Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1893-01-26
nHipUnp icy IcH.
III" Magnificent Spectacle Now Witnessed
at Niagara Fail.


I The ice hridg. at Niagara Falls is
one OF the most ample and substantial
seen Tor years. The steady zero
! weather of the past week has filled
! the upper river with ice, which is
pouring over the falls in vast quanti-
/ ties and adding eacl. hour to the lam.
which is called the bridge" The
process Of formation thus goes on.
! the latest arrival OF ice being carried
/ under that which i stationary and
gradually raising the whole up higher
| and higher.
The heavy fall OF snow and the
cloud OF mist at the falls. which
settled on top. freezing is fast as they
! fell. form Il natural cement.
Many parties Of tourists have visited
I Niagara within the past few days 10
4 view tile ice bridge and its attendant
scenery. Some of them have had
| pcriloU> experiences in their fool.
| hardy endcavors to get near to the
! foot Of the falls. Young Sargent. a
/ hotel clerk here. cclipScd all by cross
! ing d smaller ice bridge that bad
] formed abreast ot Goat island and
/ extended toward the Canadian shore
until iiddle staircase, near the
I Table rock. ON his return he stated
that the grandeur OF the scenes he
/ witnessed along the shore we'll repaid
him for the danger he underwent.
/ To give an idea OF the real danger
Sargent passed through. some Of
the ice ,ioatcd of the small section oil
which he stood and Went whirling
down until it reached the large ice
bridge. when it disappeared under
the ice and came out on the other
| side. Had the young man been
caught on one of these pieces his
death would have been certain.
Three hours after he returned to the
shore all the stationary ice which he
had travcrScd brok" away and was
sucked down under the ice bridge
| and went down stream. a party of
New Workers wanted Sargent to
take thcm out on the route he made
/ but when they reached Prospect
point they found, instead Of the ice.
Il swift, rushing river.
The present bridge is one o. the
largest ever recorded at the fails and
will continue now to grow until Il
long thaw breaks it up. When that
time cones many of the owners Of
inclined railways and staircascs at
the foot of the bluffs along the gorge
/ have reason TO fear that Their slender
structures may be swept away.
4 The formation Of an ice bridge is
an interesting sight. Thee must be
severe cold weather for Il week or two
to form ice Of Il certain thickness in
river above the falls and on Lake
Erie When the thaw comes the ice
breaks up and is carried down over
the fallsand formsa jam in the gorge.
1t has generally been the rule that a
bridge would not stand unless it
|
above the Whirlpool rapids, and
builded up toward the falls. The
present bridge, however, is formed of
the smaller pieces OF ice. and extends
from Il point below the portal OF the
big tunnel up to the edge of the
American falls. 1t is compactly
built and frozen hard. Its thought
by old residents that it will stand.
The last bridge was in 1882 Never
since the year of 1855 has there been
such bridge as now. The ice
mountain is now forming, and coast
ing parties will soon be using it.
1t has been said several times, but
it will bear repeating that. whenever
you write letter asking for infor-
nation which concerns only your
own personal interests enclose a
stamp for reply, always enclose a
stamp"