The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-02-08
Fnm the Bafslo Express.
A Fearful Adventure on Niagara
RIVER,

We have to recount this morn
ing ono oil the must fearful an OK
tra"rdiuary stories of pcrilous al
venture, death and suif ring, tha,
has ever been our lot to make pub
lie. or the three actors and suf
ferers in it, ono is a prominent and
widely known gentleman of this
city. VIM. A. rh mpson, Esq
the projector, and now Vice Pres.
ident of the New Eric and Mia "a.
ra Railroad running from Fort
Erie to Niagara. Weha obtain.
ed our particulars OF the story from
tho lips Of Mr.. Thnmps N, who
survives to relate such an expert.
ence rs few men in the world have
passed through.
1t seems that on Saturday after.
noon the quantity of ice passing
down the river from the lake caus
ed the ferry boat plying between
Black Rock and Fort Erie, to sus.
pend her trips. Mr.. Thompson,
who was IN the other side and de-
sired to cross to this, accepted the
Offer of u colored boy nam d Wm.
Bartlett to row him across in n
small boat, not realizing ut tho mo.
ment the difficulty of the passage
occasioned by the movement Of ice.
Subsequently, he was joined for the
trip by II man named Warren, fore
man unlcr tho contractors of the
Erie and niagara Railroad, who
was very anxious TO reach this sid,
in time to take the 9 l.. NJ. train tt
suspense II bridge, going no ne t.
his family Mt Prescott, Q. w. Or
reaching the river side Mr.. T. saw
the hazards OF the attempt at cross
ing, AMI would have rece1cd, but
Mr.. Warren pressed him to 20 on,
and be was prcvaile upon by hi,
companions anxieiivs. .I .rIri
About htlf.past five o'clock the
three pushed out into the stream.
They fonnd much difficulty in max.
ing their way through the ice
which ran close to shore, and again
Mr Thompson advised a return
But presently getting throu I h the
shorc pack of Ice they found clear
water and went forward confident.
ly. m setting no obstacles until they
again ncared the shore. ON the
American side, near the Erie Mills,
when the ice pressed about them
thicker than in the first instance.
Mr. Thompson then gave an i'm
pcrative order to the boy to back
away and return, but il was too
late. They had entered so far that
return WAS impossible. They were
caught by the ice, wedged fast be.
tween it's grinding cakes and could
90 neither { rward nor back. An
other moment, and it had crushed
the sides OF their boat, 80 that it
began to fill rapidly and sink.
The three Immediately leaped
out upoD a cake of ice nearest at
hand. which proved to be but a |
small one. scarcely large than q
door, an drew the boat partl, up.
on il after them. Their hope was
in being able 10 turn the craft bot
tom upwards and mount its keel,
in which position they might be
fl patcd by IL; but the mass was
not larse enough to permit such
an operation. Mr.. Thompson then
attempted to bail out the boat with
Lis cap; but while doing 80. the
boy Bartlett cried out that the ICE
was nppn them again, and they had
barely time to throw them elves
into the hall filed boat when the
piece upon which they had stood
was crushed by another mass com.
ing down upon it An instant
moro aud the boat was also struck,
turned bottom upwards, and Mr..
Thompson AMI Mr.. Warren. plung-I
ed into the wster. The negro boy
succeeded In ! aping upon en- ice
cake. Mr.. Thompson sank once
aud came up, when, he clutcl,ed
the, boat, male his wav 10 its s,ern
and 81 mbed up tbe keel. z Here he
saw HE cpmpanion Warren sink
Ing Tor the las,4tins,, a short dis
lance awaye aud drowning before
his ey,,s. while he was utterly pow
srless 10 h..ls y Tie had scarcely
tti4, when death ru,hed
a u,Iuu hiinaah uuaa s,ain. Tia hxak.