The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-04-07
THE DAILY DISPATCH
Tuesday Morning, April =, 1887.
Exciting scene mt Niagara Fails.

1t has been been briefly mentioned that most
exciting scene occurred at Niagara Falls on Thurs
day, terminating in the rescue Of man who had
fallen iuto the furious rapids the g,eat sus-
pension bridge. correspondent of the Rochester,
New York, Democrat in An account of 1t, says:
ut appears tha. he was . guest of the La Dow
Hotel, and after breakfast went out to view the
bridge, and proceeded down the periIous step
winners Touring mill on the bank of the river
on reaching the bottom, he slipped and fell into the
water, just above the bridge and, when discoy.
ed WAS thirty or forty rods below the bridge near
the shcre rolling over and over borne along BY the
resisiiess current, until he caught hold OF large
rock and after some fruitess struggles succeeded in
reaching the top. The alarm was Immediately
gwen in the neighborhood, and it was soon decided
that there was no way of reaching him but BY
means OF rope ladder.
This was Immediately procured, and after much
hesitation, delay, and alteration occa stoned by the
oihculty OF determining where to place It, mas
mueh as the man could not be seen from the pro-
Jecting bank over his head 1t was lowered to the
depth OF perhaps hundred feet and became en-.
tangled among the rocks and trees. 1t was at once
decided that some one must go down to disentangle
1t, and conduct 1t down as far as the shelving rock
over the man head But who among the crowd
was willing to undertake the hazardous and doubt
ful experiment
In a few moments. Willard B. Coburn, porter of
the Ladow Hotel, volunteered bis services and
| tached to the trees. He needed assistance and
soon two more brave men, Anthony Shiley and
Mats Crane offered to go down. The three cour.
ageous men worked bravely for more than an
hour IN conducting the ladder down she precipice
while men at the top carefully le. it down: At
length the waving Of handkerchief. and ch. erinas
on the Canada side indicated to US that the man
had sprung to the shore from the rock and had
begun to ascend the ladder
Crane, the old Dutch butcher went down over
the shelving rock to meet and help the man nm the
ladder. But he preferred TO climb up without helm
crane went below him, and in few moments his
paid mead was seen emerging from below What
thrhl OF Joy and dread at once pervaded the
hearts of the multitude that witnessed the exciting
scene--Joy because of his success thus far and
fear lest wet, cold, and almost exhausted he
should loose his hold on the ladder, and be dash
ed to fragments on the rocks hundred feet be.
low.
But cautiously, and with firm grasp and step.
he climbed up the ladder, three hundred feet in
length, and was greeted by the shouts and accla.
nations OF the hundreds of spectators who had
assembled to witness the exciting scene He was
t1r a few moments borne on the shoulders of the
excited multitude, all were SO anxious to congra.
tuiste him. This well mean: but mistaken kind
ness only exhausted the poor man all the more,
but he at eugth indicated that be wished to speak
to thank them.
AS might have been expected the people seem.
ed to forget that the faithful brave Dutch butcher
was yet below. few remained near the top Of
the ladder to see him safe up, and to speak words
OF commendation for his elfforgetting courage.
The whole three displayed noble herosm that
VIII long be membered to their credit.