Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-09-24
VICTORIA FALLS.
One of the Most beautiful Spectacles
49, In the World 500,

There is fine description Of Vic
toria falls In the Zambezi river in e.
f. knights. South Africa After the
War" The author says: "The nature
Of the extraordinary volcanic assure,
that created the falls cannot easily be-
realized without reference to map,
but at the point under Consideration
the mighty Znmbezi flows. roughly,
from north to south. At about, half.
Il mile above the falls tire river Is n
mile and half in breadth. Then 1t
contracts, and the breadth at the falls
themselves is Il little over a mile, or,
to be exact, 1896 yards. And here,
to one looking over the edge, the great
river seems suddenly to come to an
end, no continuation Of its channel
being visible The Zambezl for its
whole mlle OF breadth thunlers down
prccipitously into comparatively mr.
row, profound trench or canyon, which
extends ut right angles to the rivers
course from shore to shore Beyond
the falls one Is faced by the perpcn-
diculnr wall OF the canyon. Below the
madly whirlng spray obsc,lrcs the
view OF the bottom OF the CANYON.
ana it seems us II the whole mighty
food were falling into the center of
the earth through this awful chnsm.
But the river has its exit, precip-
itous cleft, only ten yards in breadth
near the eastern end OF the canyon,
through which the whole of the CON
tracted Humbczi ruslics with incred-
iblc speed, fury and confusion, form
ing at this point what is called the
Boiling Pot, surely one Of this earths
most terrific scenes.
Il believe" the author adds. "thnt OH
TINT day l was gazing at the most per-
fectly beautiful spectacle OF all this
beautiful world. 1t was the lovely
tenderness of the rich coloring, batllci
IN that translucent atmosphere OF thin,
pcarly haze, rather than the awful
majesty OF the scene that impressed
one. AT our feet, far below, the rag
Ing flood Numbered away down the
canyon 10 the exit in the misty dis
lance. On our left the line OF the cata-
ract, plunging into the swirling spray
beneath, was clearly visible for some
way out with it's white avalanches and
coruscatinS spray. and then gradually
became less distinct In the thin haze
until at last far OIL beyond Livingstone
island 1t disappeared from our vision
III the luminous pcarl-likc mist that
formed the background to oil the land
scape.
ION our right, facing the cataract.
doomed the 900 foot high wall Of the
canyon, topped by the lush green Rain
forest with its ever dripping branches.
Aid as we looked new wonders be.
came gradually revealed to our Won
derins gaze. began to perceive In
hooks OF the black precipices halfway
down strange plants growing. as In
happy confidence their fragile rainbow
hued blossoms ever sinking in the
wind and driving spray, but safe and
unframed amid this eternal storm,
And down the black cliff wall on my
right l saw hundreds of tiny white
streamlets pouring. formed by the re-
turning spray from the Rain forest
And as l watched them discovered a
strange thing.
These falling streams never reached
the bottom of the chnsm. They dropped
into little cascndes to about Il third OF
the way down, and then, as ii defying
the laws of gravity, they literally turn
ed round and came bncl, again, mount
Ing vertically. 1t was curious to see
these cascades. after breaking into
spray. appear to hesitate and falter
and then begin to rise, first slowly, but
soon rapidly, shooting upward in whirl-
Ing foam columns and feathery foun-
tnins, being carried up by the fitful
blasts Of cold mir that the dropping cat
nract forced out Of the narrow chusm
into which 1t thundcred."