Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-09-01
COURTING DANGER.

COURTING DANGER.
FooIhardy Exploit That Cost Three Men
Their Lives.
New York SIM, Aug. II.
Hundreds of the residents of Pater-
son walked out yesterday afternoon to
see the waters in which three men,
James Grogan, Joseph Horton, and
Henry Martin were drowned on Sunday
morning. Just in the outskirts of the
city the Passaic River tumbles over
dam 1Oefeet or more, and then, after
running over huge masses of rock,
throws itself over precipice 80 feet in
height. Facing this waterfall, and
scarcely 80 feet distant from it, is an
abrupt wall, equaling the cataract in
height, and forming firm barrier,
against which the river hurls itself in
its fall. The imprisoned waters can
escape from the chasm into which they
have been trapped only by turning
sharply from the base : ae bluff and
rushing away through a narrow defile
to the plains. The scene is so grand
that the people of Peterson have con-
verted the surrounding acres into a
pleasure park, and have spanned the
narrow gulf into which the waters leap
with a light bridge. Around this
bridge, when the waters are high and
the river is strong, clouds of spray arise
so dense as to hide from any one
standing upon it the depth of the gulf
below.
Above the dam there are moored half
dozen light skiffs, ownedby the work
men living close by, who use them to
fish from in the mill. rond, for ordina-
rily there is no water pouring over the
dam, and no current whatever in the
pond. ALI the surplus water in such
times is carried away through large
sluice, and the rocky bed lying between
the dam and the falls is so dry that
children can cross from one grassy shore
to the other, and can play around the
huge masses of stone whose tops can
scarcely be seen In food season. The
rains of the past week have filed the
river, and over the top of the dam the
waters pours feet in depth with won
derful force. Above the dam the sur
face is still, CLASSY, and unbroken, but
the current is resistless and dangerous,
more dangerous for being unseen.
On Sunday morning James Grogan
went with his companions to borrow
Oswald Blakeley, warned them that the
river was high and the current strong
$50 strong" said he, that [ do not
dare to GO out myself. "That may
be So" replied Grogan, stretching out
his brawny arm to full length-an arm
which, by its strength and nerve, had
made him captain of the cricket club
"but why should such a fine fellow as I
be afraid to go upon the water9 [ am
young, and not to be compared with
you" The oars and the key to unlock
the boat were given to him, AMI rlie
went to the river with his companions.
Horton ard Martin jumped into the
boat while it was still chained to the
shore, and Grogan stood on the bank
with the oars in his hands, urging
friend who passed by to join in the ex-
cursion. The friend refused, and G-o1
gan, crying out "Cappel is afraid to
risk his life this morning." threw the
oars into the boat, and without waiting
for them to be placed in the row-locks,
leaped into the skiff and pushed out
into the stream. They were only 40
feet from the brink of the dam, and be-
low the dam were the high-rushihg rap
ids, and just beyond them the awful
| chasm.
| The three men in the boat felt that
their little craft was in the power of the
river, and there was no time for them
to attempt the use of the oars. They
looked at the shore saw that it was be-
yond their reach; they shouted loudly
for help, but the few friends who
heard them could only look idly on;
they tried to turn the course of the
boat with the rudder. but they gave
only her broadside to the stream and
were more than before powerless to
hold her from the gulf on whose
brink they were. Not fen seconds
had elapsed since Grogan stood upon
the bank, and now be stood all prepar-
ed at the. prov of the boat to Jump into
the current and strike out for life. AS
the little skiff shot rapidly on close to
the dams tail, he plunged into the wa
ter, aud Martin and Horton followed
him. They passed over the dam and
used all endeavors to reach bit of
/ stone wall running out from it's base
into the stream. Martin and Horton
failed entirely, but Grogan came so
near to success that he stretch
ed out his arms to grasp
projecting stone, when strong
whirlpool seized him and dashed him
headlong against the wall. The blow
must have stunned him, for he sank
and rose no more. The two others were
tossed in the great rush of waters, and
we're seen only as they were thrown at
| -.
current. They grasped at the air with
their appraised hands, but, if they cried
out the roar of the cataract drowned
their voices.
! A large number of the pleasure seek
ers in the park were drawn to the banks
| by the shouts of those who had seen the
| boat when first caught in the stream,
and gazed horror-stricken poun the
scene. They stood thus, and saw the
two men swept over the great precipice;
| but as thew recovered and started to