The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-20
THE SH0SH0NE FALLS.
IDAHO'S MARVELLOUS CATARACT AMI
ITS SURROUNDINGS.

Precipice in tie Darkness-Ths Sublime
MaSnificence of Natures Handiwork.
View of the Falls.
Our party left the little town OF Sho-
shone at half past 6 IN the evening with
the intention Of arriving az the celebrated
Shoshone falls at about half past l0o'elock
the same night There were TWO travelling
men and two young women, the elder a
Chicago schoolma'am and the younger her
sister. The road to the falls has been cut
through plain of sagebrush and lava
For twenty-six miles there Is nothing 70
relieve the monotony of white sand, brush
and lava but the drivers stories and the
jokes or conversational powers Of ones
companions. We suffered very little be-
cause of the lack of versatility of the party
and became anxious only where the road
became obscured under the starless clouds
which had overcast the scene when the sun
disappeared.
For nearly two hours we proceeded in
the darkness, some fearing that we had
lost our way, in which event there would
be no alternative but 4 risky tramp through
the desert under the chill night air
The driver, however, continued to pick
his way, and finally announced that we
had at length reached ''the rocks" In this
manner he designated the lava beds, which
extend four miles from the falls. and over
which in the dark it is impossible to drive
with safety faster than a walk.
One weary hour was spent picking cur
way through these adgmantine labyrintns
when the driver sententiously and infor-
mally remarked, Here's where you get
outp'
We disembarked without questioning
and the driver tied one of the hind wheels
to a side brace on the wagon.
This is steep hill an never hauled a
living being down it in my life. IN so
ahead with the team and you follow"
GOING DOWN HILL IN DARKNESS.
We followed. 1t was as dark as dun
geon. We could not see two feet in adj
vance. We soon discovered that the de-
scent was most abrupt, so much SO, in
deed, that it required the united efforts of
the party TO keep us from breaking into
run, leaving the road and going we knew
not where.
When we reached the bottom of the hill
we were out of breath and the driver told
US we had travelled a Thousand feet. We
again took the wagon and at that moment
for the first time the hoarse voice Of the
falls greeted our ears. Almost at the same
instant there was a rift in the sable cover
ing above US and white patch of cloud
became visible. Whence it received its
light we knew not. There was not star
visible. Profled against this errant cloud
were immense masses of rock, black as the
night itself and towering above see iningly
TO distance of thousands Of feet. In this
same uncertain light we saw or we fan
cied we saw the windings of the Snake,
but it was only fancy, because we could
scarcely see the stream when the driver
that we had reached the ferry
We boarded the latter, which is about
200 feet above the falls, horse, wagon,
women and all We took turns working
at the windlass, as we did also in specu-
lating what would be our fate if the ferry's
cables should break. Once, while in mid
river, the current struck US with unusual
force, and all the male hands were re-
CURED at the rope, while the women
clasped each other in a corner and re-
manned speechless until the bank was
reached. There is little pleasure in tTav-
sling in the dark, and there is little to re-
assure the traveller wnen he encounters
dangers the magnitude of which must be
determined by conjecture. For this rea-
son when the ascent of the opposite bank
was undertaken there was not a member
Of the party who did not feel that he or
she accomplished an heroic deed, which
would bear recounting after the return
home.
FLYING SPRAY
As we climbed the hill, again in the |
1ensest darkness, everybody simultane- |
ously remarked that it had begun to rain. |
A heavy mist struck us. rendering wraps |
This, the driver explained, was |
The spray from the falls, which the wind |
vas scattering around with lavish gener-
osity. In this mist we reached the hotel. |
n which not light burned and in which |
very occupant must have fallen into the |
sleep of the just, which even the crash of |
he falling water beneath was unable to |
disturb.
The hostelry stands on a height almost |
,ver the south end of the falls and was en- !
'eloped in a cloud of spray which, finding |,
temporary Judgment on the roof of the /
porch, dropped in rain TO the floor below
The descent was rendered possible only /
" the use of half inch wire cable which 1
ed down the steep sides and which was /
astened at intervals to the rocks along the /
quite.
In a couple of instances slippery ladders
we're employed where the cable could not |
lave been used for a handrail. By means
# these agencies the party, saturated with
ain, perspiring from tugging at the cable
md, to greater or less degree, covered
With mud, reached the river. There men
nd women passed over number of rough
ocks strongly suggestive of gigantic mus
ell shells, over which the undulating and /
ngry waters roamed undirected. Between
hese rocks were hundreds Of varieties of
which the action Of the waters
ad worn from angular into well rounded
proportions.
ADDITIONAL WONDERS.
Somewhat to the north and west Of the
ave rock, describing an imperfect ores
eut, is what is known As the Bridal Veil, |
he fall OF which is estimated az eighty
set. This name is inappropriate, because
be width is not proportional totke height,
nd because the lacelIke transparency pc
uliar 70 the bridal veil is scarcely II ever
isible in the fall This fall, however. is
IMPOSING, and Of itself wo1ld be consider
d curiosity. But il is dwarfed into moth
lgness by the cataract OF which 1t Is but
ne of the foreTuGners.
A hundred feet south hangs another wall
[ water. and still 70 the south stands sn
regular pillar fifty fee; high, surrounded
7 swirlng waters, on the summit Il
-hich for generations, u IS presumed, has
TODD an eyrie. There today the proud bird