"Chicago to the Sea." Eastern Excursionist / A complete guide to the principal eastern summer resorts, including: Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Montreal and Quebec, the New England sea beaches, etc., and how and when to enjoy them.

by William C. Gage

A tunnel has been cut from the cliff to the margin of the river, at an angle of about thirty degrees, and within it is built the railway, by the side of which is a flight of stairs, numbering 290 steps. The cars are raised and lowered by machinery, operated by a turbine wheel, and are so arranged that one ascends while the other descends. This railway has been in successful operation, without a casualty, for nearly forty years. The timid, however, to whom the descent appears perilous, have the choice of the stairway for reaching the river, and many prefer to trust their own limbs in the climb, but are generally glad to avail themselves of the car in returning. At the foot of the stairs, a commodious building has been erected, from which a view of the Falls from below may be had through windows which protect the visitor from the spray. A nearer view may be obtained by donning a water-proof suit, for which facilities are provided in the dressing-rooms, and, with a trusty guide, taking a promenade upon “Hurricane Bridge,” at the very foot of the American Fall, completing the trip by going behind the cataract itself, which may be done in safety, and constitutes a novel experience. The cavernous recess behind the curtain of falling water extends nearly to the center of the Fall, and is filled with the dashing spray which perpetually rises from the cauldron of waters. The roar of the cataract echoes and re-echoes within this chamber, the effect being heightened by the compression of the air; and the combined effect upon the senses as one thus stands as it were within the very grasp of Nature’s most powerful forces, serves to show the contrast between puny man and his omnipotent Creator.

Between the foot of the Inclined Plane and the Canada shore, a line of ferry boats has been established, affording a safe and pleasant method of transit between those points, and a view of the Falls from the river level. The best time for this trip is early in the morning or an hour or two before sunset, and the impressions made upon the mind in connection with it, will be among the most lasting of all the recollections of Niagara.

Returning to the Park by the stairway or the car, as the traveler may elect, we continue our examination of the objects of interest to be found within its limits. Its shady groves and pleasant walks, remnants of the natural forest improved by the hand of art, furnish delightful resting places or promenades; and its Art Gallery, Concert Hall, Pavilion, and other provisions for entertainment, serve to engage the attention of the visitor, and make pleasant the hours that pass while within the Park.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATION.

One of the most enjoyable features of the visit to Prospect Park is that provided for the hours of evening. The illumination of the Falls and fountains by the electric light is a pleasing spectacle, and well worthy of a tarry to see. The electricity for the purpose is developed by one of the largest sized dynamo machines, kept in operation by a powerful turbine wheel, located in the Ferry building, the water-power supplied by a canal. The brilliant light thus produced is concentrated upon the Falls and Rapids, both in clear white and with prismatic effects, rendering them even more beautiful by night than in the full light of day.

An arrangement of fountains in which the waters are made to assume a variety of shapes, with revolving wheels and jets of spray, the whole illuminated with shifting lights of all colors, constitutes an exhibition amply rewarding a long journey to behold. The observer is fascinated by the ever-changing colors and gorgeous effects, more beautiful than any pyrotechnic display, which it very much resembles, only with intensified brilliancy of coloring, and more enduring in form.

GOAT ISLAND.

Passing out at the gate of Prospect Park, a short walk brings us to the toll-house of Goat Island, at the end of the bridge leading across to the group of islands which divide the cataract into its two distinctive parts. The largest of these bears the above name, which was given to it from a trivial circumstance, illustrating how easily a nickname or title becomes fastened “to stay” with a few repetitions, even from an unauthorized source. More than a century ago, a Mr. John Stedman placed some goats on the upper end of the Island, and through neglect they were suffered to remain uncared for during the winter, and died from exposure. Hence the name, which adheres to it, in preference to its authorized name of “Iris Island.”

The group comprises, in all, some seventeen islands, large and small, covering about sixty acres. The property belongs to the estate of the late Judge Porter, to whom it was ceded by the State of New York in 1818. Its possession at that time was regarded as of little consequence, and the attempt to put a bridge across was deemed foolhardiness; but it is said that an offer of a million and a half dollars has recently been refused for the estate.