The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-09-12
THE MAID OF THE MIST.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW
CRAFTS INITIAL TRIP.
A Water Trip Which Can Not BE Dupli-
Gated Elsewhere In the World
The New Boat More Daring
Than Its Namesako.
Buffalo Express.l

zens of Clifton, Ont, decided that it
would be paying investment to hazard
about $4,000 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
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 a gentleman's 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 rec, with brass stair rails and
ga ratings, and goodness knows what,
tie 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 tutter with flags The British cOlOrs
Loated at the stern. From the bow the
American Tag was raised and red 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
ran little way up stream. But no regu-
lar trip over this strange route was at
tempted until day or two later. At 2:3O
she blew her whistle and cast Off
1t took just two and a half minutes for
her TO 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.
" ebb surveyed Many people watched
81 0ls Ef1
TRANS halted on the upper suspension
bridge and cheered the gay little boat as it
glided down stream, lao feet beneath
them \ bout bali a mile below the
bridge, and some distance above
the old Maid of the Mist land
ing. the boat was brought about aud
started up stream.
The passenger is likely to experience a
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 of 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 ventured in probable safety
between termini of appalling possibilities.
end fall into seeming oblivion; at the
other end a mighty-but we won't de-
scribe it until we get there.
The Maid turned as if in stillest water
though the fast-passing cliffs showed that
she went down stream at speed scarcely
realized. No one could think seriously of
danger with so steady, stanch little craft
under him. Up stream she went easily defy
ing the current The green or rocky walks
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 passengers. The condition of
drowned rat is not conducive to the rap
turous observation of beauty. There was
a strong wind down the river and the ex-
haustleSs mistS of Niagara were trailing
down stream IN endless clouds and sheets
of spray. The passengers were wrapped
in 0ilcloth and rubber, but as the boat
steamed up to the foot of the American
fal; 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 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 foaming caldrOn where form
and color die, and only the volume of a
great sound-the tone of the grandest or
gan-pipe in creation--falls on the ear,
while the shifting mists 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 ran, said Capt. La Blond. the
spray dripping from his beard, as the boat
met the foam 100 Yards or so above Ter
Iaoin rock. On the distant banks many
H.
7 here were people. too, on every point
of view. The whistle gave three toots of
exultation. The engineer looked at his
steam gauge It registered eighty-f1ve
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
cauldrOn. A crest of water, more like the
spent force of "boiler" than q wave, fell
over the bow, and there was a retreat
amidships. The boat crept on. The distant
banks were lost to sight The buildings
on the Canadian shore. the great precipice
of Terrapin rock, faded from sight In the
oblivion of mists The water boiling un-
der the boat was the color of buttermilk,
a riS er of milky foam. without surface
currents, but telling of terrible force far
atmosphere of mist; and before and
above, when the variable wind parted the
vel. doomed Niagara, awful in its i'm
men ity; while almost straight above the
deck of the little boat the crest of the
mighty food, now foamy white and now
emerald green, seemed to roll from the
very heavens. 1--WE are further up than
a beat ever ran before, said an old river
guide. The whistle gave three saucy
toots Niagara roared on undaunted
The getting back was q momentous
question. Nobody wanted to see the boat
turn in that cauldrOn; neither did the
man at the wheel want to try the expert
ment The engines were stopped a few
seconds, and the modest Maid stepped out
of the sanctuary of Niagara, into which
she had been the first to penetrate. In
clearer water the turn was successfully
made, and in less time than it takes to
tell long story all were landed at the
docks safe and wet
There is no other water trip in the
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