The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-01-15
Icp pRIpGN Ar NIAGARl.


Bridge Below the American Falls--Win
! Probably Lat Long Time-Eamous Ice
Bridges OF Former Years.
Corn espondence OF the Rochester Democrat
and Chronicle,
Niagara Falls, Jan. 9,-Niagara has
donned her winters dress and is now
radiantly beautiful in winters grasp.
On Tuesday morning an ice bridge of
apparent great strength formed in the
gorge Immediately below the falls, and
ON Tuesday might the flow of ice was
such as to materially strengthen it at
all points, so thNt there is every pros
pect that the icy structure which COM
mands such intense admiration will re-
main for an extended period. The
bridge extends from a point in front of
the Americana falls quite a distance down
the river in front of the canal milling
district, and is thus much larger than
usual. 1t also extends beyond the por-
tai of the Niagara Falls Power COM
pany's tunnel, the stream from which,
some felt, would eat away the founda-
tons of an ice bridge, and thus prevent
its formation. But this has been pro-
en- fallacy and the existing structure
Wen supports the opinions of those who
recognized that mot an over large guam
| tity of. water comes out of the tunnel
portal to cause destruction to the icy
mass which wins such popular favor at
Niagara.
AS yet the ice mountain has not at
tanned the mammoth proportions of
former years. but 1t is early, and there
is the usual prospect of a magnificent
| growth, for each cold day adds to the
mighty mound that to all appearances
has the yearly ambition to mount be-
yonh the top Of the cliff
In the park and on the islands nature
has arrayed herself in spotless white
robes, and the appearance is as though
each tree, each shrub, each twig, is
heWn from purest marble. Truly 1t is
fairy scene that greets one on every
side, SO wondrous is the beauty of this
| great strange eye feast. Admitting
humanity is constantly passing from
point to point hardly knowing which
view to applaud most The first to
cross the bridge of '96 were two young
men named Rickert and a man manned
4 Franklin. 1t was Wednesday afternoon
that they made the trip, and they re
ported the bridge very rough. Day by
day will add to the crowd, and soon will
| be seen the rough wooden structures
spring up on the bridge at mid-stream,
where the owners will defy the laws of
u two countries in selling different .'bev-
erages'' to warm the inner man. Deep
below them the current of the river
flows ever onward, and some day it will
lick their foundations from in under
them.
The present bridge formed about one
week earlier than the majority of other
structures of its kind I'M 1893 this rec
lord was beaten by four days, the ice
bridge of that year having formed on
January 3. Jack Mccoy was the first
to cross it, but he returned to the Ameri-
can side by way Of the Suspension
bridge In 1883 the first bridge formed
on January Is, and the second on jan
uary %. The second formation lasted
thirteen weeks, and when it came ut car
ried away over one hundred feet of the
inclined railway building. The Park
company who were then in possession
cleared away the debris and cut a tun-
mel eight by fifteen feet and about
twenty feet long, 50 as to reach the
bridge proper When tihis second great
1 jam of 1888 came Jack" Mccoy was liy-
ing in house near the waters edge Oh
the Canadian! side. His house was car
ried quite q distance from Its fotifaaa-
tions and tipped over. A clock that fell
off of shelf stopped ait 1925 a. IN. The
reason so much damage was done at
this time was because the water was
very high and q, strong bridge already
blocked the gorge. bridge that form
ed January IA, 1885, remained about nine
weeks. On january 10, 1885, a bridge
formed, but moved out the same day
The great bridge of 1883 formed on the
night of January a. 1t was the first
bridge after the state took possession
of the reservation lands, and remained
a long time. On the morning of Janu-
airy %, 1891, am ice bridge formed, but
went out at noon the same day. There
was no bridge in 1889 or 1892.
The Niagara ice bridge liz a magniff-
l,cent display Of small things when
united. Many who visit these wonder
full formations expect to find it COM
posed of massive cakes of ice; but, ON
the contrary, discover that there are
few pieces to be found larger than a
peck measure. 1t is this fact that makes
the bridge all the more wonderful. The
different manner I'M which visitors are
impressed by Nlagarais winter beauty
is best illustrated by an incident that
happened some years ago when the
park was private property ard Hans
Nelson was president of the company
in possession. While Mr.. Nelson was
in his office two we'll dressed ladies en-
tered, and addressing him inqired where
the ice bridge was, and informed him
that they had come a long distance to
see it. They had, they said, looked all
along the Whirlpool rapids to the falls,
but could not find it. When told that
if they would step out to the river bank
and look below 5hem in the gorge the
much sought object would be seen, they
expressed no little surprise and said
they had supposed the falling spray
from the falls kept freezing so that
people could walk from cliff to- cliff
The absurdity of this idea is apparent
to all who have visited Niagara and
know that the tops of the cliff are over
200 feet above the water in the lower