Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-10-16
Thrilling Incident at Niagara Falls.


In the very center of the seething, whirling
cauldron OF waters known the American
rapids, lying equi-distant between 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
1t merely as speck in the midst of this angry
flood with every dash of the torrent pouring
down from the plateau above it is half submer-
ged: 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 the
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 morn
ing the first man who had occasion to cross the
bridge was startled and horribed to see human
form standing erect, in the midst of the raging,
swirling food, 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 con-
jectured that the. boat must have sped down to
this point, unharmed by rocks rapids and
that, striking here, Avery was thrown or rather
sprang out, finding just room enough for peril
Gus foothold, while the other two with the boat
swept 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
horrlfed yet curious spectators. With them
came some dozen boatmen, lab0rers and others,
who comprehended at once that there was
chance for rescue, and Immediately began to de-
wise plan. Meantime the man had been recog-
nzed by some one, and while the preparations
were being made large board was rudely let
tered with the words, in German, 60 We will save
you y and held up that be could read it, He
tossed his arms up and down several times, in
xLo& 30 Hoo lnI
the crowd awaited the result of the preparations
and watched the object of them with almost
breathless anxiety. 1t was truly irightful to see
him there, amid that bowling water, almost in
the jaws of the mighty cataract, and apparently
cut off from all human aid. But the day
wore on and the poor fellow became used to
the situation, he appeared to bear it with much
composure. Sometimes, to change his position
he sat down upon the rock, and sometimes made
gestures to the crowd the meaning of which
could not often be understood. His face, seen
through glass. looked eager, almost beyond
the expression of human faces but it was hope
ful.
As noon approached, the first attempt was
made for his rescue. A large raft had been con-
structed of heavy plank bound together cross
wise, 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
before the men at the ropes could check it; the
ropes became entaEgled and the raft was carried
far below the rock, and at last went hopelessly
over the falls.
1t was bitter, bitter, disappointment-as we'll
to the sympathiZing, eXpectant throng, to the
imperiled man. But, nothing daunted, the stout
hearts and ready hands Immediately set about
making another raft, while others were occu-
pied in conveying food and drink to poor Avery.
M IL. T. a..
stout cords, which were foated down to him.
The castaway ate his solitary meal there upon
that inaccessible point of rocks, with keen relish,
and then stood up and bowed his thanks. Again
and again the cheering words, " We will save
you," were exhibited and he was encouraged by
other short sentences in his native language,
which were in the same way painted in huge let
tiers and held'dp to him.
The afternoon slowly wore on-the long, hot,
listless summer afternoon there in Niagara,
usually devoted to id,ing over iced drinks in the
shade of the hotel porches or parlors, but now
cheerfully given up to the assistance of, or SYM
pathy for, fellow being. There were hundreds
in that crowd who, prompted by that spirit of
American chvalry which is never wanting
among us, would have cheerfuly plunged in to
bis rescue, could the act have been any other
than useless foolhardiness and there were
wealthy men there, who went through the crowd,
unutf the ueeptst emOtiOn, OHering large re-
wards to whoever would rescue him The tele-
graph bad, by this time, carried the news far
and wide the afternoon papers of New York on
this day contained it, and the afternoon trains
from Buffalo and Rochester, came freighted with
hundreds more to view the peril of the poor Ger
Tor themselves.
The building of the second raft progressed
but, although everything was done to hasten it
darkness found it unfnised, and the crowd un-
willingly dispersed for the night. The Omnis-
cient alone can tell how that poor, folorn soul
passed the dark, dreary hours that intervened
before morning, sleepless from necessity, weary,
lonely, with the waters raging like unclaimed
beasts all around him, and the great abyss of ter.
ror yawning almost at his feet Some swee,
nope must have sustained him in that trying
time, or the morning would have found him
dead there upon the rock of his dreadful exile.
Daylight came, and with it the eager crowds
FASTENED back to their points Of sight. The in
coming trains all that day brought more aad
more Spectators, and before noon the bridge. vas
literally crowded with them, leaving buta space