Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-02-06
ARTIFICIAL WATERFALLS.

Some European Structures That Rival In
Beauty Natures Productions.
! In the town of Nice. on the Mediterra-
mean coast there is a very fine artificial
waterfall something over 90 feet in
height. 1t is exceedingly beautiful, al
though there is not much water coming
over it, and it hangs over the town like
a silver bell. 1t tunbles over rock in
the public park. If nice and Nice were
pronounced the same, would endeavor
TO make pun about that waterfall.
The waterfalls Of Tivoli, near Rome,
are practically artificial, for although
there existed a waterfall that was natu-
raj before the tunnels were made through
! the rocks, yet three or four of the pres
ent falls that form the attraction to that
pretty little Italian town are artificial.
[ have no data as to their height, but it
seemed to me, looking at them from
across the valley, that they are at least
300 feet from top to bottom.
The prettiest artificial waterfall that
ever saw is in the Engadine. The sur
roundings are so natural and so beauti-
full that no one would ever suspect that
it was artificial were it not for the huge
stone dikes at the foot of the Alps, down
which it tumbles, built toward the lake
into which it empties. 1t is situated
about one hours walk west from st.
Moritz. No guidebook have ever seen
makes any mention of it, and do not
know whether the cataract has name
or not
1t tumbles down from glacier on the
Surlej Alp and empties into the Sivapla-
na lake opposite the pretty little village
of the same name, which stands at the
bottom of the Julier pass. estimate
the height of this artificial cataract to be
1000 feet, but it does not tumble down
in one straight fall but forms cascade
after cascade until it reaches the lake.
tried to climb to the top of it, but the
way was rough, there being no path and
by the time had got half way up real
lied that instead Of being !, 1000 feet high
it was nearer that number of miles, so
gave up the climb in despair.
Isuppose it ought to be called the Sur
lei falls or the Surlej cascades, for the
Alp down which it comes bears that
name. and the ruined village at the low
er end of the lake is called Surlej, which
means "above the lake." An event in
the year 1884 led to the formation of the
artificial WATERFALL tragic event such
as is only too common in Switzerland.
The rivulet at that time ran through
Surlej. One night the water stopped,
being damned up by a landslide high up
the mountains. When the avalanche
came down, the village was swept away.
On the principle of locking the door
when the horse is stolen, the inhabitants
then detected the course Of the stream
and thus formed the artificial waterfall.
Although most of the village was carried
away, some remnants are still there.
The stout walls of the church are still
standing-roohess, doorless and window
less.
The remains of the frescoes are still to
be seen on the plaster inside. The place
is just as the flood left it, the ground all
around it being wilderness of stones,
large and small, as if some great paving
contractor had intended to macadamize
the whole place and had left the mate
rial scattered around.
A few inhabitants live in the village,
and one house is built on huge bowl
der that has come down from the noun
tains. If another food should happen
along, it at least will be safe. Even in
the driest weather there is good vol
ume of water coming over the Surlej
waterfall, and in spring it must be a
cataract well worth seeing. - Detroit
Free Press.