The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-08-02
Fatal Calamity at Niagara ralls.

We are indebted 10 KIssocKs Canada juno
iion Line. and private letter. for the partic-
nlars d tho following trsgcdy--more start
ling ard awful than it has ever been our lot to
record " !. ...t a
On Monday evening three Germans BELONG
ing 20 sand scow few miles above the s'alis.
took small boat and started out for sail up
on the river. By some uneccountablo mis-
trkc they soon found themselves in the power
of. the angry rapids, Fastening on to swift
and sure destruction. AS they neared the
precipice the boat swamped and two of them
Thomas Hannaman. and another whose
name we are unable 10 learn---dashed over the
Falls. The other, named Joseph Avery, by a
wondrous irterposition of Providence, was
thrown against snag or log, which has been
for some Time in tho rapids. and clung there
for safety. Rem ning through the night, no
was discovered Yesterday morniDg, and the CIT.
izens assembled in mass to devise means for
hia silvation. Messages were sent to this city
for bats and ono was Immediately dispatched.
This was swampedssdtn after being launched.
Another was taken dogn on the next train,
whicl shared the same fate. Hero we quote
fromth letter.
Monday, IL ".
olive beon honrs at the bridge watching
{ Q pdor fellow ~vho is in the rapids. He is a.
hcut midway between the bridge and The fall;
ly lor anywhere near. o0ehrs -stert 'an the on
ful. sxccp, once saw him clasp his hands as
if in despair. He is German, and one OF inc
three who came down in pleasure boat last
niclf--the other two were lost.
There are crowds of anxious persons on the
! brldte. and in the vicinity. ALI business seemf
I IN te suspended IL is the most exciting
scene by far that / have ever Witnessed
They have sent small skill down twice whlcn
was lost. have just seen the iJe-bodt from
Buffalo swamped.'
Still another boat was sent down at ,ha'
past four. How this last attempt resulted w
are pained towrite--but the facts are these.
! A dispatch from the Falls states that IN
man went over about o'clock. raft ha'
been floa,ed to him, upon which he had Iashe
himself but at the approach of the lite ooa
sent down from this city. by the last tram
undid the hastings, So as TO be ready 10 iea
into the boat The latter however, unior'u
nately srract the raft with such violence as
precipitate the unhappy man INTO the wa'e'
He al once comm need swimlng Tor an isian
on the brink of the fall, but was unable 10 ga'
it. When he perceived that all ms ehoi
were useless. he raised his body erect IN u
3 water waved his arms wildly, and with
shrek that was distinctly audible. 10 those
the bridge, took the fatal plunge
e We can scarcely imagine anything mo-
+ horrible than what we have just noted. 20
e siderng the time spent alone amidst the thu
$ darkness, upon that solitary and unstable loo
! hold: the awful suspense that envelopei !
u mind: the roar ofthe monster that at any IN
u ment might devour him; the breaking OF e
J. dawn: the discovery; the attempts OF the aw
: stricken multitude to rescue the poor iei'
d from tho Jaws of death; the failure OF such
d tempts; combination of thrilling scenes %
Thoughts is presented almost without an 'qu
N Poor Avery! the heart of who read our has
} record will bleed al the history of his tTas
e. end.
" 1t is ell over now. The scene OF death
in stiIl-save. with the lever ceasing chant
!" those terrible rapids whose convert nan
e. nrced on The victims % their fearful DOOM
r. Heaven grant that this may be the last sac
ur fice to their wra,h--,hat their song may not
II. gain be broken by such shrek as Avery ra
ms ed whom he yielded to their will, and met
ne mournfnl fate.