Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-08-28
THE EDITORS VACATION.
Niagara Falls, August Is, l9l

Niagara Falls, one OF Natures real won
ders. and have thought that brief &C
count of my observations might be OF in
terest TO our readers. Our train lett
Washington at 7.45 Friday morning, and
the Journey was pleasant one, though
we had enough of it long before we
reached Niagara Falls an hour after mid
night. The Lehigh Valley route is an in
teresting one, carrying us across Mary
land and Delaware to Philadelphia,
thence through that wonderfully busy
section OF Pennsylvania where the iron
and cement industries cause such great
industrial activity. South Bethlehem is
the seat OF one OF the great iron manu-
factories, and thence up the Lehigh river,
which is black with the refuse from the
factories and coal dust and general dirt,
there are great cement plants, slate quar-
rieS and hundreds OF industrial enter
prises that support the many towns that
occupy the valley. Climbing the noun
tains past famous Mauch Chunk, the
train reaches the summit and slips rapidly
down the other slope into Wilkes Barre,
the center OF the anthracite coal region.
Then up the beautiful north branch OF the
Susquehanna, the journey is continued
until the State of Pennsylvania has been
crossed, and we enter New York State,
going on through the great fruit belt and
agricultural section, finally reaching our
destination after midnight.
found accommodations in hotel a
few hundred yards from the tails, and to
the deep monotone OF the falling waters
soon fell asleep. Next morning without
delay we went out TO have our first view
OF the mighty plunge of the river as it
sweeps over the great precipice and falls
l6l feet into the mlStS below. The
American falls, with contour line OF
1860 feet, and the Canadian or Horseshoe
falls, with contour OF 3,0l0 feet, with
Goat Island dividing them. are best OBJ
servable from the Canadian side. 1t is
a scene of majesty. A great river, fret
ted by the rapids that extend for several
miles above, comes suddenly TO sheer
precipice of vast height and leaps unhin-
dered to the gorge below. Loag before
the bottom of the fall is reached the
waters have been transformed into snowy
foam and mist, and none can see the
place where they strike, for the spray
from its fearful dash upon the rocks
beneath hides in eternal oblivion the
feet OF the giant waters.
The water is deep green as il plungeS
over the center OF the Canadian falls, but
il soon turns and in ever changing forms
OF spray, white as snow, twists and
twirls until it loses itself al the loot OF the
precipice and reappearS in the dark river
below. The mists are always there and
are often carried by the breeze high in
the air above the falls, and beautiful rain
bows span the gorge like fairy bridge
of all the primary colorS. The precipice
over which the water falls is perpendicu-
lar, and so are the sides OF the gorge
through which the river runs until it
Quiets down at its entrance into Lake
Ontario several miles below.
The water in the river just below the
falls is $50 feet deep, and it runs swiftly
but quietly for perhaps a mile or two
until begin the rapids. These rapids are
almost as wonderful as the famous falls
themselves. The narrowing river COM
presses the waters until they become a
wild and furious torrent obStructed by
great rocks that form the bottom OF the
fearful gorge. The unyielding rocks fret
the surging stream into tempeStuouS dis
order, and monstrouS waves dash high
into the air. With terrible force and
speed the waters race down the rough
incline, and wave and spray and roar and
hiss make pandemonium to eye and
ear. Half way down the rapids the river
makes turn at right angles, and here is
formed the fearful whirlpool, where ev-
cry animate and inanimate thing that is
caught in the surging torrent is ground TO
atoms in the fearful maelstrom.
Again the rapids, and then the angry
stream becomes quiet and serene, as it
makes ready to enter the placid waters OF
Lake Ontario, one ofthose wonderful in
land seas OF fresh water that form chain
reaching half way across an empire. The
Niagara river is simply an outlet to the
great lakeS-it is stream only about
twenty miles long. II carries the waters
OF Lake Erie, at Buffalo, TO Niagara Falls,
thence through the gorge until it emptieS
into beautiful Lake Ontario. The outlet
to Lake Ontario is the st. Lawrence riv-
er, which carries the waters of the great
lakes TO the Atlantic Ocean.
There is no likelihood that Niagara
Falls will run dry, as has been predicted
by some persons. Drought does not al
feet it, nor do heavy rains cause it TO
flood. No one need be alarmed at the
prophecy Of the scientists that in course
OF time the fall. will wear away under the
action of the water. Calculations show
that il willtake about 100000 years for
this to occur-so the present generation
should no. worry. The only objection
that we have to the falls is that they are
too far awaY-we wish that they had
been located on the Potomac river, near
Shepherdstown, for instance.
Atlantic CITY. August d 1Ql3.