Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-08-26

them that the river was high and the chr
rent strong so 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 fine fellow as I
be afraid to go on the water? l amyoung
and not to be compared with you" The
oars and the key to unlock the boat were
given to him, and he went to the river
with his companions. Horton and Mar
tin jumped into the boat while it was still
chained to the shore, and Grogan stood on
the bank with the oars in his hands, urg
ing friend who passed by to join in the
excursion. The friend refused, and Grogan,
crying out Capped 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 forty feet from the brink of the
dam, and below the dam were the high
rushing rapids, 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 and saw that it was beyond 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 ten seconds had elapsed since
Grogan stood upon the bank, and now he
stood all prepared at the PROV Of the boat
to jump into the current and strike out
tor life. AS the little skitf shot rapidly on
close to the DAMS fall he plunged into
the water, and Martin and Horton followed
him. They passed over the DAM and
used all endeavors to reach a bit of stone
wall running out from its base into the
stream. Martin and Horton failed entire
ly, but GrOgan came so near to success
that he stretched out his arms to grasp a
projecting stone, when a 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 were seen only
as they were thrown at times to the sur
face ofthe seething 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-seekers
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 upon the scene. They
stood thus and saw thetwo men swept over
the great precipice; but as they recovered
and started to rush to the river below the
falls, they noticed that the boat, which
had been thrown over the dam, was seized
by the outer current of a wide whirlpool,
carried close to the cataract, and then
borne back to quiet recess under the
trees upon the shore. All then followed
the river for miles down its course, and
graphing hooks were thrown out from the
shore into the waters between the dam and
the falls, where Grogan had disappeared
and was supposed to be, but all search for
the bodies was unavailing.-N. Y San,
Aug. II.