The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-09-17

sY J. FRANKLIN FITS.

the occurrence of one tragedy at Niagara
which will probably forever remain the
most memorable of all the long list-the
destruction of the German, Joseph Avery,
by the terrible cataract. The circum-
stances of this remarkable casualty gave 1T
prominence all over the country at the
time; and although the incident may have
become almost dead in the memories OF
those who perused the telegraph reports OF
the day, mention of it now cannot faii 10
revive it, with at least a 1.-THE OF Its ex-
citing interest, while many of the present
generation will hear now for the first time
of Joseph Avery and his appalling fate
The writer happened to be at Niagara at
the time, and the accumulated horrors of
the unfortunate mans situation, as well as
made an ineffaceable impression upon his
mind. The story may be told, and 1 viii
tell it, in few words.
1t was upon night of the summer of
the year 1854 that this man and two COM
panions started to cross the river at Chip
pewa, two miles above the Falls Al
though the current is here quite rapid the
crossing is ordinarily safe to careful and
experienced hands, and it was supposed
that these three were well acquainted with
the navigation of the river. But some
cause-probably the use of liquor by some
or all OF the party-rendered them unfit
to cope with the swift, powerful stream !;
and unseen in the darkness of the night,
unheard amid the hoarse roar of the rap
Ids and the thunder of the Falls, they
We're swept downward to their awful fate
In the very centre of the seething, whirl-
ing cauldron of waters known as the
American Ransdc 1xvspn onril,cfovf
tween the American shore and the islands
and Bath Island Bridge and the brink of
the Falls, rock projects two or three feet
above the water. The eye rests upon it
merely as upon speck in the midst of
this angry flood; with every dash of the
torrent pouring down from the plateau
above it is half submerged, and sometimes
wholly hidden from sight. At the time
of this casualty log, three or four feet in
length, had been jammed in or under this
rock, and protruded from it. The spot
was one that was in the daily sight of
hundreds, and in the early hours of that
memorable summer morning the first
man who had occasion to cross the bridge
was startled and Mortified to see human
form standing erect, in the midst of the
raging, swirling flood, on this little point
of rock, wildly waving his arms He
must have shouted, too, but his cries were
drowned in the uproar of the rapids. 1t
was Joseph Avery, the sole survivor of
the unfortunate boats crew. 1t was con-
jectured that the boat must have sped
down to this point, unframed by rocks
or rapids, and that, striking here, Avery
was thrown or sprang out, finding Just
room enough for perilous foothold, while
the other two, with the boat, were swept
on over the cataract.
The alarm quickly spread. 1t is not
difficult to draw crowd at Niagara-for
the excitement seekers of the world are
there-and in half an hour the bridge and
adjacent shores were thronged with hor-
rified yet curious spectators. With them
came some dozens of boatmen, laborers
and others, who comprehended at once
that there was chance for rescue, and
Immediately began to devise plan. In
the meantime the man had been recog
nized by some one, and while the preEar.
atoms were being made large board wa:
rudely lettered with the words, in Ger
man, "WEiwILL SAVE your and held ur
so that he could read it. He tossed hi:
arms up and down several times, in toker
that he comprehended its meaning; and
then the crowd awaited the result of the
them with almost breathless interest. i
was truly frightful to see him there amiG
that bowling waste, almost in the jaws o
the mighty cataract, and apparently Gu
off from all human aid. But as the day
wore on, and the poor fellow became use(
to the situation, he seemed to bear it will
much compOsure. Sometimes to chang,
his position, he sat down upon the rock
and sometimes made gestures to the crowd
the meaning of which could not often b,
understood. His face, seen through
glass, looked eager. almost beyond the ex
preston of human faces, but it was hope
full, too.
As noon approached the first attemp
was made for his rescue. A large raft hac
been constructed of heavy plank, bound
together crosswise, and this was to b,
lowered down from the bridge, with stron.
ropes, TO the castaway, when it wa
thought that he could be drawn I'D with
out great difficulty. The venture was
failure from the start The rapids seize,
and whirled it away before the men at til
ropes could check it; the ropes became en-
tangled, the raft was carried far below tn
rock, and at last went helplessly over tn
Falls.
1t was bitter, bitter disappointment
as well to the sympathizing, expectan
throng as to the imperiled man. But
nothing daunted, the stout hearts an
ready hands Immediately set about til
making of another raft, while others wer
occupied in conveying food and drink {
poor Avery. This was easily done in ii
cases, attached to stout cords, which wer
fioated down to him. The castawy ate h
solitary meal there upon that inaccessibl
point of rock with keen relish, and the
stood up and bowed his thanks. Agai
and again the cheering words, /" We ri
saUe you," were exhibited, and he was el
couraged by other short sentences in h
native language, which were in the san
way painted in huge letters and held U
TO him.
The afternoon slowly wore on-the lon
hot, listless summer afternoon there
Niagara, usually devoted to idling ov
iced drinks in the shade of the hot
porches or parlors, but now cheerful
given up to the assistance of, or sympatl
for, fellow-being. There were hundre
in that crowd who, prompted by that spil
of American chivalry which is new
wanting among us, would have cheerft
ly plunged in to his rescue, could the a
have been any other than useless foolhar
mess; and there were wealthy men thel
who went through the crowd under {
deepest sense of emotion, offering lar
rewards to whoever would rescue hi
The telegraph had, by this time, carried {
news far and wide; the afternoon pape
in New York on this day contained it, al
the afternoon trains from Buffalo a
Rochester came freighted with hundre
more to view the peril of the poor G,
man for themselves.
The building of the second r
progressed; but, although everythi
was done to hasten it, darkness fou
it unfinished, and the crowd UNIV
lingly dispersed for the night The o
niscient alone can tell how that poor, fl
lorn soul passed the dark, dreary hou
that interviewed before morning-sleepl,
from necessity-weary, lonely, with {
waters raging like unclaimed beasts
around him, and the great abyss of teri
yawning almost at his feet Some swt
hope must have sustained him in that Il
ing time, or the morning would ha
found him dead there upon the rock
his dreadful exile
Daylight came, and with it the Gag
crowds fastening back to their points
sight The incoming trains all that d
brought more and more spectators, a
before noon the bridge was literally crow
ed with them, leaving but small space
the centre for the workmen with the ra
and on either side the bank was lined