Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-09-17
II Thrilling Incident at Niagara

WOulu lHcSe tiliURo HuNc Hdppeieub
II Thrilling Incident at Niagara.
In the very center OF the seething,
whiring chaldron of waters known as the
American Rapids, lying equidistant be-
enthe American shore and the islands,
and Bath Island Bridge and the brink OF
Falls, u rock projects two or three feet
above the water The eye rests upon it
merely as spcck in the midst of this an
CRY flood with every dash Of the torrent
pouring down from the plateau above it
is halt submerged, and sometimes who'll
ly 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 10 cross the bridge was startled
and Mortified TO see n human form stand
ing erect, in the midst of the raging,
swelling food, on thi, 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 Jo-
scph Avery, the sole survivor of the un-
fortunate boats crew. II was conlectur-
ed that the boat must have sped down to
this point, unharmed by rocks or rapids,
and that, striking here, Avery was thrown
or sprang out, finding Just room enough
for a perilous foothold, while the other
two, with the boat, were swept over the
cataract
The alarm quickly spread. 1t is not
difficult to draw a crowd at Nagara-for
the excitement seekers of the world are
therc-and in half an hour the bridge and
adjacent shores were thronged with hor-
ritied yet curious spectators. With them
came some dozens of boatmen, laborers
and others, who comprehended mt once
that there was chance Tor rescue, and
Immediately began to devise plan. In
The meantime the man had been recog-
nized by some one, and while the prcpa-
rations Were being made large board
was rudey lcttercd with the words, in
German, 1--WE WILL SAVE YOU" and held
up SO that he could read it. He tossed
his arms up and down several times, in
token that he comprehended its meaning;
and then the crowd awaited the result of
the preparations, and watched the object
OF them with almost breathless interest.
1t was truly lrightiul to see him there
amidst the bowling waste, almost in the
laws of the mighty cataract, and appar-
entity cut off from all human aid. But as
the day wore on, and the poor fellow be-
came used 10 the situation. he seemed TO
bear il with much composure. Some
times To change his position, he sat down
upon the rock, and sometimes made
gestures TO the crowd, the meaning OF
WnlCn COUlu IiOt olt'H Dc uhuCi'e'N"'
His face, seen through a glass, looked ca.
ger, almost beyond the expression OF hu-
man faces, but it was hopeful. 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 be lowered down from the bridge,
with strong ropes, to the castaway, when
it was thought that he could be drawn
up without great difficulty. The venture
was failure from the start. The rapids
seized and whirled it away before the
men at the ropes could check it ; the ropes
became entangled, the raft was carried
far below the rock, and ut last went help
lessly over the Falls.
1t was bitter, bitter disappointment
as well TO the sympathizing, expectant
throng as to the imperilled man. But,
ready hands Immediately set about the
making of another raft, while others
were occupied in conveying food and
drink to poor Avery This was easily
done in tin cases. attached to strong cords,
which were hoated down TO him. The
castaway ate his solitary meal there up
on that inaccessible point of rock with
keen relish, and then stood up and bow
ed his thanks. Again and again the
cheering words, ave WiH sare you,"
were exhibited, and he was encouraged
by other short sentences in his native Ian
guage, which were in the same way paint
cd in huge letters and held up to him.
The afternoon slowly wore on-the
long, hot, listless summer afternoon there
at Niagara, usually devoted TO idling
over iced drinks in the shade of the hotel
porches or parlors, but now cheerfully
given up to the assistance of, or sympathy
for, fellow being. There were hun
dreds in that crowd who, prompted by that
spirit of American chivalry which is never
wanting among us, would have chcerfully
plunged in to his rescue, could the act
have been any other than useless fool
hardness and there were wealthy men
there, who went through the crowdunder
the deepest sense of emotion, offering
large rewards to whoever would rescue
him. The telegraph had, by this time,
carried the news far and wide; tire alter
noon papers in New York on this day
contained it, and the afternoon trains
from Buffalo and Rochester came freighted
with bnndreds more to view the peril of