Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-09-09
A Thrilling Incident at Niagara.
BY ]. FRANKLIN Fits.

which viii probably forever remain the
most memorable Of all the long lst-the
destruction of the German, Joseph Avery,
by the terrible cataract The circum.
stances of this remarkable casualty gave it
prominence all over the country at the
I 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 fail to
revive it, with at least 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
/ the dramatic interest Of the whole scene,
made an inctlaCcable impression upon his
mind. The story may be told and will
/ tell it, in a few words
1t was upon night of the summer Of
! the wear 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-probahly 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,
unhcard amid the hoarse roar Of the rap
! ids and the thunder of the Falls, they
were swept downward to their awful fate.
In the very centre of the seething, whirl.
ing cauldron of waters known as the
American Rapids, lying equidstant be-
tween the American shore and the islands,
and Bath Island Bridge and the brink of
the Falls, a 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-
iectured 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 a crowd at Niagara-tor
the excitement seekers of the world are
there-and in half an hour the bridge and
adjacent shores were thronged with hor-
rifed yet curious spectators, With them
came some dozens of boatmen, hborerS
and others, who comprehended at once
that there was a chance for rescue, and
Immediately began to devise plan. In
the meantime the man had been reCog-
nized by some one, and while the prepar-
ations were being made a large board was
rudely lettered with the words, in Ger
man, "WEiwILL SAVE YOU" and held up
so that he could read it. He tossed his
rurmS up and down several times, in token
that he comprehended its meaning; and
theu the crowd awaited the result of the
preparations, and watched the object Of
them with almost breathiess interest. 1t
was truly trighttul to see him there amid
that bowling waste, almost in the laws of
the mighty cataract and apparently cut
off from all human aid. But as the day
wore on, and the poor fellow became used
TO the situation, he seemed 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 a
glass, looked eager almost beyond the OK.
preston OF human faces, but il was hope.
/. ful, too.
As noon approached the first attempt
was made for his rescue, A large raft had
been constructed Of heavy plank, bound
together crosswise, and this was to he
lowered down from the bridge, with strong
ropes, to the Castaway when it was
thought that he could be drawn up with.
: out great difficulty. The venture was g
failure from the start The rapids seized
and Whirlcd il away before the men at the
ropes could check il; the ropes became en-
tangled 'hc raft was carried far below thc
rock and at last went hgplessly over the
. Falls.
, 1t was bitter, bitter disappointment
I rs well to the sympathizing, cNpcctaut
throng as to the impcriled man But
, nothing duuutcd, the stout hearts and
ready hands Immediately set about the
, making OF another raft, whileothcrs were
occupied in conveying food and drink to
! moor Avery This was easily done in tin
cases attached TO stout cords. (which were
foatei down to him The castawy ute his
! solitary meal there upon that inaccessible
! point of rock with keen relish, and then
. stood up aud bowed his thanks. Again
! and again the cheering words, W. rN
. sars gen. were exhibited, and he was en-.