Descriptive Guide to the Adirondacks, and Handbook of Travel to Saratoga Springs, Schroon Lake, Lakes Luzerne, George and Champlain, the Ausable Chasm, the Thousand Islands, Massena Springs and Trenton Falls (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 Excerpt: ...of that romantic stream. The continued and gradual force of the current, aided perhaps by some vast effort of nature, has formed a passage of the river through the deep layers of sand-stone rock, which are boldly developed above the village of Keeseville, and form the embankments of the river, until it reaches the quiet basin below the high bridge. In the vicinity of Keeseville, the passage of the stream is between a wall on either side of 50 ft in height; leaving these the river glides gently along a low valley, until suddenly hurled over a precipice, that creates a fall of singular beauty. Foaming and surging from this point, over a rocky bed until it reaches the village of Birmingham, it there abruptly bursts into a dark, deep chasm of 60 ft. A bridge, with one abutment setting upon a rock that divides the stream, crosses the river at the head of this fall. This bridge is perpetually enveloped in a thick cloud of spray and mist. In winter, the frost work encrusts the rocks and trees, with the most gorgeous fabrics: myriads of columns and arches, and icy diamonds and stalactites glitte in the sunKeams. In the sunshine, a brilliant rainbow spreads its radiant arc over this deep abyss. All these elements, rare in their combination, shed upon this scene an effect inexpressibly wild, picturesque and beautiful. The river plunges from the latter precipice amid the embrasures of the vast gulf, in which for nearly a mile it is quite hidden to observation from above. It pours in a wild torrent, now along a natural canal formed in the rocks in almost perfect and exact courses, and now darts madly down a precipice. The wall rises on a vertical face upon each side from 75 to 150 ft, whilst the width of the chasm rarely exceeds 30 ft, and at several points the stupend...