she
went, easily defying the current. The green or
rocky walls of Niagara, from the river, present
many views of SURPRISING beauty. From the
steamers deck the familiar falls, framed in
unfamiliar setting, took on new beauty. Beauty
however was a second thought with the passen-
gers. The condition Of drowned rats not con-
ducive to the rapturous observation of beauty
There was strong wind down the river yester-
day. and the exhaustless mists of Niagara went
trailing down stream in endless clouds and sheets
of spray. The passengers were wrapped in oil
cloth and rubber, but as the boat steamed up to
the foot of the American fall, mists by the
measureless gallon fell on them wrapped them
about, and soaked into them. Even in this
Turkish bath condition the passengers found
new beauty and grandeur in the view before
them. From the deck of a little steamer, under
the American fall, the cataract seems to come
from the clouds.
The Maid ran straight UP into the Horseshoe
FALL up past Terrapin Rock, up into the foam
ing caldron where form and color die and only
the volume of great sound-the tone of the
while the shifting msts now hide and now reveal
the looming crest Of the mighty fall, appalling
in its volume.
This is as far as the old Maid of the Mist
ever ram" said Captain La Blond, the spray
dripping from his beard, as the boat met the
foam hundred yards or so above Terrapn
Rock. On the distant bank many carriages were
seen to have stopped. There were people, too
on every point of view. The whistle gave three
toots OF exultation. The engineer looked at his
steam gauge. 1t registered So pounds, the wheel
was pounding in the water. and the boat was
Just holding her own against the currents which
boiled around her. The man at the wheel wiped
the water from his eyes and rang the bell Go
ahead. The Maid went up into the caldron A
crest Of water more the spent force of boiler
than wave, fell over the bow, and there was a