The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-09-12
A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.


shoe along the brink of the rocks, and
opposite the American fall. The ground
must have been about the same height as
the opposite fall, but, owing to the i'm
mense hill down which the rapids rush,
it was possible to distinguish any object
of the size of boat considerable dis
tance above the fall, so that, now as it
was pointed out to me, | saw in the mid
die Of the rapids, huge log Of wood,
the trunk of tree, which had lodged
there some years before, and upon it a
black speck. This, after some obserya-
ton, l perceived to move. 1t was
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 wretched
men still clinging to it, went over the
fall at about ten o'clock at night, while
the third man was driven against this log
of wood, climbed upon it, and sat astride
of it through the darkness Of the night,
amid the roar and turmoil, and dashing
spray of the rapids. #.
| crossed the river, ascended the rock
by the railway, and hurried to the spot,
where found him so near that | could
almost distinguish his countenance. He
was then lying along the log, grasping it
with both arms, 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
people were assembling, 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 lashed to strong cable,
and dropped down to him from the bridge
which crossed the rapids between the
mainland and Goat Island, about sixty
yards above the leg.
This boat had proceeded a few yards
in safety, was then upset, spun round like
piece of cork at the end of a thread by
the force of the water, which finally
snapped the cable in two, and the boat
disappeared over the fall
But now dispatch had been sent to
Buffalo, 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 a splendid boat
Io loro,o h,,;1f ontirolyy Of CHI
iron, with air-tight chambers; boat that
could not sink. She was girt round with
strong ropes, and two new two-inch cables
brought with her. All this arrangement
naturally 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 q sheet upon which
was written in large letters in Dutch (his
native language) the life-boat is COM
ing" He stood up, looked intently for
minute, and then nodded his head
When the boat was launched, the ex-
citement 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 on the sur
face of the water like cork i'
The rapid consists Of number Of
small falls distributed uneyenly over all
parts of the river, so that there are thou
sands of currents, eddies and whirl-
pools, which it would be utterly impossi-
Bile 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 round,
with rush, but continued her course
safely, only half filled with water Again
she descended with safety, but at length,
approaching the log, she became unman-
ageable, swinging either way with i'm
mense force, spinning completely over,
and finally dashed against the log with
such violence that l fully expected the
whole thing, man and all, ITO have been
dislodged and hurried down the rapid
But no, it stood frm-the boat had
reached its destination, Yet, alas how
useless was its position. 1t lay complete
ly on its side above the log, and with its
hollow inside directed toward the bridge,
played upon by the whole force of the
current,which fixed its keel firmly against
the log. 1t seemed inlmovable The
man himself climbed toward it, and in
vain tried to pull, lift, or shake the boat ;
nor was it moved until both cables being
4 A.. -. a. AZ. 4. ~