Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-09

| merly used for a standpipe was the mex
OBJECT OF our attention. A spiral stairwa:
up was tiresome We were amply rewarded
with the view from this high altitude
| we could see all over the entire city an,
| surrounding country and a more entranc
| ing sight have never seem The miles o
water with shipping of all kinds dottin.
| Its surface, from the immense freighter.
| ana passenger steamers to the little tugs
| yachts and smaller boats. lent n charm
to the scenery. l want to describe one
more of the i1owerbeds and the mos
| unique ones among the many. This bee
was just at the foot of the tower, circular
| in shape and inclined at an angle to give
| a person a perfect view of its beauty
Across the top and in a half circle were
the words Up date" and directly be.
low this the words. Thursday, Sept. q
1899" When it is remembered that this
was oil done In ferns and different co.
ored flowers the effect can be better
imagined than described.
We next visited the interior of the sta
ton i'm which were four engines, the
largest one which is worth noting and is
of the following dimensions. Engine No.
g. Built in 1880, weight 500 tons, h. D. 6,5.
cylinders IS and ST. stroke 81 revolutions.
1112 per minute. pumps 1900 gallons each
revolution, capacity. 80 million gallons
of BEAM diameter Of fly wheel "a feet.
weight Of fly wheel IS tons. There are
three inlet pipes to basin each 1000 feet
long. One hve feet and two six feet IN
diameter. These run from settling basin
to channel Of river which water flows into
basin. Basin is 365 feet wide with an av-
erage depth of ID feet capacity of basin
80 million gallons. Water flows from ba :
sin through conduits to wells beneath the
engines from which ii is pumped. There
are II large boilers of l40 h. D. each using
% tons OF coal day. There are EN-
well filled with books and Il reading room
beautitied with statuary and paintings
are among the attractions connected with
this institution to cultivate and educa G
the minds of the Workmen. one visit to
this place was productive of much pleas
ure and we lett feeling well repaid for
the time spent here.
An incident occurred here that is worth
relating. As we came out of the station
we We're accosted by "A gentleman in the
usual frank manner of the Westerner. and
upon further conversation we found
to our surprise that not only were we
talking with l.. l.. Mckinley, Ottawa,
Ills, the deputy grand master of the
state of Illinois and the coming grand
master, but q cousin to President Me
kinley az well. We also learned that be
sides being well advanced in the degrees
Of odd Fellowship he is a K. \. c. Ma
son and member of the g. \. K. We
had pleasant half hour chat with this
gentleman and felt deeply pleased with
having had the honor to converse with
such Il high representative Of the l. -.
.. +. of the state of Illinois and SO close
"A relation 10 our honOred President.
We visited some Of the city's industries
ana met with the most courteous Consid
Grafton from the management of them
who spared no pains TO give US pleasure.
We rode over the principal avenue OF tn
city. Woodward avenue. which runs from
the water front 70 miles, in a direct line,
and is ike all the other streets. Wild.
roadbed of smooth concrete and finely
kept. In fact all The streets are kept
neat and clean and present beautifIl
appearance, this makes II one OF the most
healthiul cities In the West.
Thursday evening cut our stay short in
Detroit ana At lu.3u We boarded our train
for our return trip. Every hing was
ready for NJ in our sleeper and we re
tired soon after crossing the ferry land
ing Us On Canadian soil. At $50 We
reached Niagara Falls where We took the
electric cars over To Niagara, New York;
We breakfastei a Hotel Imperial and
at . o'clock took carriages Tor our ride
through the parks ana 20 view the falls
Our ride took us through the parks or
The American side and We stopped az az
poiuts Of interest. alighted ana viewed
These falls must forever De regarded as
one Of natures greatest creations. Tho
scene is much changed since the day
when ii was regarded as an object of su
perstitious fear by the Indians. Hemmei
IN by dense forests, the approach to the
falls in those early days must have in
Splred feeling Of awe. No Wondcr that
to the Indian this stupendOuS Work OF
nature was sacred or that plgrimages
were made to Conciliate its anger. The
story is old yet ii is still told how yearly
on their pilgrinaSes as an offering 10 inc
Deity. a beautiful young girl was bound
fast in Il canoe and then set adritt in the
rapids while the singers chanted her
death song till her fraii bark was swep;
over the cataract and swallowed up II
the foam and spray beneath. Time has
left its fingermarks on this great won
der. Slowly but surely the great grant"
shelf is being worn away by the tons of
,-s1 for moi N,ar n
large portion OF table rock was precip
itated into the gulf with thunder crash
that was heard miles away.
Charles Dickens description OF tn
Falls is perhaps the best ever written. he
says: AT length | alighted and for the
first time heard the mighty rush OF va
meath my feet. The bank is very steep
and was slippery with rain and Ia +
melted ice. | hardly know how | got
down but | was soon at the bottom and
climbing over some broken rocks. deaf
ened by the noise. half blinded by the
spray and wet to the skin. | could see
an immense torrent OF water tearing
headlong down from some great height
but had no idea OF shape or situation or
but immensely. When we were
seated in the little ferry boat and were
crossing the swollen river Immediately
before the cataracts | began to feel what
il was. but / was in a manner. stunned
and unable 10 comprehend the vastness
of the scene 1t was not until came on
ape ROCK ana iitt'NNi O'i
what a fall of bright green water-that
il came upon me IN its full might anu
majesty Then when | felt how near to
my Creator | was standing, the hrst ef
feet and enduring one-instant and las
ing-of the tremendous spectacle was
peace-Niagara was at once stamped up |
on my heart an image of beauty; 10 re- |
main there changeless and indelible, un-
I'll its pulses cease to beat forever.
Since the memorable visit Of Dickens
the immediate vicinity of the Falls mas
been transformed. Beautiful parks form
an agreeable setting to natures work
Hotels have been erected and bridges
span the river. Now instead of climbing
down the bank. without any protection
from the spray but ordinary clothes, ne
would take the elevator and be encaseu
in a rubber suit with only the face eX-
posed to the falling spray and mist. The
six hours we had at Niagara was well
spent. No part of this historic pleasure
ground was left UNEMPLOYED. The region
below the Falls presents a beautiful pct
ure and the ride by the electric railway
down past the whirlpool on the American
side and across the bridge and up the
Canadian side affords an excellent oppor-
tunity of seeing the principal points OF IN
terest at very small expense.
Leaving Niagara late in the afternoon
we arrive at Toronto in time for supper
and as we have an hour or two to wait
before our train leaves for Kingston we
go up town and take in the sights OF the
Queen city of Canada Toronto Is
situated on the north shore |
If Lake Ontario and is the social. literary
and educational centre of the Dominion
and one of the largest and most prosper |
Gus of its commercial centres. Few cllle.
IL, l,.Y,F ,r