The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1853-08-18
The Catastrophe at Niagara.


occurrences, so far as single individual
was concerned, which has for long time
transpired. The event is another of those
terrible incidents which occasionally a.
rouse to an unusual degree the spontane-
Gus interest and sympathy of thousands.
Itappears that, on the 18th ult., three
men who were employed in the vicinity
of Niagara. Falls, ventured out into the
river in boat, which soon passed beyond
their control, and was swamped in the
rapids. Two of the men were carried
Immediately over the Falls; the fate of
the other was for while delayed.
The rapids of Niagara commence three
quarters of mile above the Falls. They
have descent of over fifty feet. The
immense volume of water rushes onward,
with white crested breakers, and dash
ing and furious torrent, tossing from 10
to 80 feet above the main body, until they
reached the principal precipice. Years
ago, we often stood upon the shore, and
gazed for unwearied hours with mingled
admiration and awe upon the scene they
presented; to one who has never beheld
them, the terribly critical position of the
man who struggled for life for twenty
hours amid their rage, can hardly be
|
made to appear in anything like its true
aspect Of desperation and horror.
Joseph Avery, the unfortunate man,
succeeded for time in arresting his pas
sage down the river, by cling to some
logs which seemed, providentially, to lie
in the course the current was carrying
him. They were about half way between
the bridge which crosses the American
branch of the river to Goat Island and
the cataract. There were two of these
logs, crossing each other, and firmly
wedged in between the rocks, one of
which rose few feet above the surface of
the water. Directly in front of him there
was a precipitate fall of some four Or five
feet, while on either side the water rushed
by over the uneven rocks with the great
est rapidity. In this hazardous situation
he remained, although he would now and
then let himself down from the log to
which he clung the greater part of the
time, and seek, as it would seem, to re-
lieve his WEAKNESS by walking few steps
upon the rocks, which were only a slight
distance below the surface of the water.
AS the tidings of his danger spread,
crowds of people hocked to the scene, so
that for hours thousands of eager witnes-
ses of the sad spectacle thronged the
bridge and the shore, anxious and yet un-
able to relieve fellow being from his po-
sition of terrific peril. He was most in
securely lodged in the very centre of the
stream, where the current boils, and foams
and whirls on at a rate of not less than
forty miles an hour. 1t was utterly use
less to attempt to draw anything like g
boat or raft against the violence of the
current. Various expedients were sug.
gested and given up as impracticable.-
The only thing which appeared toprom
is a feeble hope, was to float a boat to hin
from the bridge by means of ropes, anc
in case he was successful in entering it, tt
drift it across, if possible, by the same
means, to a small island midway between
his resting place and Goats Island. One
boat was let down, and was swamped ane
swept away. Another was hazarded, bu
one of the ropes became SO entangled a
round the log, that it was impossible fol
the well-nigh exhausted sufferer, to extri
cate it.. He had now been confined il
that perilous place for sixteen hours, ane
the pressure of the tide upon the boa
was so great that it is not to be wondered
at that his remaining strength was INSULT
cient, desperate aud agonizing as were hi.
efforts, to detach the rope. "
These endeavors proving of no avail, g
raft was constructed, composed of tw,
beams connected by planks firmly malice
across, to one end of which barrel wa
fastened; the other end was furnished will
ropes, crossing each other in various ways
l.
by means of which, it was thought, Aver,
might lash himself securely to the raft
With this raft there was also attempted tt
be sent to him a tin box, in which foot
and spirits were placed. When this struc
ture was let down from the bridge ant
the lower end came in contact with tn
t water, it was instantly hurried away
Precaution had not been taken to wind tn
+ rope attached to the upper end Of the raj
! around some post or other stationary OBJ
ject, and although the men who had hol'
: of the rope clung to it to the sever
G wounding of their hands, they were ye
: compelled to let pass from their grasp
f And the raft was lost. All this time, A
: very had continued his exertions to dis
: connect the rope from the log to whicl
n the second boat attached. His powers &
endurance did not yet seem to be entirel
i exhausted. After some considerable de