Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-12-13
Plunging Over the Falls.

New York Sun.

pOsal OF the late Governor General of
Canada to the government of the United
States, to convert the grounds surround
ing the Niagara Falls into free Nation
al Park, is accepted, it will gladden. the
hearts Of tourists and travellers. As it
is at present, every point of interest, on
the American side at least, is cut off
from the visitor until he pays a round
entrance fee to sights that should be
thrown open to the world 1t costs from
twenty-five to fifty cents to cross the
river to view the falls from the Canada
side Even hack hire, which has always
been considered exorbitant, is now mod
crate compared with prices charged for
admission to accessible places for view
ing the rapids and cataiActs. In one
of the enclosures, called park, living
creatures are exhibited which are said
to have passed over the falls and recov-
cred from the tremendous plunge into
the water below
An illustration of the fact that the
resistless rapids and mighty waterfalls
do not destroy all life drawn into their
terrible power was witnessed by the Sun
correspondent on Saturday last, in com
pany with Mr. Joseph S. Wick and wife
of Rochester, and two ladies from
Brooklyn. Luckily, the rapacious guar
dians of natures great water works were
not aware OF the extra exhibition, or
doubtless a heavy fee would have been
demanded.
After viewing the Canada Falls from
the point near which Terrapin Tower
once stood, we were about to ascend the
bank on Goat Island, when one of the
ladies' discovered what she called three
large birds close to the waters edge, un-
der the shadow of the bank, about 500
feet above the brink of the fall. An
examination through field glass showed
the birds to be three large geese. Two
were white and the other was gray
They stood quietly gazing into the tur-
bulent rapids, occasionally stretching
their necks and dropping their heads.
On the attention of our hack driver
being called to the geese, he said that
they had fallen asleep on the river above
the rapids, and, floating down, had been
awakened by the tossing Of the water
and roaring Of the falls in time to effect
a landing "They are so terrified he
continued, ''that any one could catch
them now"
'Why not try and capture one for
your Sunday dinner?" suggested the
espondent
Guess | WILL replied the hackman,
as he started off up the bank
He had crept up 10 within about six
feet of the geese when first white one
walked slowly into the stream. The
hackman stood still second or so be-
fore taking another step through the
bushes. AS he raised his right foot,
which was nearest the river, to proceed,
the gray goose craned his neck and fol-
lowed the white one. Before the hack
man could take three more steps, the
last was gone goose. Slowly it pad
died it's way after the others out into
the fatal rapids.
One of the Brooklyn ladies, placing
her hands over her eyes, exclaimed
"Oh, poor things; they will be drawn
over the falls and killed. | can't look
at them"
But the fascination could not be re-
sisted. The lady, like the rest of US,
watched the geese with intense interest
on their perilous voyage.
At first the geese stemmed the cur
rent with apparently little difficulty:
but as the man stepped to the edge of
the river they worked further out into
the rapids. They were soon caught on
hillocks of water and spray, and turned
helplessly around. Then getting into
smoother water, they endeavored in
vain to stay their onward course The
geese made no effort to fly, the water
frequently sucking them down until
only their long necks were visible above
the surface.
At the point where we stood, a mar
row bridge had been thrown out into the
stream, few feet from the edge of the
fall. The end over the river rested on
a large, firm rock. We stood on the
rock, watching the apparently doomed
geese From the rock long log stretch
ed out into the river, the outer end
being caught under another rock which
projected out of the water The water
swept the under part of the log its en-
tire distance. The torrent had stripped
the bark off, and worn it's surface as
SIlOOl1 do lIlC lIldSt VI IL Sill ~.
AS the first white goose reached this
log it struggled bravely to keep from
being drawn under and over into the
laundering abyss. 1t was fruitless eff
fort The broad web feet of the goose
as it turned its head up stream, were
Strengthened out, offering no resistance
to the remorseless current. The goose
was tucked under sideways. Swinging
partly around, the goose took the awful
plunge with head erect in straight line
over the fall.
Next came the gray goose Like the
first, it made brave fight at the log
Going under backward, it stretched its
long neck in agony toward us on the
rock. Its throat showed long line OF
flaming red. 1t looked as though the
crimson blood were bursting up through
the bill. The goose toppled over the
fall backward, with neck and head erect
without emitting sound. In fact all
three went down the rapids and over
the falls in silent terror.
The last goose also struggled bravely
to keep on the upper side of the log
but was soon drawn under, and it fol
lowed its companions over the cataract
It went over head first, the same as the
other white one. As our eyes followed
the goose in its descent, we were soor
surprised to see it dart out of the water
and spray and fly safely down into the
dark green water, hundreds of feet be
low the white foam that covers the riv
cr for some distance under the falls
The other white goose was then observ
ed flying further out over the river. Ii
soon settled down and swan toward its
companion Watching them through
the glass we saw them rubbing thei
heads together Nothing whatever wa.
seen of the gray goose after it wen
backward over the fall.
| Mr.. Joseph IT, Cox, in his planins
MILL on the edge of Genessee Falls, sale
that he once saw from his mill window
a small drove of cattle go over Genes
see Falls. All that went over backward
and sideways were killed, and all tina
plunged over head first got out alive. H
also saw an old lady fall from the rail
road bridge while train was crossing
The old lady went over the falls nea
where Sam Patch took his fatal lear
She was found alive on the island,
short distance below the falls, but sh
soon died.
Dear me, what charming little birds
They are perfectly exquisite. The
are not birds, my dear replied he