South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-08-18
A wrestle Nth Niagara.

along the brink of the rocks, and opposite
tue american fall The ground NUT have
Os-n about the same height as the opposite
iali, but, owing to the immense hill down
which the rapids rush, it was possible to
distinguish any object of the size of a
boat a considerable distance above the fall,
30 thct, now as it was pointed out to me, 1
saw in the middle of the rapids, q huge log
of wood, the trunk of a tree, which had
lodged there some years before, and upon
1t a black speck. This, after some obser-
Walton, l perceived to move. 1t wa 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 de-
struction 1t was supposed that about half
a mile above the fall the boat had been up
set, and, with two wretchedm men still cling
ing to it, went over the fall at about nine
or ten O'Clock at night, while the third
man Was Criyen against this log of wood,
chrnbed upon i, and sat astride of it
through the darkness of the night, amid
the roar, the turmoil, and the dashing
spray of the rapids.
l crossed the river, assembled the rock by
the railway, and hurried to the spot, where
4 found him so near that ! could almost
distinguish his countepance. 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 as
sembling, and different plans for his rescue
were proposed and discussed on all sides;
alroadu in6ood ano aforf haI haan -oda
A small boat had been firmly dashed to a
strong cable, and dropped down to him
from the bridge, which crossed the rapid
between the mainland and Goat Island,
about sixty yards above the log.
This boat had proceeded a few yards in
safety, was Upset, spun round like a piece
OF cork at the end of a thread by the force
OF the water, which finally snapped the
cole in two. and the boat disappeared
over the fall.
But now a dispatch had been sent to
Buffalo "a distance of little more thar
twenty miles) by electric telegraph, desir-
ing hat q life-boat should be sent by the
first train, 9 80 a. m and this in time ar
rived, borne on the shoulders of about
twenty men, and a splendid boat she was,
large, built entirely of sheet iron, with
air tight chambers; a boat that could not
sink She was grit round with strong
ropes, and two new two inch cables
brought with her. All this arrangement
naturally took up much time, and the poor
wretchs impatit nee eemed extreme, so
that it was though advisable to let him
know what was G ing on. This was done
by means of a sheet, upon which was
written in large letters in Dutch CHS ma
tive ~language). The life boat is coming"
He stooo up. looked ~intently for a minute,
and then nod ed 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
e d of the bridge, so that they might have
some command in directing the course of
tie boat down the river. She seemed
fH reilv IN dane upon the surface of the
water like q cork.
al IA IL consists of a nu nber of small
falls distributed unev My over all the parts
of the river, so that here are thousands
of cross currents, eddies, and whirlpools,
which it would be utterly impossible to
avoid, and in which lies the danger of
transit for any boat between the bridge
and the log The life-boat's course was
steady al first: she arrived at the first fall,
she tripped up ant swung round with a
rush. but continued her course safely, only
altfilled with water Again she descended
with safety, but at length approaching the
log she became unmanageable, swinging
elIner way with immense force,
spinning completely over, and finally
dashing against the log with such vio-
lence that l fully expected the whole
thing, man and all, to have been ~dislodged
and hurried down the rapid. But, no, it
St0O6 frm-fhoh boat haC roaaIaI -. 10,
tlnatlon. Yet, alasl how useless was its
position. 1t lay completely 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 immovable. 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 brought to
one side of the river, by the united force
OF fifty or sixty men she was dislodged
and swung down the rapid upsidedown,
finally pitching headlong beneath an eddy,
e~ntangling one of her cables on the rocks,
and there lying beneath a heavy fall of
water, until, IN the course of the da,, one
OF the cables being broken by the efforts
OF the men to dislodge her, and the other
by the sheer force of the current, she
went over the falls-the second sacrifice to
the poor fellow, who still chung to the log
sWayed between hope and fear. The loss
OF this boat seemed a great blow to him,
and he appeared, as far as we could Judge
at a distance, at times to give way to the
utmost despair. A third boat was now
brought-wooden, very long and fiat bot
TONED. Its passage was most fortunate,
and as she hOated down, even alongside of
the log without accident, hope beamed ia
every countenance, and we all felt the
man might be saved. Hope also had re-
Vlved In him. He stood for some time
upon the log making signals to those who
directed the boat.
de now eagerly seized her, drew her
towards him, jumped into her, and made
signs to them to draw him up. This was
commenced, but some of the tackle had
caught, n it was deemed necessary to
let 1t loose for an instant. This was
done; the boat fuated a few feet down
the rapid, swung round the lower end of
the log, ~entangling the cable beneath it,
and there remained immovably fixed.
Once more the poor fellows work began.
He drew off one of his boots and baled
the boat, he pushed at the log, climbed
upon it, and used every possible exertion
to move the boat, but in vainl An hour
was spent in these fruitless offorts-an
hour of terrible suspense to all who be-
held him He worked well, for he worked
for his life. Three months after, this
boat retained its position, nor will it move
until the rocks grind its cable in two, or
the waters tear it piecemeal into shreds.
Another plan must be devised, and this.
with American promptitude, was soon
done A Taft of from twenty to thirty
feet long and five feet broad was knocked
together with amazing rapidity. 1t en-
sisted of two stout poles, made fast, five
feet asunder, by mailing four or five pieces
of two inch board at ca b extremity; thus
the machine consisted of sort of skeleton
raft with a small stage at either end On
of these stsges-that to which the ca
bles (of which there were two) were
lashed-was tightly fixed a large empty
cask, for the sake of its b~uoyancy, on the
other a complete network of cords, to
which the man was to lash himself; also a
tin can of refreshments, he having taken
nothing since the evening before; THREE or
four similar cans, by the way, had been let
down TO him already, att ched to strong
pieces of new line, but the cords had in
every instance been snapped, and the food
lost.
fhe raft was finished, launched, and
cofalu laf dnWn ~ &ha L. ="