The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-12-25
4 .yrestlc with Siasara-.-A Thrilling:
Narrative.
From All The Year ROull

From All the Yelr Round
was standing about thirty or forty yards
IN advance Of the Cliiton-thal i, thirty or
fort yards nearer to the Horseshoe, along
the brink Of the rocks, and opposite the
American fall. The ground must have been
a.,nl!t the same hcight as the opposite fail,
but owing TO the immense hill down which
the rapids rush it was possible TO distin-
gui,h any object tho size OF Il boat con-
siderable distance above the fall, SO that, now
it was pointed out to he, | saw in the middle
of the rapid huge log of wood Qho trunk
OF Il trcc), which had lodged there some years
before. and upon it Il black spcck. This,
after s0nic observation, | perceived to move.
Ii was Il man. YES; he and his companions
had ON Il previous night been rowing about
some distance above the fall. BY some
nirals or other they had vcntured too near
The rapids and lost all command Of their
boat. and had been hurled away to dcstruc-
ton. 1t WAS supposed that about Eali-mlie
above the fall the boat lad upset, and with
two wretchcd men still clinging to it went
over the fall about . or 10 O'Clock 1T night.
while the third man was driven against this
log Of wood, climbed upon it, and sat astlde
OF it through the darkness of the night, amid
the roar, the turmoil, and the dashing spray
of the rapids.
crossed the river, assembled the rock by
the railway, and hurried to the spot, where
found him so near that could almost distin
g,lish his countenancc. He WIGS then lying
along the log, gEepns it with botharnls, 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 dis
cussod on all sides; already, indeed, one effort
had been made. \ small boat had been firmly
E.shcd TO strong cable, and dropped down
- him from the bridge which crossed the
rapid between the mainland 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 at the end OF thread by the force of the
"'tcr, which finally snapped the cable in two,
ana the boat disappeared over the fall.
But now dispatch had been sent to Buff
1aio "a distance of little more than twenty
lll'es) by telegraph, desiring that q lifc-boat
should he sent by the first train-0:30 4. NJ.
ana this In time arrived, borne on the shoul
aefS OF about twenty men; and a splendid
boat she was--laree, built entirely of sheet
IRON, win alright chalnbers-a boat tha
could not sink. She was girt round will
strong ropes, and two new two-inch cable
brought with her. All this arrangement
naturally took up much time, aud the boo
Wletcii'S Imlnticncc seemed extreme, so tina
IL Was thought advisable to let him know
what was going on. This was done by mean,
Oh sheet, upon which was written in laro,
tstters III Dutch (hiS native knguagc), "The
ille-boat is coming" lie stood up looked
ihcntly Tor minute, and then nodded hi.
n'ad. When the boat was at last launched
the excitement WAS intense. Two cables
cacl held 10y many men, were let down from
either end of the bridge, so that they might
nave some command in directing the course
ol The boat down the river. She seemed lit.
orally 70 dance upon the surface of the water
like cork.
The rapid consists of number Of small
tals distributed uneVenly over all parts of
.ne iNer' so tt@t there are thousands of cross
currents, eGdles. and whirlpools, which il
would he utterly impossible to avoid. and in
Wilch lies The danger of transit for any boat
between the bridge and the log The life.
boats course was steady at first. she ar
rived at the first fall, she trippcd nm amd
swung round with rush, but Continued be,
course safely, only half-iilled with water.
Again she descended with safety. hnt at
length, approaching the log, she became un-
manageable, swinging each way with inn
EieEse force, spinning completely over, aud
hnally dashing against the log with such vic.
fence that fully expected the whole thing,
man ana all, to have been dislodged and hllr-
RED down the rapid. But, no, it stood
1tn-the BOAT had reached its destination.
aeI, aias now useless was his position.
~ LAY completely ON its side above the log
and with its hollow Inside directed re-
ward the bridge, played upeu by tho
Whoe force Of the current, which 1;xnd
its keel firmly against the log. Il seemed
mlmoYabls. The man himself climbed to.