The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-09-14
a wpEsrLE svsVsg NIAGARA.

yards in advance of the Clifton, that is,
thirty or forty yards nearer the horse
shoe along the brink of tie rocks, and
opposite the American fall. The ground
must have been about the same hight as
the opposite fall, but, owing to the inn
mense bill down which the rapids rush, it
was possible 10 distinguish any object Of
the size OF a boat considerable distance
above the fall, SO that, now as it was
pointed out TO me, l saw in the middle of
the rapids, a huge log of wood, the trunk
of a tree, which had lodged there some
years before, and upon it a black speck.
This, after some observation, | perceived
10 move. 1t was a man. Yes, he and
his two companions had, on the previous
night, been rowing about some distance
above the fall. BY some means or other
they had ventured too near the rapids,
had lost all command of their boat, and
had been hurried away to destruction. -
1t was supposed that about half mile
above the fall the boat had been upset,
and, with two wretcbed men still clinging
to it, went over the fall at about nine or
ten o'clock at night, while the third man
was driven against this log Of wood,
climbed upon it through the darkness of
the night, amid the rear, the turmoil, and
the dashing spray of the rapids
l crossed the river, ascended the rock
by the railway, and hurried to the spot,
where L found him so near could almost
distinguish his countenance. He was
then lying along the log, grasping it with
both arme, and appeared exhausted to the
last degree. He was evidently as wet,
from the spray, as though he had been
standing under water. By this Time peo-
pie were assembled, and different plans
for his rescue were proposed and discussed
on all sides; already, indeed, one effort
had been made. A small boat had been
firmly dashed to a strong cable, and
dropped down to him from the bridge,
Which crossed the rapids between the
main land and Goat Island, about sixty
yards above the log.
This boat had proceeded few yards in
safety, WAS upset, spun round like piece
OF cork a, the end of thread by the force
of rhe water, which finally snapped The
cable in two, and the boat disappeared
over the fall.
But Eow dispatch had been sent to
Buffalo, Ga distance of little more than
twenty miles) by electric telegraph, de-
string that life>boat should be sent by
the first train, $50 A. NJ and this in time
arrived, borne on the shoulders of about
twenty men, and splendid boat che was,
large, built entirely of sheet iron with air
tight chambers a boat that could not
sink. She was girt round with strong
ropes, and two new inch cables brought
with her All these arrangements natu
rally took up much time, and the poor
wretch's impatience seemed extreme, so
that it was thought advisable to let him
know what was going on. This was done
by means of sheet, upon which was
written in large letters in Dutch (his ma
tive language ''the ife-boat is coming"
He stood up, looked intently for minute,
and then nodded his head. When the
boat was at last launched, the excitement
was intense. Two cables, each held by
many men, were let down from either
end of the bridge, so that they might have
some command in directing the course of
the boat down the river. She seemed
literally to dance upon the surface of the
water like a cork.
The rapid consists of a number of
small falls distributed unevenly over all
parts of the river, SO that there are thou
sands Of cross currents. eddies, and whirl>
pools, which it would De utterly impossi>
bic TO avoid, and in which lies the danger
of transit for any boat between the bridge
and log The life-boat's course was steady
at first; she arrived at the first fall, she
triPped up and swung around with rash,
but continued her course safely, only halt
filled with water. Again she descended
with safety, but at length approaching tho
log she became unmanageable. swinging
either way with immense force, spinning
completely over, and finally dashed
against the log with such violence that L
fully expected the whole thing, man and