The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-30
INCIDENT AT NIAGARA.
rY J. FRANKLIN Fits.

d.
In the very centre Of the SETTLING, whirlina
cauldron Of waters known as the American
rapids, lying elui-distant between the Amcrl-
can shore aud the island. and Bath lsl1nt
bridge and the brink of the falls a rock pro
.jects two or three feet above the water. The
eye rests upon itmerely as upon a speck in
the midst os this angry flood; with every
dash of the torrent pouring down from the
plateau above it is half submerged, and some
times 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 i'll the earlF hours of that memorable
summer morning the first man who had oc-
casion to cross the bridge was startled and
Mortified to sec q hnman form standing erect
III the midst OF the raging, WhrlnG Hood,
on this little point of rock, wildly waving his
arms lie must have shouted, too, but his
cries were drowned in the uproar of the
rapids. 1t was Joseph Avery the sole sur
vlvor Of the unfortunate boats crew 1t was
conlecturcd that the boat must have sped
down TO this point, unharmcd by rocks or
rapids, and that. striking here, Avery was
thrown or sprang out, finding just room
enough for perilouS footIlold, while the
other two with thc boat, were swept oyer
the cataract
The alarm quickly spread 1t is not diff
iicult to draw Il crowd at Niaeara-and in
half an hour the bridge and adjacent shores
1were thronged with Mortified Yet curious
spectators. With them came some dozens TO
boatmcn laborers ndothers, who comprehend
cd at once that there was i chance Tor rescue,
and Immediately began to devise Il plan In
the meantime the man had been recognized
by some one, and while the preparations
were being made u large board was rudely
lcttcrcd with the words, in German, 1--WE
Will save Nou!' and held So he could read it,
lie tossed his arms up and down several
times, i'll token that he cOmprehcndcd its
meaning; and then the crowd awaited the
result OF the preparations, and watched the
object Of them with almost brcathless inter
est IL was truly fri@htl'ul to sec him there
amid that bowling waste, almost in the laws
OF the mighty ca}aract, and apparently cut
OH from ali human aid. DHt Us the day wore
on, and the poor fellow became used to the
situation, hc seemed to bear it with more
composUre. Sometimes, to change his posi-
ton, lie sat down upon the rock, and some
times, make gestures to The crowd, the mean
ing OF which could not often be understood.
Ills face, seen through Il glass, loo<ed eager.
NlllioSt nc SOilt tNi]lt~HlDH ol human 1tlHtS,
but it was hopeful, too.
As noon approached the first attempt was
made for his rescue a large rift had been
constructed Of heavy plank bound together
crossWisc, and this was to be lowered down
from the bridge with strong ropes, to the
castaway, when it was thought he could be
drawn up without great difficulty The ven
tllre was 4 failure from the start The rap
ids seized it and Whirlcl it away before the
men could check it, the ropes became en-
tangled, the raft was carried far below the
rock, and ut last went helplessly over the
falls
1t was a bitter, bitter lisappointmcnt-as
well to the sympathizing cNpectant throng
rs to the imprrillcd man But nothing tarnt-
cd, the stout hearts and ready hands inlme-
dlately set about the making of another raft,
while others were occupied in conveying food
and drink to poor Avery This was easily
done i'll tin eases attached to stout cords
Wllctl We're tloated down 10 him. The cast
away ate his solitary meal there upon that
inaccessible point OF rocks with keen relish.
aud then stood mp and bowed bis thanks
Again and again the cheering words, eve
VIII save you, We're exhibited, and he was
encouraged by other short sentences in his
native language, which were IN the same Wav
painted III huge letters and hold ,r1 to him.
The afternoon Slowly Wore on-the long.
but ilStlesS summer afternoon there ut Mac
ara, usually devoted to idlino over iced
drinks i'll thc shade ol the hotel porchcs and
parlors, but now cheeriull Given up to the
assistance ot or sympathy for, u fellow BE-
INC.
There were hundreds in that crowd who
prompted by Lllat spirit of American ohivarv
winch i neFoE wanting among u.s. would
checrtuily have plunged in to his rescue,
could the act have been any other than use
less toolhar,liness; and there We're wealthy
men there, who went through the crowd un-
der the deepest sense ot emotion, offering
large rewards To whoever would rescue him.
The telegraph h;fd by this time carried the
news far and wide; the afternoon papers in
| Ncw York on this day contained it, and the
afternoon trains from buffalo and Rochester
came irci@hted with hundreds more to view
the peril OF the poor German for themselves.
The building Of the second raft progressed,
but, although everything was done to hasten
1t, darkness found ii unfinished and the
crowd unWllllngly dispersed for the night
The Onniscicnt alone can tell how that poor
torlorn soul passed the long. dreary hours
that interviewed before morning -sleepp>-
from ncccssity-weary, lonely, with the water,
raging like unclaimed beasts all around him
and the great abyss oftcrror yawning almos
at has teet. Some sweet hope must have su9-
tanned him iii that trying Time, or the mornina
would have found him dead there upon tn,
rock of his dreadful exile.
Daylight came, and with it the eager crowds
fastened back to the points OF sight The in
coming trains all that day brought more anC
more spectators, and, before noon, the bridge
was literally crowded with them, leaving bu
u small space in the center for the workmcl
with the raft, and on cithersidc the bank wa,
lined-nay, packed with spectators. Thor,
We're thousands present. all eager. curiou
and yet sympathetic. Avery appeared as OF
the day before, still hopeful, eating and drink
ing what was sent down to him, motionins
with his hands and arms, and watching al
that was done on the bridge and the shore
The crisis Of the excitement arrived when
about the middle of the second dav, the sec
ond raft was launched from the bridge upol
the hurrying flood. Strong and willing hand
held the ropes, and it WAS cautiously lowere,
until it almost touched the spot where thu
castaway stood. With bound he place,
himself erect on the raft; and then aros
such shout Of rejoicing from the lips of tha
multitude that it was heard even above th
roaring of tie waters
1t was q short-ivcd Joy The ropes were
manned by all the hands that could find place
and the raft struggled up i little way in thu
teeth of the rapids, and then furious volume
f,t