Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-06-20
THE HERO OF THE FALLS.

Terrible Experianee OF william MeCuI-
Tough and His Extraordinary Rescue
ThOmas.COnrOy, the Hero Of Niagara
Fail
The telegraph has already informed
us of the narrow escape from death of
William Mccullough, who fell from a
bridge and was only saved from going
over Niagara Falls by clinging to a
rock until rescued by a guide named
Thomas Conroy. The Buffalo Courier
has the following details -
William Mccullough, a painter by
trade, aged about sixty years, and an
old and highly respected citizen of
Niagara Falls, was engaged in painting
the middle bridge which spans the tor
rent that rushes between the first and
second OF the Three Sister Islands. He
occupied position with q companion
on a scaffold which had been swung
down on the lower side of the bridge.
Approaching his fellow workman, he
asked him for some putty, and, receiv-
ing the same, stepped back just little
too far, and in an instant was on his
back at the bottom of the torrent.
Right where he fell the Hermit's Cas-
cade pours its angry waters, and in less
time than it takes to write about 1t the
unfortunate man was borne away in the
direction of the Horseshoe Fall. The
other workman and Mr.. George e. Cur
tiss, who witnessed the accident, and
who were paralyzed by what seemed to
be the inevitable fate of Mccullough,
watched the disappearing form until it
was swept out of the more rapid cur
rent into small eddy, from the midst
of which rose a rock. Against this
rock, which is fairly submerged, Nc
Cullough was thrown, having been
rolled over on his face just before
reaching it, and, with the instinct of a
drowning man, he chung to it. At the
rock the water is between four and five
feet deep, and, although stunned by the
fall and exhausted by the angry waters
which had borne him about 1,5O0 feet
in the direction of grave, he had
strength enough remaining to enable
him to climb the rock and to seat him
self upon it.
The two men who witnessed the fear
full descent, seeing that Mccullough
was at least temporarily safe, speedily
gave the alarm in the village, and soon
an excited multitude lined the rivers
bank and contemplated the scene with
such feelings of emotion as may not be
described. Men, women and children
instinctively sought to determine upon
some means of rescue, even while their
hearts throbbed with a terrible fear.
The rock on which sat the man upon
whom all eyes we're eagerl centered was
the last that projects from the reef be-
low the islands. Between it and the
shore swept wide and deep torrent.
while below it the river opens out to
its fullest width as if it refused to en-
counter any further distractions before
it takes its final plunge into the gorge,
some sixty rods below. The plan of
rescue was not easy to solve, and the
question of the power of endurancer re-
naming to the old man was a serious
one in this connection. Fortunately
Mr.. Pettibone he'd informed the people
at the Cave of Winds that man
had fallen from the bridge, and Thomas
Conroy, one of the guides, heard the
remark. He thought that man had
fallen from the Terrapin tower bridge
and had gone over the Falls, and start
ed off leisurely up the bank. He had
not proceeded far when he found that
the entire population of the village had
got there before him, and very soon he
deserted the man on the rock. He
knew he was the only man in all the
crowd that could save Mccullough.
Some distance above the rock he found
awaiting use a coil of rope about an
inch in thickness and passed it into the
hands of about dozen or fifteen men.
He consulted nobody-he asked no
ones advice; but, with as much cool
ness 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 pro-
ceeded 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 Gave of the Winds for his
felt shoes and these were brought to
him with the utmost dispatch. These
donned he again started on his perilous
journey from point about two hun.
dred feet above the rock on which sat
Mccullough. Cautiously, but with i'm.
perturbable GOODNESS, he moved out in
an oblique direction till he had reached
point beyond the line of the rock, the
waters at every step threatening tC
sweep him out of sight, Carefully he
picked his way, now in shallow water
and now in deep, and down with the
angry tide he went till he reached the
rock, and found awaiting his coming {
man shivering, exhausted, and almost
incapable of utterance. Conroy had &C
complished herculean task in reach
ing the rock as he did, to say not 1
word about the danger he braved h
had to keep the long line of heavy rop,
taut with his left hand while feeling hi
way on rocks as slippery as ice and con
tending with q current which would
have speedily carried man of ordinar,
strength off his feet. In Mccullough
} hand he found clutched the putty knit
he was using at the time of the acct
: dent, and this he took from him anC
put it in his pocket. This done he tlet
the rope about McCullough's waist
took hold OF it with his left hand simp
ly, and both started for the shore. Fo
: a hundred feet or so Conroy had no
only to look out for himself but for tn
, enfeebled old man in his charge. 1t wa
, hard work, but they made the distanc
without accident.
: The end was not yet, however, for a