Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-08-29
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
AUSABLE CHASM.
A Trip TO this Great Natural Wonder
which IL this Wear Attracting More
Attention Ihnn ever Before.

Which IL this Yenr Attracting More
Attention than ever Before.
Everyone knows of the surprising beau.
ties Of a trip to Lake Champlain over the
Rutland division of the Central Vermont
railroad II is not necessary to tell of the
trip by boat across the lake, but the stop
ping place, Ausable chasm, Clinton county
~ Y, is not so well known Indeed only
this summer has it been thrown open TO the
excursionist of small means
August 1S, noon found a party of FIVE
hundred there, and we'll did they enjoy the
| trip. The chasm is an immense gorge, vary.
ing from 100 to 200 feet in depth, worn by
the Ausable river as il rushes down from
the Adirondacks to the lake. 1t is worn
through a sort of hard sandstone, scanned
and tissured by the action of the frost and
crumbling away before the elements. The
river in its course suddenly plunges over
Rainbow falls, 40 feet high or more, and
gives a hurry-skurry race down over preci-
pices, shelves and boulders to the "long
gallery where it runs quietly. It goes
over Horseshoe falls, 50 named from its
shape, and plungcs on unmindful Of those
who watch its turbulent course.
The railroad bridge across it is ljO feet
above the water. 1t is dizzy height to
look down from the train it is more dizzy
still 10 look up from the bottom and see n
train passing.
The descent to the chasm is through an
octogonal shaped house down winding
stairs 10 the bed of the river below The
stream is low now but plenty of signs indi-
cate that melting SHOWS in springtime make
it a driftwood laden, turbulent torrent, far
above its present level
A description can convey no idea of the
awful sublimity Of the place. Towering
high above, the sides are broken and Scared
bare and forbidding or clothed in verdure
Of ferns aud moss. In another place grace.
ful cedars have grown from the assures
and toss their evergreen plumes in the air
on the face of the cliff, 100 feet from the
bottom or top, midway, poised in the air
At the Elbow" one looks in either direc
tion in awe. High above him the trees nod
in the breeze. On the opposite side Pulpit
Rock, 1876 feet high, oyerhangs the wnter
Climbing a few stairs one comes to The
Ferneryn a slope in the side covered with
the most delicate ferns and cedars. "Dev-
lis Slide" ON the opposite side is an i'm
mense cut, deep in the abrupt wall a steep
slope from top to bottom. Caves, slides.
glens aud grottoes force themselves upon
ones attention.
We have only time for hasty examina-
ton and pass on over winding stairways,
along narrow rallied paths on a shelf high
above the water, across frail foot bridges
Above us tower the sides of the canon
shutting out the sunlight beneath us flows
the river, now black and deep and now
white with foam as it tumbles over the
cliffs aud boulders. There is not a motion
OF bird. beast or insect TO distract the at
tention. Nothing but nature in her gran
deur nature clad in awfulness exerting
her power on the minds of the beholders.
For two hours we wander down this vast
gallery drinking liz inspiration at every
turn, studying statuary the grandest.
sculpture the noblest art before which the
powers of the ancient Greek masters must
ever stand abashed and silent. Millions of
years the silent forces of nature worked
here before the wonder was complete
During ages untold corner was worn
away here and "A assure made there until
the work stands as seen {, day, wonderful,
sublime
Still the mighty work goes on. Silently
the river and the frosts and SHOWS of win
ter do their work. Each year something
new falls from its place, some change is
made in the appearance of the cliffs But
nature never spoils, never injuries Slowly
it is remodeling the work into something
more grand, something different For
centuries TO come the feet of men will trav
el up and down this great corridor of time,
and their eyes will gaze in wonder at its
huge and yet symmetrical proportions For
ages more the river will flow on, wearing
slowly yet continually No one can enter
this portal without feeling Of admiring
awe, akin to worship, of the wonders dis
played there. 1t is indeed good for us 10
be here. The tabernacle of wonders is
complete. The grand work Of nature is
accomplished and our hearts are almost
stilled by the overawing grandeur which
pervades the whole place
b. II. ALLBEE
Springfield, Vt, Aug. 25, 1890.