The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-06-17
On the Edge of Death.

BUFFALO, n. Y, June About
1880 O'Clock this morning a painter
named VIM. Mccullough, who was
at work on the Second Sister Island
Bridge, above Niagara Falls, by some
mischance fell into the raging cur
rent beneath. The water at this
point rushes and surges along toward
the cataract, three-quarters Of a mile
below, with irresistible force All
along the stream, down the brink of
the American fall, the bed of the
river is thickly studded with huge
boulders, around and over which the
current seethes and boils as if in fury
at the obstructions. 1t was down
this frightful channel that the unfor-
tunate man was swept with the We
locity of a whirlwind His doom
appeared to be sealed, for nothing
short of miracle could rescue him
from the clutches of .he angry
waters, and the fearful plunge over
the falls below
1t seemed as though he must have
drowned long before reaching the
cataract, but he did not Neither
did be go over the falls. In a short
time after falling from the bridge,
he was seen standing erect upon a
rock that lifts itself above the water
in the rapids
Here be appeared to be as far from
human aid as before, for it was almost
certain death to go to his rescue
But a hero was found equal to the
emergency, and, amid the widest ex-
citement among the throng who now
lined the shore, preparations for his
rescue were made.
A rope was securely fastened to
the bank some distance above, and
Thomas Conway, who had volun-
teered for the hazardous undertaking,
succeeded in reaching the place
where Mccullough was standing
By means of the rope beth men
were safely hauled ashore.
Strange as it may be, Mccullough
was not injured in the least, and will
probably be about tomorrow, none
the worse for his perilous bath.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE PERILOUs
ADVENTURE.
NIAGARA FALLS, n. Y, June L.
This village was the scene of a terri
bic excitement this morning in cOnse-
quence of painter named McCul-
Tough, who was employed in painting
the bridge leading from Goat Island
to- the Three Sisters, having fallen
from the bridge into the rapids be-
low. He drifted with the current to
q point within forty feet of the falls,
where he found anchorage in the mid
die Of the stream that separates the
islands by coming in contact with q
rock, to which he elung. In few
moments the news of the accident
spread like wildire through the viii
lage, and an immense crowd Of spec
tators gathered to look at the unfor-
tunate mans perilOus situatiOA, from
which it seemed impossible to rescue
him. Mccullough had given up all
hopes of being aided; his arms and
body were fast becoming benumbed
and losing their hold on the slippery
rock, when a shout went up from the
spectators which told him that aid
was nigh In that vast crowd
which had assembled on the islands
and bridges, there was but one man
who was willing to risk his own life
in trying to snatch a fellow-creature
from out the jaws of death. Tom
Conway, a guide at the Cave of
Winds, jumped into the rapids, and,
holding in his left hand the end Of
rope and swimming down the current
he reached Mccullough in safety
He Immediately tied the rope around
himself and the nearly exhausted
man, and they were both safely
landed ashore in a few moments
Mccullough was badly bruised about
the head and body. A purse was
Immediately taken up for Conway,
who is tonight the hero of the hour.