The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-06-19
The Niagara IHaEys Hero.

The guide who soma two weeks or more
ago rescued VIM. Mccullough, the painter,
from his pen ilous position on the brink of
Niagara Falls, is thus alluded to by cor
respondent of the Fall River Mass -Netos,
writing under date of the day of rescue
Thomas Conroy, who has proved himself
every inch hero, was born in Ottawa,
Canada, twenty-five years ago, Of Irish
parentage, but spent his early boyhood IN
Montreal. For seven year he was sailor
along the Newfoundland coast, and only
about seven years have elapsed since he
first became a citizen of Niagara Falls
We asked him what his sensations were
when he started out on his dangerous
journey. He quietly replied When
saw that man in the river | made up my
mind that | was going to have him out
right OF. an6 if lie had been out as far
again l would have made for him MIR.
Mccullough may be seen at work to-day
on the very scaffold from which he ysster-
day experienced his frightful fall.
The story of the rescue the same cores
pondent briefly and clearly tells thus
Fortunately, information had been sent
to the Cave OF the Winds that man ha ID
fallen from the bridge, and Conroy heard
the remark. He thought that a man had
fallen from the TerTapin tower bridge and
gone over the Falls, and started of leisure
iy ND the bank He had not proceeded far
when he found that nearly the entire pop
ulation of the village had got there before
him, and very soon he deserted the man
OH the rock He fastened his steps he
knew he was the only man i'll all that
crowd that could save Mccullough. Some
distance above the rock he found awaiting
use a coil OF rope about an inch in thick
ness. and PASSED it into the hands ofa dozen
or fifteen men. He consulted nobody ; he
asked no ones advice ; but with as much
GOODNESS as if he were proceeding to his
dinner he took one end Of the rope in his
left hand, told them to pay it out to him,
descended the bank, and proceeded into
the river, only taking the precaution to
divest himself of his boots. About forty
feet from the shore he discovered that the
rocks over which he picked his way were
too slippery in the strong current, and he
returned. He sent to the Cave of the
Winds for his felt shoes, and these were
brought to bm with the utmost dispatch.
These dunued he again started on his per-
ilous Journey, from a point about 200 feet
above the rock upon which sat McCul-
lough. Cautiously, but with impurtuTb2-
BILE GOODNESS, he moved ont in an Oblique
direction till he had reached a point be-
yond the line of the rock, the waters at
every step threatening to sweep him out
of sight. Carefully he picked his way,
now in shallow water and now in deep,
=
he reached the rock, and found awaiting his
coming a man shivering, exhausted, and
almost incapable of uCterance. COnroy
had accomplished hereulean task in
reaching the rock as he did, to say not a
word about the danger he bTave0. He
/ had to keep the long line of heavy rope
taut with his left hand while feeling his
way on rocks as slippery as ice, and con-
tending with a current which would have
speedily carried man of ordinary strength
off his feet. In McCullough's hand he
found clutched the putty knife he was
using at the time of the accident, and this
he took from him and put it in his pocket.
This done, he tied the rope about McCul-
lough's waist, took hold of it himself with
his left hand simply, and both started for
the shore. For one huhdred feet or so
Conroy had not only to look out for him
self, but for the eufeebled old man in his
charge. 1t was hard work but they made,
this distance without accident. The end
was not yet, however. for as they entered
the torrent which ran between the shore
| and the rock, both were swept of theiI
feet and buried in the mad waters. The
men on shore pulled the rope as rapidly as
was safe, and Mccullough ana his rescuer
were dragged ashore"