The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-17

Adventures % : Hotel ctera-
much Damage Looke fes when the
Freak Comes

Fonlhardy Adventures 81 = Hotel clera-
Much DnmaEs Looked fos When ~
Break Comes
BUFFALO. N. Y, Jan. iz.-rhe Ice
bridge al NiagarA Falls ID one Of the
most ample and Substantial see for
wears The steady zero weather Of
tho past week has filed the up
per river with Ice. which Il pour
ing ove the falls In vast quantities and
adding each hour 70 the jam which -
called the BRIDE The process Of
formation TINS goes on. the latest ar
rival of Ice being carried under that
which Il stationary and gradually
raising tho whole up higher and high
or. The heavy fall Of snow and the
clouds Of mist from the falls which set
tie on the top. freezing n fast q they
fall form 4 natural cement
Many parties Of tourists visited Mag
ARA within the past few days 70 view
the lee bridge and Ii attendant scene
~. Some Of them have had perilous
experiences In their fooihardy endcav-
ors TO get near to the foot Of the fRlls
By ~venturing on the ice. Young Sar-
gent q hotel clerk here. eclipsed all en-
PLOTS by crossing q smaller Ice bridge
that had formed abreast Of Goat island
and extended toward the Canadian
shore. under the Biddlc staircase. near
the table rock. On his return. he stated
that the grandeur Of the scene he wit
messed along the shore well repaid him
for the danger he underwent.
To give an idea Of the real danger
Sargent passed through. some Of the Ice
floated off the small section on which he
stood and went whirlihg down until II
reached the large Ice bridge, when II
disappeared under the leo and came out
on the other side. Had the young man
been caught on n Of these pieces. his
death would nave boen certain. Three
hours after he returned 10 the shore,
nil the stationary ice which he had
traversed broke away and waa sucked
under the Ice bridge and went down
stream. A party Of New Workers
wanted Sargent to take them out on
the route he made, but when they
4 reached Prospect Point they found. In
stead Of the ice. a swift rushing river.
The present bridge is one of>the larg-
est ever recorded at the falls. and win
continue now 10 grow until q long thAw
breaks 1t up When that timo comes,
many OF the owners OF inclined rail-
ways and staircasese at the foot Of the
bluffs along the gorge have reaso TO
fear that their slender structures may
be swept away.
The formation Of an Ice bridge Is an
interesting sight There must be severe
cold weather for q week or two to form
Ice Of n certain thickness In the river
above the falls and on Lake Eric.
When the thaw comes the Ice breaks up
and is carried down over the falls and
forms . jam In the gorge. II has gem
orally been the rule thatgAa bridge
would not stand unless be-
raj Just above swift water 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
a point below the portal Of the big tnn-
mel up TO the edge OF the American
falls. 1t is compactly built and frozen
hard. II Is thought BY old residents
that it will stand. The last bridge was
in 1889. Never, since the9winter Of 1858.
has there been such a bridgeas Is form
ed now. The ice mountain Is now form
ing, and coasting parties will soon be
using it