McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-03-09

Woiiu-ldinouS IloIoesnue ais, bHoH
came faint roar from the tumbling
waters, and Niagara was full before
me. Below the falls the river, 20O
feet deep, was piled with ice which
was said to be rs feet thick, built up
by enormous cakes coming down over
the falls from Lake Erie and the up
per river. At the Canadian end of
the bridge | saw Canadian soldiers
pacing to and fro, and on passing
little sentry house | was hailed by
man in uniform who raised the win
dow and asked me who was and
what wanted. When | flashed" on
him my official badge as government
agent of the United States and said !
| was merely sightseeing, he smiled
and with a wave of the hand and a
salute passed me on. and in the next
|
step or two | was on Canadian soil
There was the British flag fying, and
in big letters sign said: "You said
you would respond when called upon;
your king and country need you now" :"
Turning to the left | walked up the
I
Canadian side of the gorge toward
the great falls, which now began to
loom up sure enough; the waters
looked green where they curved over
the edge of the precipice, and the
rising mist spread white mantle of
frost far and wide as it froze on tree,
grass and ground. But before | got
very near the falls there was gate
across the road, and sentry there
with his gun on guard. He told me
he had to stay only two hours on at
time, but he looked so cold | pitied
him, although | was there without an
overcoat, and it was only ten degrees
above zero. People came and went,
| on foot and in all sorts of conveyances,
but each gave a number, and was not
allowed to 60 in or out until that
number had been looked up and
checked on a book inside a little
sentry-house where several officers
were stationed, Truly, the Canadian
authorities are not taking any chances
on having their falls or power houses
tampered with. Down bel,w, at the
waters edge, power house looking
like a toy structure, it was so far be-
low, was sparting water from its tur-
bines to the tune of 100000 horse
power, | was told. | went into lit
tie booth where many curios were for
sale, and wrote Canadian scenic postal
cards to friends in Selmer and else.
where. using two-cent stamps that
bore the likeness of King George. !
would like to know whether any of
J them ever reached their destination.
Going back across the bridge | as
cended on the American side and
went right up to the falls. first cross
ing over the American branch of the
Niagara river to Goat Island. This
branch is not much more than big
creek, but | would not for the world
have stepped into that rushing cur
rent which was soon to tumble over
that awful steep, straight downward
l67 feet on to the Jagged rocks be-
low. Goat Island contains GA acres,
and is a big woods, with fine trees
and houses in it. purchased from the
y
owners thirty years ago by the State
of New York for 100000. ! went
on over to the Canadian side of the
falls, where walkways had been laid
out. with walls on each side, so that
one could 60 right up almost within
touching distance of the water as it
turns over the edge. 1t is eight feet
lower than the American side of the
falls, and for that reason far more
water comes over-seven times as
much as on the American side. The
water is twenty feet deep where it
goes over the edge, and the deep
green color reminds one of thick
glass, especially where the horseshoe
faces the beholder.
Niagara in winter has charms of
its own. The fog from the churning
waters rises high and is blown over
on the trees where it freezes into a
snow-white covering, artistically and
fantastically ribbed and ribboned, and
the trunks of the trees, or such as
can stand up under the awful weight
of ice, look like crystal columns in a
frozen palace. | broke some of the
high blades of white ice from the
branches of trees and enjoyed chew
| ,nnr Tho chnoru chnnkn Of frnnnn r,nink