The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-07-24
Over Niagara.

the New York Herald, detailing the story
OF the loss OF the two young men and the
woman who went over Niagara on the 4th
inst:
After they had lunch they all whisper
ed together and laughed merrily, and
soon after they left the hotel and walked
down to the creek.
One OF the villagers noticed, as thew
passed out from under the shadow of the
inn, with its caves, as humble as Uriah
Heep, glinting in the sunshine, a dark
cloud suddenly Obscured the sun, and
they seemed to walk as if under dark
canopy. When they obtained boat,
however, this time free to 90 where they
pleased, and under no restricting promise
to the landlord, the turned its Prov down
the stream, and the sun came out from be-
hind the cloud and lighted up the waters
and threw glory about the fair Girl in
the stern of the boat and dazed the ewes of
the boy in the bow. An old gentleman
who was passing over the bridge that
spans the creek little distance from its
mouth was attracted by the light laughter
that came up from the boat, and paused a
few moments, looking steadily in that d.
rection. Whether tie young man at the
oars was at the moment too much eneae-
ed in looking into the pretty face directly
in front of him or not it is impossible to
say, but the old gentleman remarked that
he was very unskillful in his management
Of the boat.
While the old gentleman was looking.
the boat, floating with the current, though
little impelled by the oars, passed out in.
to the Niagara.
Now, at this point, less than three miles
from the cataract, it is possible to row
across the river. Not only is it possible,
but, as matter of constant occurrence,
it is considered comparatively safe. But
in crossing from the American side, leav.
ing the pier near the Erie depot, it is
necessary to row up the river as far as
the end of Grass Island, and then to cross,
still pulling diagonally up the stream and
bending to the work for dear life when
in the dark loOking waters pointed out
from the shore as the channel of the
current.
On the other hand, rowing from the
Canada shore, you still pull a long way
up the stream before you venture to dag
onalize across.
Down below the mouth of Chippewa
Greek, some twenty rods away, there is a
river fence" beyond which the current
sets with fearful force toward the rapids.
The old man watched the boat moving
along in direction diagonally down the
stream, and heading for outside of "the
river fence" He tottercd back and
caught at the railing of the bridge for
support, his face grew deathly pale and
he trcmbled like an aspen leaf. A little
child crossed the bridge and looked at
him curiously. Then an old woman fol-
lowed, and he asked each of them if thew
knew who was in the boat that was going
to 60 over the falls.
The woman looked scared, as though
she thought he was crazed. The child
ran away crying. This man was one of
three who saw the boat after it left Chip
pewa, and while it still retained its form.
As the water fence was passed and the
current was bearing them along swiftly,
specks of froth dotted the water. The girl
looked from these beyond and caught a
glimpse Of the white foam and mist
thrown now and again high in air along
the crest of the first rapids. She uttered
9 cry and pointed in the direction of the
first line Of descent above Goat Island.
Her lover looked over his shoulder, and
an expression of horror must have settled
upon his face. There was, doubtless.
none OF the bright color in the girls cheek
that had made her the admiration of the
rustics in the village she was leaving be-
hind only short half hour before. Her
lover grasped one of the oars with frantic
haste, and with both hands he thought to
turn the boat in the middle of that cur
rent running like mill race. He looked
then, apparently, for the oar-looked in
the bottom of the boat and on every side
He had lest the oar In the
moment Of his first appalling horror. He
had dropped it in the water, and it was
carried away in second beyond sight and
sound, down in the depths Of the fOaming
abyss of the rapids now yawning beneath
them. The boat darted down the first
crest Of rocks, the stern swinging about;
. moment she was lost to view, and then
came swinging ON, seeming to point to-
ward Cedar Island. Then she rose on the
point of a great foam covered rock, and
darted down bow foremost, az thouch
'teered by invisible hands. From the new
over the poor wretches, who had gone 80
yaily forth in the frail cooklesheil, were
zen clinging to each other in the bottom
. the boat. Then q cloud Of mist and
pray yelled the whole from sight, and for |
~ instant only, just under the arch of the
'ainbow over the cleft of the Horseshoe
Fall, the end of the boat protruded from