Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-13
EDITORS At NIAGARA.

Strclnl correspondence OF Gazette and Journal
NIAGARA FALLS, n. Y, Aug. 6.-Exeunt
all tie members of the Peninsula Press
Association party from Niagara! This
morning saw the departure Of about the
last OF the large. party, numbering about
20 persons, which started last Saturday
from Broad street station for u weeks trip
to Watkins Glen and Niagara Falls, over
the Pennsylvania and New York Central
railroads. The writer's last letter was
from Watkins Glen, and ended, believe
in expatiation on the natural beauties and
wonders OF the place and attractiveness Of
the Glen Mountain House, where the en-
tire party stopped.
Watkins was left early on Monday
morning and instead of going by train TO
Canandaigua to connect with the New
York Central for Rochester and Niagara
Falls the party took advantage of the ar
rangement by Chairman Carpenter with
the Senaca Lake Navigation Company, by
which the latter kindly extended the priv
lieses Of the steamer Schuyler to the party
from Watkin' sto Gencva,a distance offs some
40 miles. Lake Seneca is one of the most
beautiful bodies of water in western New
York, where picturesque lakes abound, and
a traveller to Niagara Falls over
the Northern Central railroad via
Canandaigua makes serious mis-
take in not stopping off at Watkins to
view the glen and making the rest of the
tIlI W tdlldlludlRud Dy IIe lake 10 bcItVd
when q very short sail ride brings you to
where the Grand Central begins. One has
escaped the tedium and the dirt and dust
of a rail ride, and besides has had "a boat
ride that he will not soon forget. The lake
IS 40 miles long and from two to five miles
wide. On each side there is quite slope
Of the banks and on these ''alinny slopes''
is where most of the grapes that we buy
in baskets late in the fall arc raised. Here
can be. seen at one time probably 1000 |
acres of grapes spread out in little five and |
10 acre patches here and there on the broad |
slopes. Around this lake are also raised |
apricots in great abundance, and it is not |
boasting in the least when u dcniZen of |
these bills tells you they arc superior to !
the California fruit of this name.
The party reached Niagara Falls Monday |
evening just before tea. The falls division |
of the New York Central from Rochester |
passes for some distance along the preci- |
pee Of the Niagara gorge and rapids below |
the falls. The perpendicular bank below |
the falls is about 200fcet high and as many |
OF the party had never seen Americas |
greatest wonder there was a sudden move |
ment over To the right side of the couch as |
the train approached Niagara, each one |
endeavorlng to get the first glimpse Of the |
falls and river. While yet three miles |
away NJ this point The falls could be seen |
from the car windows. The great Inter
national Hotel, the oldest and best hotel |
in Niagara was the headquarters of the |
association, and the party had hardly ar
rived before they We're nicely quartered in |
rooms twice the size of the little coors that |
one usually finds himself in when tiavel-
ing. Some OF the party were very early to |
supper and some We're very late--those who |
were early were wisely postponing their |
view of the falls until after tea, while those |
who were late had endeavored to take a |
first hasty glance before eating. One who |
has seen the falls will appreciate the truth |
Of the statement that q person to whom |
the falls are new can not take mere rum |
ning glance Mt them. saying, "Well. never |
mind now, will see them after while.u He |
who can do this has little soul in him and |
no inspired appreciation above that of |
dumb animal. The first view of the falls |
at near range electriles man and makes |
him momentarily speechless. Its awful |
grandeur. its finite immensely, its strange |
dreadful roar, its fantastic beauty, its ever |
lasting flow, brings about an inward and |
mysterious sensation in one that cannot |
be analyzed or described. 1t simply fulfills |
its mission of impressing mankind with |
nature and Gods infinite power.
But the sight-seer has not discovered the |
inner mystery and power of the water
until he has gone through the Cave of the |
Winds. which is under the narrow falls 4
on the American side of Goat Island. But
this is an ordeal that not one traveller in
Ellhlth dlltmIhS. DetullSc OF tine Trouble |
and the imagined danger involved. There |
is, indeed, much of forms, for one has to |
completely dsrnbn and dom rough |
wooden suit, clumsy ielt foot gear, thick |
rubber coat and helmet. With all these
encnmbranrcs ON yon have to descend |
winding wooden stairway to the bottom of |
the precirice $50 feet down. Here YOU are |
taken hold of by sturdy guide and led |
over great rocks and boulders and rough |
wooden gangways III front of the place |
where the water is falling on the great |
submerged rocks. Even this passage in |
front of the falling water is bad enough, |
for you are almost blown away by the ter
rite blast of wind and water which meets |
you. but your frghtful experience is to |
come when you have finally got around in
front and now attempt to go down and |
under them; that is between the solid |
mass of falling water and the rocky |
wall behind it. Most persons imagine |
no doubt that the wall is perpendicular or
nearly. 50. On the contrary the precipice |
behind is very concave and toward the |
centre is worn away probably 20 feet by |
the force of the water bestowed horizon |
tally as it falls on the rocks and chances
back. Into these strange, sem-dark, roar
ing and tempestuons cavern one goes !
trembllngly us one would go into a council |
hall Of evil spirits, of which it indeed too |
strongly reminds one II Is not fear so |
much rs the feeling If utter strangeness |
which appals one. The great roar goes
through ones whole being it seems while |
lie wind and water blows inwart. so
furiously that seeing is quite out of the |
question and breathing almost so. 1t Is |
even difficult to stand up before the force |
of the Two elements but as the water here |
is only foot or two deep there is no |
danger except from being frightened to |
death. The guide almost carries you |
through this small whirlpool of wind and |
Iona sc as-
again and you wonder how you ever lived |
through it. A half hour later when yon |
areseveral hundred feet above with half |
your clothes on you have a burning and |
perversc desire to do it again. only in this |
way does one correctly measure the force |
and the grandeur of the falls over which |
are pouring 450OO,00O gallons per minute |
or about one cubic mile of water per week. |
The International Hotel commanding, |
as it does, the best location on the Ameri- |
can side is also unqnestionably the best |
hotel in the city Of Niagara. 1t is large |
running at right angles with the main |
structure. The house is OF brick covered |
with plaster and while it is not as strik- |
ingly attractive as hotels are made now |
a-days, il is very commodious and hand |
somely appointed on the inside. The |
building is of brick covered with plaster
and reminds one of some old building of |
ante-belum days. There is Il very hand |
some lawn between the wings and back of |
the main part something after the style of |
the great Saratoga hotels and III this space
is a very handsome spouting fountain with |
4 dozen jets. the water rising 10 feet high. /
At night there is an arrangement by which |
the light of three electric lamps of 5000 /
candle power is thrown upon the fountain
spray through varriegated glass. The cir
cular slide in front OF each light has u
dozen narrow strips of colured glass and
these discs are turned by an attendant
every few moments so that there is most
hrntitiful and hnruoui,ug hlnn1ipor of