Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-09-24
AN INCIDENT AT NIAGAmA FALLS.


morning. said Madame Percival. to take
much interest in a scene that was present
to my mind as we looked upon the rapids
but / think IN Ist tell it you now. | said
that ! hal often Geen at the Falls. 1t
must be nine or ten years since what
am going to tell you about happened du.
ring one Of my visits. You noticed the
small rocks that came up 10 the surface
in the current uSt above the rapids. OF
course they torm obstacles to the drift
wood and rubbish that is constantly being
borne down tie stream and this accu
mutation o! stray substances has. in time.
formed some Of these rocks into islands
There is one OF the largest jIsl in the
middle o. the rushing waters, where thu,
in,petuous torrent is fullest and widest.
not half mile from the Falls it is Gov
cred with brushw"od. and even some trees
Of a tOlerable growth. WIS walking on
the shore oae day. and came TO the road
Just opposite this island. Ther4 saw
hundred or So Of people collected. now
still and breathess. now moved ab~ut aS
bT some common ym1athv. What coul
he the mater: | walk, Il hastily up. and
GEcn, looking by sympa hy to the point
,on which ull eyes seemed to be fixed
saw two men on this islnnd-twn Irish-
men, As they told me-who ignorant Of
che force oI the rapi j.. had undertaken to
cross the river in bIIt-gOing to their
days work "a | think they SniI-at n
point too near the Ftll- Tor auy one bat IA
stranger 10 oattempt. Their boat had long
since been whmled away over the + Ills
They wrIe sav"l ~ by miracle ; they
had been carried bv the f,rc4 Of the
stream. dashlng against this piece "f re
$i,ttncr -t'.is II:lc i-lanl. mt twh Ian
Gr"d yards tH and hal s:ruas "u' On
lle safe g,ound, as i: were. hv instinct {:
Lu: it seemed hut Ike txclrrr GIN. on"
krmI If dea' h for another. Tn-Y were
~,:r from Il:+ Falls but no human b"in !,
hhI ever set foo; IN that islam I. ST rnn1
el bv t!e "hiilInG Il ~! Is it SCENE, be-
0nl the p1'""r ut man to reach -how
much the more tu $"hpe from ii Anv
nu. who attempted It wnIl b" lr,ird
down ii short two m;nI'r~' agony 0f witt,
rc!en;l..II torrent. All then e. pi'v
Tie state o. tn t ere lrurc da she'd Il rwa
tho + .II~ The III ~ .hl o. that yhls lv
sweep Of wA'orI III rhc the little GRO Nd
silent and moiiOnles&. even while 10 kin :.
IN At the pHSsionA'e g'Stu'cS. M dNub'
acconuanied b. many words AMI cries
that we're uttetly lost in the roar OF many
wHterSl "f tho two men. who, now knrel
inI-nUw standin@ up AMI tO<sin their
arms alott in the air nov down ayain on
their plea.ling knees. their heads buried
in their han l., rs ii trying To drown the
p-rpetupl rash OF the reso an ling torrent
fG,,ir | Ill I, -
God with clear and steady minis. Oh
my GII -! what cpull w--hrlp!ess men
do for these. our brothers? ? Through
the crowl cIne cry it cleft our mur
murs.l, whispered words like shart
flaming sword it WAS the vile Uf one o
the doomed men.
Are you blind. .me. stocks and
, stone 2 she said aS sh9 would h we wa
ded deep into the tossing waters if two ol
three strong men had not held her BY
main force. 'le has seven children, tho
youngest a suckinG bAbe. I'earken tC
him J. for she thought she heard bim. -
For the love Of Go | J. he cries for the
love of tho blessed Virgin. senI hel p
patrick Patrick she screechrd-1s i
e'~coald~ hear-'are ye thinking on the
blessed Lldy of many sorrows in-ths lit.
tie church Of Drouchadmore, n! home I?
Oh SAID she. dropping her voice. thai
We had never left home. and the oul' pa
rcn.s. who ble ,sed US when we left, and
are thinking on US now. little dren ming
what death lies before US ; for If he dies
l will die, and G ID help the orphans.
Suddenly q man came up, stripped
t. his trowsors. | believe he had been
in the crowd before. only had not noticed
him. He was ine stalwart young fel
low, with a rope tied round his waist. and
the end of the coil in the hands of an,
other man. Two or 'hree we're following
him evidently dissuadin! him from under
taking such a tremendous risk, as [ saw
~ vi, dImug eye and cnmpreSsed lip he
hims;lt believed it to be. They W ere
speaking low and earnestly. I only
caught one piece of his answer. Take
care OF my old mother. boys: but that
know you will Yon man out there has a
wife and children. have noue.' Then
he came up to the passionte woeful wo,
man, gpd told her that by G DDS heIp. he
would strive to. save her husband. and
babe her bless him before he wen t.
She looked him steadily In the face 70,
a1monent. as if reading his soul, and then
lifted up bpr arms aud blessed him
'Gedobe with thee in thy going out and
ia thy coming in in the deep waters, a:
on the dry land in the struggle of tl,y
life. as in lhe,deeper struggle Of thy death
God 9s5Kih thee evermore, His will bt
done !;s-ir =