Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-06-27
A Wife Swept Over Niagara Falls.

a Wife swept liver Niagara falls'
On Saturday last, at Niagar Falls, Mrs.
A. ROLAND, of Paris, France, was swept
over the Horseshoe Fall in the presence
Of her agonized husband. On Wednesday
last Mr.. and Mrs. A. ROLAND, of "a Rue
Mognau, Paris. arrived there from CHI
cagO and took rooms at the Falls Hotel.
They could speak but little English, and
for that reason took their meals at
French restaurant opposite. kept by fell
low-countryman named J. B. Roman.
During their visit they visited all the
places Of interest on both sides OF the
river, and were to start at noon Saturday
for New York, whence they were to i'm
mediately sail for France. A telegram
says:
This morning Mrs. ROLAND expressed
desire to pay farewell visit to Goat
Island, as she had enjoyed most of the
magnificent scenery from that point, They
left their hotel at about 8 O'Clock, and
leisurely walked over the bridge, taking
the right.hand road around the island.
They stopped on Luna Island, at the cave
of the winds, and also paid a visit to the
point formerly occupied by the Terrapin
tower. They were in high spirits, and en-
joyed the glorious scenery to the fullest
degree from the brink Of the precipice.
They moved slowly up the river bank, ever
and anon stopping toy take farewell
glances. until the Three Sister Islands
were gained. They crossed the first bridge,
and in due time also passed on to the last
Sister, from which the view up the river is
grand beyond the powers Ut description.
| For a long time they sat upon log silent
| with admiration, and then turned to re-
trace their footsteps.
AS they were about to step upon the
bridge leading from the third Sister, they
discovered the stairs leading down to the
right OF the bridge, looking toward the
Canada shore. Anxious to behold all the
| beauties of the falls, they descended the
few steps, and, as they did so, met two
gentlemen who were coming up. They
also saw boy dipping cup OF water
| from the river, which he drank, and then
| followed after the gentlemen referred to-.
| A short distance from the few steps lead
ing down under the trees the island ends
abruptly, the edge of the bank above the
water being about one foot in height. Dis
tant only a few feet is still another island,
very small. and to which access is impos-
sible. Between the third Sister and this
little island the water flows with great We
locity. and it was there that Mrs. ROLAND
saw the boy dip up the cup OF water. Fill
ed with strange desire to drink from old
Niagara, Mrs. ROLAND asked her husband
for his travelling cup, which he took from
its morocco case and handed to her. AS
he gave it to her he stepped back few
feet to get better view OF the river above
and as he did so she stopped over the
abrupt bank to fill her silver cup. A mo
ment passed, and then blood-curdling
| L.. l. Ioor, fIN md
of the waters, and the husband turned
Just in time to see his wife tOpple for ar
instant and then plunge headlong into the
resistless torrent. The husband rushed
to the brink of the bank, but he was pow
erless. In a breath she was washed away
upon the crest of the descending water
and moment later disappeared from
view.
The grief-stricken husband stood anC
gazed after his late companion, and mo-
ment afterward saw her appear upon thu
surface few rods below. Her white face
was for an instant turned toward HEAVIER
and the next instant her body was caugh
in the restless fury of the undertow an(
swept away for ever.
The husband frantic with grief. rushed
, madly back to the restaurant, and into thu
presence OF the proprietor, hatless and ou
of breath, exclaimng in French: I'M!
God! My God! My Gcd!" On being
asked what the matter was, he clutchet
his hair and sobbed: "My wife! my wife
my darling Mathilde!" AS soon as he wa
able to explain he gave the facts alread!
related, and watches were set to recover
the body should it appear in the river be
: low.
Two years ago Mr.. ROLAND was married
in Paris to Mathilde Preneux, and sine
, | that time their life has been continued
honeymoon. Wherever he went she wen
also. Leaving Paris after the exhibition
they went on tour, and during the pas
} eight months have visited India, China
Japan, San Francisco, Chicago and Mia
CARA Falls. The blow to the husband i
overpowering, and he can only weep ant
exclaim, "My poor Mathilde! My poor Ma
and is reputed to have been very hand
: some woman. Her husband is Al years O.
: age. and is prominent manufacturer o
: firearms at Leige, Belgium. He will remain
here few days with the almost forlorn
hope of recovering the remains of his wife
A Niagara Falls dispatch says report
which might convey an idea of foul pla.
have no foundation in fact.
THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE UNI
TED STATEs.-Few people are aware tina
the proud boast of Englishmen that tn
sun never sets On the British empire i
equally applicable to the United States
Instead of being the western limit Of tn
, Union, SAP Francisco is only about mid
way between the furthest Aleutian Isle
: acquired by our purchase of Alaska, ant
Eastport, Me. Our territory extend
through 1877 degrees Of longitude, Oh II de
) grees more than half way round the globe
The "Rocky Mountain Presbyterian" il
, commenting on the fact, says:
"When the sun is giving its good-nigh
kiss to our westernmOst isle, on the con
fines of Behripg 8 sea, it is already flo odin(
the fields and forests Of Maine with it
} morning light, and in the eastern part O.
that State is more than an hour high. A
the very moment when the Aleutian fisher
man, warned by the approaching shades o.
night Is pulling his canoe toward the shOr,
the wood-chopper of Maine is beginning tt
make the forest echo with the stirring mu
sic of his axe"
SCIENTIFICALLY MURDERED.-Th,
head of J. P. Ferguson, of Clarence, Iowa
was drawn forward on his breast by chron
ic rheumatism. DIR. J. A. Carson effected
a partial cure of the disease, aud thought
that the PATIENTS head might he brought
back into place by means Of an apparatus
This continuance consists of an iron bar
with one end strapped TO the waist. ani
running up the back to the head. A cross
bar was to be fastened to the shoulders
and the upper end was finished like pho.
tographer's head rest, with strap to buck
| In III ~, o%ol,