Year: 1879

Ihlls III Wlnbbf


The Toronto Globe, in a recent sketch
Of the appearance of Niagara Falls, says:
In the morning dense fog hung about the
great falls, and the sharp frost Of the carly
hours covered everything with thick hoar
frost. The glitter of the advancing sun
light among the snowy tinsel that hung on
every bough and branch-the changing
forms, and the changing hnes of the sturdy
column of spray spreading above Niagara,
and marking high up among the clouds
the place where the "fatber Of waters
pours its ineessant hoods-the solemn roar
Of the great fall, and the wintry slumber-
ing Of all else besides the one great object
Of the strangers admiration, make pic
ture of surprising interest. As day ad-
vaneed crowds of visitors lined the banks
of the river and filed the pathways lead
ing to the e-bridge.


Hundreds, and probably thousands, plod-
ded their way across this natural, rugged
thoroughfare before the day was ended.
The bridge is reached from the Canada
shore at the foot of the Ferry road, in front
Of the Clifton House The pathway across
the ice is narrow and exceedingly crooked
winding about in all directions to avoid
the breaks, and cracks and shoyes, and piles
and hollows that make up the surface Of
this icy structure. Teams drive to the
foot Of the ferry road on the Canada side
and to the top Of the bank in Prospect
park on the American side. At the foot
of the American fall are the usual ice
mounds, formed by the falling spray, while
the irregular surface of the "bridge' itsel
is glazed over for hundreds of feet around
The path across the ice and the mound.
about the fall were black with pleasure
seekers all the afternoon, and far down il
the evening; many clambered to the toI
of the highest mound, but the ascent wal
accomplished with great difficulty and il
many cases after several slips and tum
blcs.


The view from the top of this mounC
was well worth an effort TO obtain. Fa
cling southwark, on the immediate left
high up, was the American fall, pouriaG
its neyer-ending food into an abyss fillet
and darkened with a cloud of spray Fur
ther forward, and across the rushing, boil
ing, foaming green water, was the grea
Horse Shoe. Facing northward, on tn,
left again, was first the laughing, shouting
pleasare-seeking crowd, then the ce-bridg,
and then the rocky bank of the Canad
shore. Further forward, and hanging
away up in the air, was the frail and airy
looking Suspension Bridge On the right
at the top Of the bank, was a row Of hu
man heads, peering over the stone wal
guarding the edge Of the precipice 70
hundreds of feet at Prospect Point.


Leaving the bridge, tho visitor ascende,
the inclined railway some FIVE hundret
feet, and found himself in comfortable
quarters in Prospect Park If he wa
making the trip with conveyance, ant
had quilted his sleigh at the foot of tn
ferry road, the vehicle would meet hin
again at this point. The park was throng
ed with people, and is well worth visit a
this season Of the year. The ice scener
is very interesting. The archway leadin
down to the point, as well as the trunks Q
the trees, are drawn out, so to speak, oil
the side nearest the fall to two or thre
times their natural size. One must sc
the place to understand its peculiaritie
and appreciate its beauties.


Passing around Goat Island the ic
scenery is even grander than at any othe
point. The view at Luna island is wor
der by itself The little iron rod tina
marks the northern and western limit Q
the island is now no less than sixteen fee
in circumference the projecting icicle
hang hundred feet down towards tn
rocks below, while every bow and spri
supports a gigantic snowy form with pre-
portions similar to its own. Near tn
Horseshoe everything is crushed with tn
weight Of ice. Huge trees are broke
down, and only that the mass Of ice i
most cases helps to support its own weigh
every shrub and tender growth would b
utterly destroyed. Hundreds are visitin
these wonder-scenes, as well as the grea
bridge. With fair weather most pleas
ant day can be put in about Niagara Fall
just now, and there is every probabilit
that the bridge and other icy structure
will last for some weeks at least, and pos
sibly months