The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-02-15
Niagara in Winter.

The Barnard, Sumner & Putnam Com
pany, the great dry goods firm of Worcester,
Mass, has placed on exhibition in its large
carpet hall Cameron's famous painting
" Niagara in Winter" and invited the pub
lie to the full aud free enjoyment of the OK
hibition. The painting covers 126 square
feet of canvas, and measures in its massive
gold frame twenty feet by ten feet. Fol-
lowing il description OF the painting: The
point of view is on the ice ,m or ice-bridge,
which Is the only position where the whole
extent of both falls aud Goat Island may be
seen at one glance. On the extreme left il
Prospect Point, bare precipice in summer;
but now covered with wonderful lacewurk
OF gigantic iCiCles over its whole height Of
over 175 feet, Next Is the American Fall,
about 600 feet wide and 40 feet high. AT
its foot is a number of very remarkable Ice
cones from 100 to 140 feet high. Goat Island
Is in the middle of the picture, on the brink
OF the precipice. To the left OF Goat Island
Is Luna Island, small ice-covered mass on
the brink with few ice-coated trees Be-
tween 1t and Goat Island ia the Bridal Veil
Fall, under which is the Cave of the Winds,
through which it il possible to pass in sum-
mer. To the right of Goat Island is the
Terrapin Rock, very lovely sight in win
ter in its robe of exqusitely wrought ice
This forms the east limit Of the great Horse
shoe or Canadian Fall, which is seen in its
full extent, lying directly across the line OF
vision, with rs dark green wall of water in
the center The full width of Niagara il
nearly a mile. The American Fall and
Goat Island, lying obliquely to the vision
and very much foreshortened, and the
| Horseshoe Fall, being much farther away
Is reduced in the perspective, The width Of
the gorge in front is about l 600 feet. The
water below the falls Is 80 smootl, that
small row-boats ply continually over il
| without accident. 1t is nearly 200 feet deep
the current being 100 feet below, The ice
/ ii In, aIn F.alle
from Lake Erie, and completely fill the
| gorge for two miles The sky represents
faithfully the first rush of the famous biz
zard of March, 1888. The people are dis
tinguishrd party of Canadians from Mon
treal. There are many minor points of in
terest in the picture, to appreciate which
visitors are enioined to bring opera glasses
In the course of long and interesting de
scrpiion, the Worcester Gazette says: " Tn,
| unique features of the work are that 1t il
the largest legitimate landscape painting IL
the world, and, doubtless, the most elabo
rate and valuable, and it Is the only pictur,
OF Niagara that embraces the whole stretcl
of both falls aud Goat Island, with portions
of the American and Canadian cliffs ant
the ice. bridge, with absolute scientific accu
racv The sky of rushing electrical suoV
clouds is the only study made direct from
nature by any artist of the first rush of tn
famous blizzard of March, 1888. 1t is tn
only large picture ever painted that wi
bear the utmost scrutiny through powerful
field-glasses, this being, perhaps, the mos
surprising and original novelty in the Who'll
production, and one that makes repeate
visits to it never.ceasing source of deligt
and Information. Without the opera
glasses the picture is uncommonly remark
able; but their use brings new revela'io
of the results of years of patient and skillft
labor" The exhibition of this remarkah
painting is a characteristic piece of ente
prise on the part Of the Barnard, Sumner
Putnam Company.