Travelers' Original Accounts Since 1840 



a wild windy night, as if all the elements were revelling together 1849-50 

 in a stormy chaotic carnival of their own, till it really presented s,uart ' , 

 altogether a scene almost too awfully magnificent. 



The deafening roar of the crashing thunder was yet louder 

 than the roar of the cataract, and completely appeared to drown 

 it while it lasted; but the moment the stormy roll of the thunder 

 died away, it was grand indeed to hear again the imposing, 

 unceasing sound of Niagara — like the voice of a giant con- 

 queror uttering a stunning but stately cry of victory. Then soon 

 the bellowing thunder broke forth again, fiercer and louder than 

 before; and oh, the lightning! it seemed like a white-winged sun- 

 break when it blazed on the snowy glare of the ever-foaming 

 cataracts. 



I hardly ever saw before such dazzling lightning; and those 

 reverberating peals of Niagara — out-voicing thunder were 

 truly terrific, and appeared quite close. Heaven and earth 

 seemed shouting to one another in those sublime and stupendous 

 voices; and what a glorious hymn they sang between them! At 

 first, the lightning was only like summer flashes, and it kept 

 glancing round the maddened waters as if playing with them 

 and defying them in sport ; but, after a little while, a fearful flash, 

 updarted really like a sudden sun, behind the great Horse Shoe 

 Fall, and the whole blazed out into almost unendurable light 

 in a moment. The storm continued during the whole night. 



One becomes here, indeed, utterly Niagarized; and, the great 

 cataract goes sounding through all one's soul, and heart, and 

 mind, commingling with all one's ideas and impressions, and 

 uniting itself with all one's innermost feelings and fancies. The 

 sounds of the Fall vary as much as their aspect: sometimes very 

 hollow, at other times solemn and full-toned, like an host of 

 organs uttering out their grand voices together ; and sometimes, as 

 I heard it said, the other day, with a rolling kettle-drum, gong-like 

 sound, in addition — as if it were a temporary and accidental 

 accompaniment to their majestic oceanic roar. 



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