This structure, although opened to the public in 1869, is still called the _new_ bridge, to distinguish it from its elder brother, two miles below. Previous to the construction of the New York and Brooklyn bridge, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, its roadway being 1,300 feet in length, and its cables 1,800 feet long. It is 190 feet above the river, being suspended from two towers, each 100 feet in height. Access may be had to the interior of the towers, and very fine views are obtained from their summits.
From the bridge itself a magnificent view of the Falls may be had, the finest, in fact, to be secured from any one point, the entire line of the cataract being embraced in a single glance, and in closer proximity than is possible elsewhere, except from below. The view down the river is also a fine one, comprising the deep gorge through which the stream flows, with its precipitous banks on either hand, and the Railroad Suspension Bridge in the distance.
The strength of the new bridge is estimated by the engineers as thirteen times greater than sufficient to bear any weight that can possibly be placed upon it. The year of its completion it was subjected to the severest gale it has ever had to withstand, and safely and successfully “weathered the blast.” All fears, therefore, as to its security in ordinary weather, are entirely groundless.
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE FALLS FROM THE FERRY.]
Reaching the American shore by this method of crossing, the first point of interest is
Depositing the fee of 25 cents at the toll-gate, we are soon within the privileged domain. The grounds are what were formerly known as the “Ferry Grove” and “Point View,” and previous to their improvement were free to the public. The Company who purchased them, however, have provided an almost endless variety of artificial adjuncts to render the place attractive, and the small fee exacted for admission is not, therefore, an unreasonable one.
At the verge of the American Fall, they have constructed a solid wall at what is now called “Prospect Point,” extending it all along the brink of the precipice, thus rendering secure from accident the place where the finest view of the Fall can be obtained. Looking up the stream, the foaming rapids, white-crested and tumultuous, greet the vision in a continuous stretch, until water and sky seem to blend. In the immediate foreground is the American Fall, its waters almost in reach of the outstretched hand. Directly across the stream are Luna and Goat Islands, while sweeping away to the right in a grand curve, is the Horseshoe Fall. The American Fall is year by year assuming the horseshoe form, by the wearing away of the cliff in the center, the indentation in the front line of the Fall being quite prominently visible from Prospect Point, although less noticeable from a front view.