Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-02-09
Adrift on the Ice.
A FEARFUL ADVENTURE ON NIAGARA
RIVER. fl atesa

ries of perilous adventure, death and suf
fering that it has ever been our lot Il
make public. OF the three actors ant
sufferers in it, one * a prominent an(
widely known gentleman of this city, Wn
A. Thompson, Esq, the proprietor and
now Vice President of the new Erie ant
Niagara Railroad, running from For
Erie to Niagara. We have obtained oul
particulars of the story from the lips of Nh
Thompson, who survives to relate such an
experience as few men in the world have
passed through. t,.-s
!, seems that on Saturday afternoon
the Quantity OF ice passing down the river
from the lake caused the ferry-boat plying
between Black Rock and Fort Erie to sus-
pend her trips. Mr.. Thorn pson, who was
on the other side and desired 10 cross to
this, accepted the offer Of a colored boy
named William Bartlett to row him across
in a small boat, not realizing at the mo-
ment the difficulty Of the passage occa-
y
stoned by the movement of ice. Subse-
quent.y he was Joined for the trip by a
man named Warren, foreman under the
contractors of the Erie and Niagara Rail
road, who was very anxious to reach this
side in time to take the 6 p. NJ train to
Suspension Bridge, going home to his fam
;lx,, n NJ
river side Mr. I. saw the hazards OF the
attempt at crossing, and would have re-
ceded, but Mr.. Warren pressed him 10 60
on, and be was prevailed upon by his com
panion's anxieties.
About half past FIVE o'clock the three
pushed out into the stream. They found
much difficulty in making their way
through the ice which ran close to- the
shore, and again Mr. Thompson advised 4
return. But presently getting through
the shore pack OF ice they fourd clear wa
Ter, and went forward confidently, meet
ing no obstacles until they again neare
the shore on the American side, near th.
Erie Mills, when the ice pres sed abou
them thicker than in the first instances
Mr. Thompson then gave an imperative or
der to the boy to back away and return
bui il was too late. They had entered s.
far that return was impossible. The,
were caught by the ice, wedged fast be
tween its grinding cakes, and could nei
| iher go forward nor back. Another mo
ment, and it had crushed the sides of thei
boat, SO that it began to fill rapidly ane
sink.
The three Immediately leaped out upor
cake of ice nearest at hand, which prov
ed to be but small one, scarcely larger
than door, and drew the boat partly up.
on II after them. Their hope was in be.
ing able to turn the craft bottom up and
mount its keel, in which position they
might be fioated by it (; but the mass was
not large enough to permit such an oper-
alton. Mr.. Thompson then attempted to
bail out the boat with his cap; but while
doing SO, the boy Bartlett cried out that
the ice was upon them again, and they had
barely time to throw themselves into the
half-filled boat when the piece upon which
they had stood was crushed by another
mass coming down upon it. An instant
more and the boat was also struck, turned
bottom upward, and Mr.. thompson and
MIR. Warren plunged into the water. The
negro boy succeeded 10 leaping upon an
ice cake. Mr.. Thompson sank once and
came up, when he clurched the boat, made
his way to the stern and climed upon the
keel. Here be saw his companion Warren
sinking for the last time, a short distance
away, and drowning before bis eyes. while
he was utterly powerless to help. He had
scarcely witnessed this, when death rush.
ed upon him again. The boat was once
more struck and rolled over. Again he
sank, and again, on rising, he clu.ched the
boat, which again had righted Itself
S'iniuuio ihto It's sttrtl, WHICH sank WITH
weight two or three feet below the surface.
he sat for time with the water to his
chin.
BY this time il had long grown dark.
He could see but little about him. Pres
emily, cake of ice drifting down upon him,
he put out his hand TO ward it away, and
feeling it to be several inches thick and
apparently of some size, he concluded. it
best TO escape, if possible, from the boat to
the ice. He very nearly failed in doing
so, barely getting his breast upon the eaae
when he sprang from the boat. and find-
ing il impossible to lift his body above
that position. Providentially, however
the boat in rising just touched his foot and
gave him slight push forward, after
which he was enabled, by long and ex.
hausting efforts TO crawl upon the cake.-
Here he stood upright, and, not KNOWING
the size of the ice raft, dared not move :
Haiing the boy Bartlett, he found him