Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-09-18
From Virginia to Niagara.


; (Contiaued from last week
To see the river of water pouring ovel
you, the oveThanging precipice behinC
you, and to see the water pouring OF
boulders below you tom off from the rug
ged rock river bed above see the splash
ing and dashiDg and foaming and waving
few men can but stop and think how
frail am | and how great is He whose
works these are We are glad to retrace
our steps from here and ascend Biddle
stairs to Goat Island, which separates
the American Falls from the Horse Shoe
Falls. The latter is in the shape of a
horse shoe and falls from all sides but the
north, to almost nnfathomable depths be-
low. But before leaving the American
Fails we notice a number of persons who
have Invested themselves of their own
clothing and attiied in water proof oil
cotton, with toboggan and moccasin shoes
of the same material They are going to
the Cave of the Winds. They ascend a
winding stairway over cliffs, through
spray and falling water, and enter this
cave under the American Falls. Our
party lett this part of the programme out.
as the day was too cool to put on cold
wet oil cotton. The horse Shoe Falls IS
more than a half n mile long and the
water over the falls IS about 20 feet deep
| Here the mist is so heavy as to form a
cloud, which hangs directly over the
Falls. Oyer these Falls Mr.. X. A. Wick
ersham, of Clear Brook, this State, lost
his hat. This fall is $50 feet HIGH feet
lower than the American Falls. We pass
up the Rapids about a mile to the
point where Goa5 Island separates the
two Falls, TO the Three Sister Islands.
These islands are thrown out in the
Rapids above the Horse Shoe Falls and are
connected to one another and to Goat Is
land by beautiful suspension foot bridges.
The river above these Islands is wide and
deep. Here it is calm and peaceful, but
directly above, 1t begins to show signs of
disturbance, and as it approaches Goat
Island, it begins to splash and dash, and
move at the :aie Of seven miles per hour
and increases its rate to 21 miles per
hour. As the distance Of separation in.
creases, the rate OF descent and plunging
mRdness increases, until it reaches its first
leap over the Falls. Then here, after rip
ping and raving and dashing and splash
ing and roaming and foaming and mist
ing and spraying and waving, it assumes
tolerably even and calm cOmpOsure, but
then suddenly naTfOws mp to 300 to 100
yards wide and from 200 to 800 feet deep
This gorge extends from the Falls to
Queenstown, q distance of seven miles
The river bed OF the Rapids above the
Falls is a solid mass of uneven rock, over
which the water pitches and splashes.
Tho bed Of the river below the Falls,
must be of solid rock WITH projecting
points 50 to 100 feet high, as the water
here. as deep as the gorge is GOO to 300
feet deep) punges in the air from five to
fifteen feet high.
We pfsi down the Whirlpool Rapids
aud cross the railway suspension bridge,
$50 feet above the water, and pass over
into British possessions. Here We go
down the river to the point whore Dixon
walked across these Rapids, $50 feet
above the water on a three fourth inch |
cable, Just few weeks before. Here |
several of us look over this awful precl-
pice, which Is without fence or railing
and one man becomes so fear sick from
seeing others look oyer that he was given
stimulants to revive him. We pass back |
to our own country aud feel some what
easier and better thereby. Many items
of interest and objects of note should be
mentioned but time and space are both
limited, AMI Will pass them by.
We take the train for return as far as
Penn YaD. Others Of the party 90 to
Toronto, and in crossing Lake Ontario, a
number of the party, it is said, fed the
fish over the rall with mastigated food
But you know fish have no teeth and
men have. The water was billOwy from
heavy gale, and caused tho trip to be
unpleasant. The Custom House Inspec
tor examined their baggage and in one
case found an unlaundried shirt and the
remains, think. of dinner and supper.
At Penn Yam, On Saturday, we took the
steame. Holmes up Lake Kcuka to Ham
mondsport. This lake is - miles long
and is fork shaped. The borders of this
lake slope back a mile or more, and
these slopes, or ridges are covered with
vineyards from one end to the other, with
an occasional woodland between. The Su
perintendent of Census gives II, 500 acres of
grapes on the borders of this lake IN 1889.
The products of that year were 1883
gallons Of wine, and II .254 tons sold for
table use. We stopped at a number of
landings, where beautiful summer re-
sorts and gardeners cottages are. At
TIammondsport we take the train for the
wine cellars of the Pleasant Valley Com
pany. Here we get our first idea of
cask, some of which contain $500 gal
Ions of wine. The manager of tn CON-
paDy gave rs free champagne, the first
that a great many of us ever tasted and
many tried it ouly to know the taste there
of. In the evening We return TO Penn
Yam and spend the next day, Sunday,
resting and attending church. We went
to the Presbyterian church in the morning
and the Baptist at night. At the latter
we heard the finest QUARTET music, led
by the pastor, we over heard. Monday
morning at $50 we took the train for
lone, and arrived at Winchester at about
$50 that night A number of the party
stopped off at Watkins Glen, famous
natural sight. with Lake Seneca opposite
it, makes a showing said to almost rival
Niagara.
Much credit and praise should be given
Douglass Lockwood, Esq, of Stephens
City, for his gallant leadership of the
party. We all returned home delighted
with our trip. and are made to feel that
we have recelyed full value for the time
and money spent. c.