Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-11
ARTIFICIAL WATERFALLS.
Several Beautiful Cataracts Con-
structed.

From the Detroit Free Press.
In the town of Nice on the Mediterran-
can coast, there is a very fine artificial
waterfall something over twenty feet in
height. 1t is exceedingly beautiful, al
though there is not much water coming
over 1t, and it hangs above the town like
a silver bell. 1t tumbles over a rock IN
the public park. The waterfalls of Tivoii,
near Rome. are practically artificial, for
although there existed a waterfall that
was natural before the tunnels were made
through the rocks, yet three or four of
the present falls that form the attraction
to that pretty little Italian town are arti-
fetal. l have no data as to their height,
but it seemed to me. looking at them from
across the valley. that they are at least
800 feet from top to bottom.
The prettiest artificial waterfall that 1
ever saw Is the Engadine. The surround
ings are so natural and SO beautiful that
no one would ever suspect that 1t was arti-
fetal We're Ii not for the huge stone bikes
at the foot of the Alps, down which 1t
tumbles, built toward the lake into which
1t empties. 1t is situated about one hour s
walk west from st. Moritz. No guide book
l have ever seen makes any mention OF
1t, and do not know whether the cataract
has a name or not. 1t tumbles down from
a glacier on the Surlej Alps and empties
into the Vivaplana 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 1t does not tumble down in
one straight fall, but forms cascade after
cascade until 1t reaches the lake. l 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 realized that
instead of being loo feet high 1t was
nearer that number of miles, SO l gave up
the climb In despair
1 suppose it ought to be called the Surej
Falls, or the Surlej Cascades, for the Alp
down which 1t comes bears that name, and
lake is called Surlej. which means above
the lake." An event in the year 1884 led
to the information of this artificial water
fall; tragic event such as is only too COM
mon in Switzerland. The rivulet at that
time ran through Surlej. One night the
water stopped, being damned up by a land
slide. high up in 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 in
habitants then DETECTED the course of the
stream, and thus formed the artificial
waterfall.
Although most of the village was car
ried away, some remnants are still there.
The stout walls of the church are stand
ing, roofess. doorless and windowless. The
remains of the frescoes are still to be seen
on the plaster inside. The place is just as
the flood left 1t, the ground all around it
being a wilderness of stones, large and
small, as If some great paving contractor
had intended to macadamiZe the whole
place and had left the material scattered
around. few inhabitants live in the VII
lage, and one house is built on huge bowl
der that has come down from the noun
tains. If another flood should happen along
1t. at least, would be safe. Even in the
dryest weather there is a good volume of
water coming over the Surlej waterfall
and in spring it must be a cataract Well
worth seeing.