, 1859-07-07

On Saturday at !u:.0 i. ". We were skirt:ng
a}nn; the Canada shore, a.:d l'a<sed near ill'
mouth Of the Wrl'and Caual, and soon begsn
tn mount l"r our mort casterly current, so .s
tu take Eullaln in uur track. hut VIC circicu ul
into il betwecn buffalo and Niagara Falls, cross
ing Grand Island IeavinE 1autlaio to the right
and i1'ckpart I" tl'e left If us. In our ouwar.
course, tilIdi1G ourselves in the State Of New
York, but tou iuv north tu n,aEr tue city Of New
Y"rk. it sras agreed that VI: would make u land.
ins near Rochester, jetach the boat, leave cut
Mr. Wager and Mr. Hyde, a,rl Mr. la Mountain
n1s1 myself pursue the vHyage to poi,t Ut l;ns-
ttn or Portland. r.tlIngly We descended
gradually, but before We got 10 within i tel-
gale sweeping along below. The surface o:
The Garth was titled with clouds Of dust. md
ttlt my friends certain destruction awaited us.
If VIC should touch ihe ca,:l' in that tornado.
The huge Atlantic was n,aki:Ig II rlritic sweep
carIhwatd. Already VIC vel. nrar the tops VI
tops Of trees Of IL tall E":t>s, aud c,ic,,l OF,
somewhat cxci,ed!x. for Gu.!S sake leave cut
anything yau call lay your lal.ts IN l.a Mnus-
lain. atId III nnotlirr Enunlent he responded Att
right. standing on the side "f the boat will. :.
slsafi and wheels intended for tic working Of
The fan wheels. aud ready 10 lscave it sliuul''
il he necessary.
Ny Hyde l"ukcd up I" my CIR and very sol.
cHa.ily said, THIS is a.i cxri;Es time, l'rntrs
sur. What snail VIZ t9o:' Trust to l'rori-
dcncc and alt our energies" aid !. We were
fas. running on 1u Lake Ontario, and oil: l,aw
terribly il was ioauiug. moaning. at,d ll"wins.
| .aid. "1.a Mountain, ] ilasc 15v pounds ~
| ballast in my car vrt, aud hcury ynise. ex-
pres. bug, >ent by tl,r L. $. Express Company,
and lol oG provisions. Well If that wont Il"
will cut up the boat tnr b:ilast, and we ca,t
| keep abuye water until VIC rracl, the opposite
shore" which waS near hundred miles u!i, il,
the direction re were rnnS. Here handel
INV ballast dawn to Ii Mountain, us nc Wrr1.
rapidly mounting ubusc tl,c cltrric gale, bcev-
iu:, by that course xou!d Ut lca<t get oni tf
the main track. Everstl.n. NOW indicated tl,at
VIE r!ln,,!l perish iu the Natcr Nr on land. anl
uut pmty salvation was to keep nfnat un,it W.
got out ut tile gale If wc r"ull. sail, ''you
must aIk uet intu the bas.tl il you want ~ t4.
! saycd, should wt ever rraci, land-and truly
tell suu. tir I'clils Of the lands are even n'o'r
| terrible ttlan tllusc Nf the water with uur
drowning 1iIan IL have e,r bodies lnul,SlcI ly
! 4iashin;, against rocks ALI. trees.
Bv ills time Mr.. ia er and Mr. 1fydc had
| calilbercd inin the has!et ish INT. sfr. llsdc
>aid very cooll,. g urn prepared to die, br.
lwon'd rather die IN laud than in the water
| ! said, ''Nhat do yon say, Mr. Gagcr:' II:
replied, u would ratllcr ,1,cei it tn land, lut
d., Us YOU 1hiuk beet Mr.. La Mountain was
busiiv engaged III collecting what liz conld fn.
ballast Everything, was now valuable 10 us
that had weight unr ca17'es bugs, onr inslrsa-
lncl,ts, the express ba@, our provisions, werc
|
another, until We were reduced TO the express
bag; that wrnt overheard last.
| Ne deserted The s!lUrt. sttile tnTty Mirs
ahead, recrlng brtween rn,llbrc bunk of clnustS
and tc wutcr horizon, but w were sweeping IT
| fearful rate upon the turbulent waller, und III
another 1nulnrtt crusI, went tic bDat upon the
water, fi..rwise, rtasing in ,wn nf tic p]anks,
and giving par whole craft two fearful j., k*. by
twc succeeding wares. Ia Mountain stuck ID
the boat like here, tut lost his lat, and got q
.lasA Of the waves, but soou recovered, and
threw over the express bag aud last rrtnainllIg
ballast, and cried out, *' III. ca~y, gentlemen, III
lure her ailoat once more" 1n another mo.
n.c,lt, We were up few hundred feet ngnlu, aud
TIC steam propeller Young Amcr1ca was iackinG
| acgoss our track.
now proposed 10 swamp the boat and bal
loon in tile lake, aud trust tn bciuE picked MP hs
the 1oun. America, bnt tile desire WAS ~
should make lie ~1lure and try the land, and IL
, | We crossed the bow Of tue steamer they gave III
:. u hearty hurrah. ia Mountain lad n"w cut ou
| Of The tuat ul lie could, md We were within
fifteen miles i! tue shorc. The gale still rasiul
, | below. La Mountain might lave rrn alne.i il
the boat belnw aud jumped out u first touching
;; earth-aud ! saw no isnp-oprieiy i'll that. 4
then VIC might have had another hour or two t.
wait the lu!itng Of tile Ea!c-but be sad he wonl
u share our fate, and hc uisu ctan,bcfed into til
. taskei just Us VIC were rcacl'ing the land.
/ saw by the swaying ~ and fro Of tllc LOFT
= trees juto which We must inevitably dash, Ill.
). | OR worst ptrils were at baud, hut still la
: lind hope TINT VIC would bs sased. ordt'
), | ed two men On the valve .r,Ic, and we strne
=. within q hundred yards IF the water. nlnon
:. SUNG scattered trees, our hook. which WAS I
:, incl, aud quarter iron, breaking like piT
y. s,cm nj the first catcl Of it in atFce. aud v
:. hurling through tree tops nj feattul rate. !
j. s.r dasl.iug alung this way for 'sarly mil
yc crashing md breaking down tr{fs, we wei
W dashed must teasfu'ly into the boHchs Of a u
ut Elm, no that the basket swung Hnder and y
I'd through the crotcl at Il limb, ahd while IL
Is, 1"at had caught in some Of the other branclc
[uI This brought US 10 little, but in another III
S. mcnt tic Atlantic pulled up her huge proopo
nv i1ons' ahd Ut oile swoop away went the lin
~, basket 4nd boat into thc air hundred feet, Al
~. was afruid xonc Of the crew were impat
upon the scrags. This liu,b waa about iuch
thick at tue butt and fuli Of branches, II
,,r weighing less than 6VO or eoo pounds.
I:r !, proved too much for the At!autic. and
;,r brought her suddenly down upou the ion ol
~, very tall tree aud collapsed her l was i e.,
~ full plunge but il left Us dangling between ic1
,. 80 | Ell and earth in tic most xolrowfuI lo4,ki
49,, pli:lt Of muclileEy that can bc ,uaencd
~ None uf us werc seriously injured, tue na
s,- cords, the strong hoop made OF wood aud ir
~; aud the close wicker work basket saving
10. IT, from harm as long as tue machinery hung
NE cetlcr, and that could not have lasted two IL
i'd utca longer.