Omaha daily bee., 1890-07-27

are two more small falls, the flow from the
more northerly of which passes the entrance
to a Gothic cave, the threshold of which no
man has trmscended, Somewhat to the
north and west of the cave rock, describing
an imperfect crescent, Is what is known as
the Bridal Veil, the fall of which is esti-
mated at eighty feet This name is nappro-
pirate, because the width is not propOrtioned
to the height and because the like trans
parency peculiar to the bridal veil is
scarcely if erer Wis, bic in the fall. This
fall, however, is imposing, and, of
itself, would be considered a curiosity.
But it is dHarfed into nothingneSs
by the cataract OF which it is but one of tho
fOrerunners. a hundred feet south hangs
another wall OF water, and still to the south
stands an irregular pillar fifty feet high sur
rounded by sWriing waters, on the summit
of which for generations, it is presumed, has
stood an eyrie, There today the p,oud bird
of tho mountain is training the pinions of
her eaglets to rise to tho sun from the midst
of a chaos, sufficient to awe the stoutest
heart, so that hereafter, as the symbols of
their country, they may be fearless amid the
most trying dangers.
Down these steppeS, around these pillars,
past these caves, the main stream is swollen
"by others meeting it, until torrent, power
ful and strong it sweeps to the abyss where
all is ruin" For an instant before the fatal
plunge is made, the waters, tired from the
passage DER the innumerable falls of the
Snake, hesitate as if fearful of the deadly
snow-ilecked surface, which, however, is
borne along by theresistless tide from behind.
Then it shoots far over the brink with force
seemingly capable of penetrating the center
of the earth, and indeed of furnishing motive
power to the machinery of the world. This
wall of wateris 2lO feet high, forty-five feet
higher than that of Niagara while the
crescent described by 1t is $50 feet from point
to point. When the sun shines from the west
within these miraculous waters may
be seen coral caves. the grotto of
Antiparos cleaning with even greater
than its fabed richness and the deep re.
ccsses where hundred Monte Cristos could
have found long buried treasures.
Anon, the mist arises and blots out the
! prospect from below, but leaves untouched
| the marvellous richness of the crest There
| the water by hidden agdnCies is transmitted
| into snowhakes, cut into diamonds. woven
| into flagree and finest lace, carved into inter
| lacings of marble, and wrought into mosaics
! of crystal aud emerald finer than ever gTaccd
! a Moorish temple or inspired an artists
| dream, only to be hurled to destruction the
| next moment beneath
There is no cessation to the iconclasm,
although, monentarily one hopes the power
which is precpitatlng both the riot and the
| ruin might be destroyed Recovering from
! its shock the water, greenGr than the
emerald, flows silently away amid halo of
! glory. The sun never shines on Shoshoue
without mpaIting to it the characteristics
| which have often been pictured in tho new
! Jerusalem. The effects of light and color are
such that it may well be doubted if they may
! be elsewhere eXcelled. Rain bows rise from
halfa dozen points, the arches sprnging
sometimes from the banks on either side, and
! at others resting on no more stable fOunda-
| ton than the shifting surface of the river
! Through these arcs of color, the weird,
frowning, fire burned walls Of the canon,
blasted and distorted intocOumns, pnnacles,
mounds panpets, and other forms inuumer
able are softened with frcsco-
ing by the hand of OmnipOtence
for the time being shutting out the repulsive
ness which at other times Is an element Of
! their grandeur. Between these walls of
alabaster and jasper a thousand feet high,
! the river moves slowly and we leave 1t on its
! smooth, gliding way TO the sea
The falls had number of visitors this
year and many of them have been from
Omaha. AT the head Of one party was Mr.
Guy Barton, whose daring recalled ones ad-
venturous bOyhoOd when an eagles cliff could
be scaled in the absence Of the parent birds
for predatory purposes,
Mr.. j. G.. Cowles a pupil Of the great
Bierstadt is here sketching the falls, and ex-
poets 10 have his work done TO be reviewed
and finished under the direction of his master
in the winter. T. a. 0'BRlEN.