NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
AND REMINDER 
Manchester, Mass., Friday, July 10, 1914 No. 28 
Rafe’s Chasm, Norman’s Woe and The Flume 
Magnolia Points of Interest 
Vol. XII 
By N. HENRY SEABURG 
MOTHER Nature has been exceedingly generous to becomes gradually louder, until when one is standing on 
New England in her bountiful distribution of natur- the edge of the chasm it is a veritable miniature thunder. 
al architecture to that region. ‘The 
whole rock-bound coast of New 
England is simply lined with fan- 
tastic and awe-inspiring handiworks 
by her... It is with such rough, yet 
wondrous and beautiful art that she 
enthralls mankind. The wild and 
romantic aspects of a scene always 
stir the dormant passions of youth 
in our veins. How we yearn to battle 
the leaping, swishing breakers as 
they come rolling fiercely in upon 
the beach; and how we admire the 
sailors who we know are struggling 
with mountainous waves far beyond 
the dim horizon! 
Undoubtedly one of the most 
charming points of interest along the 
North Shore is Rafe’s Chasm, at 
Magnolia, which, if the tourist does 
not visit, he will always regret. The 
mere mention of the word ‘‘chasm” 
sets in motion a train of thoughts 
which are certain to be of a vivid 
nature. The same is true of Nor- 
man’s Woe. Both of these creations 
of Nature are certain to awaken in us 
the inherited passions of our sturdy 
ancestors. ‘This is more so if we 
are acquainted with the legends and 
traditions, about which such curious 
works of Nature there ate usually 
many. 
A trip to Rafe’s Chasm enables 
the tourist to see Norman’s Woe, 
and the Flume also. The Shore 
Road, which leads to the Chasm, is 
a very picturesque one, almost skirt- 
ing the edge of the water to the 
path leading from the main road to 
the Chasm. (‘To the uninformed, | 
may say that the path begins near the 
small stretch of white fence on Hes- 
perus Avenue). A drive over this 
shady road is as interesting as it 1s 
enjoyable, since it is lined with many 
of Magnolia’s most beautiful rest- 
dences. 
As the tourist follows the winding 
path towards the Chasm and ap- 
proaches, he becomes conscious of a 
dull, rumbling sound, resembling dis- 
tant thunder. This rumbling sound 
= 
This is more so after a heavy storm 
has swept the coast. Watching 
the huge, dashing waves breaking in 
the Chasm with teriffic violence 
makes one stand with abated breata 
and a certain gripping at the heart. 
Mr. Henry C. Leonard, in his little 
book “Pigeon Cove and Vicinity,” 
describes this wonderful scene gra- 
phically: “On a calm day this fissure 
in the jagged ledge gives an impres- 
sion of irresistible force,——of the 
Power that rules the ocean, and that 
makes the earth to be at peace or 
to toss and shake with mighty throes. 
On the day of tempest, rushing into 
it violently, spouting spray many 
feet into the air, like huge monsters 
of the deep, and making a noise like 
the thunder of the clouds, the waves 
reveal somewhat of the might and 
terror which are hidden in the earth, 
the air, and the sea.’ These few 
sentences describe the Chasm as well 
as it is possible for words to picture 
a scene of such natural wildness. In 
order to be appreciated, it must be 
visited. 
The Chasm, which is a deep fis- 
sure cut by Nature into the solid 
ledge, extends inward about two 
hundred feet. It has a depth of 
sixty feet; and an irregular width 
ranging from three to fifteen feet. 
In the entrance is a large, flat, ellip- 
tical rock, covered entirely with 
green seaweed, which resembles at 
low tide the snaky locks of Medusa 
as it is gently moved back and forth 
by the waves. 
The Chasm has claimed one vic- 
tim. In 1879, Miss Martha Marvin 
of Walton, N. Y., was swept off the 
rocks into the chasm by the large 
waves. An iron cross was erected 
to her memory by the summer resi- 
dents, but this has been removed 
during the past few years. Post- 
cards, however, may be obtained of 
the Chasm which show the iron 
cross beside it. The cross seems to 
fill our expectations, for the visitor 
cannot associate the Chasm with 
