The sun., 1880-08-08
TWO TRAGEDIES OF NIAGARA.
The Death OF Little Iva he Forrest--A Vain
Attempt mt Rescue.

The Death OF Little Eva he Fo-rest--A Vain
Attempt mt Rescue.
Prom, he Hour.
More than twenty years ago Niagara wit
| messed a tragedy which. while Of a beHrt-rend-
| ing character. was marked Ivy an net OF true
herolsm seldom eaualled In grandeur. Mr..
"a years OF age. was sfiianced % I" Miss De For. "
rest, both being residents of Buffaln. Que day
snphy party comrrsnG Mr.. De ForEEsst
"ohArlry", Addins,on, as his friends were
and; while resting under the trees
anrroachine tho bank Of the narrow but deen ,
| enh swlit stream that rushes Detween Goat
lslan,i and lhe small island lying between It
SE,G and ,w,;S M%tshiRs them as n they were
alarmed Tor her child's safety. rrquested
Charley Addingt9n to go after her and bring
bank, and. thinking to give tho. little one a
| fright. approached her stenlthily from behind.
and. catching her under the arms, held her
slipped through. Young Addington's hands and
Tn" rcaiization oi the horrible calamity must
have come home to AddlnGton's brain with the
rash act ha sosp the chss sSa w ony '
one desperate chance OF saving her remntned-
that tho world wns Mt an ond FOR him forever.
lenrinR OIL his cont. ha rushed along the bank
| until he had pnssei little Eva. VINO was kept
an2at by her !clotning; then piunIing in ahead
OF her. he seiz'd the enid aud desperately at
made the Effort he fell bnck in the rapids and
was whired over the small fall thnt, interyenes
Eva struck the top OF the bank. but NIL power
sSS haa from ser and and
was hurried TO her dreadful fate. Tho
mother and sister stood powcrl"ss and para-
stnnt9nnous ~ its action, passed before their
eyes. leaving its dark cloud hangine over all
@ made hero or sanS his thSnghsss ha
and reckless net. His fnthcr-he was an only
son-was In the habit of visiting the Falls once
| would sit for hours gazing Mt the spot wlere his
son and little Eva Ind met their deaths. He
| became well known nj the Falla. and there werc
| many who believed TINT he would on. dav VOL
UNFAIRLY seek the same fatc that his son. in his
hrroism. had coprted. But his sad pilgrimage
An accident with very dramatic accountant;
| menis occurred somo f..w years after, the sad
Forrest their lives. Ons morning, soon after
d1ybreal the early risers at IL" Falls discover
| trunk OF n tree which for years had shown it.
| sell aboV. the boiling rapids on the American
| sid". having been caught by md become firmly
| wedged into the rocks on Its way toward the
| falls Looking downward from the bridge.
% this log was was and still Is in full sight in the
- the small island on the American side ot
| Cont Island than to tho American shore.
| The moving ohjnt was soon fouad tn be II man
and II was evident that his nuat hnd been
currcd uvhr tn" fI.lis during the night while he
| himself had mirnrulousy been cast against the
log, by which iia had lnHnngod 10 stop his fear
lul rush toward l"ath. D"suutrhr, were i'm
| m.dlnicy sent 10 Buffalo to the coast life saving
station. aud Capt Dnrr hHst9hrl To Niagara by
special train, carving with him two metallic
liiehoats, aud plans to save the man were con-
c"rte'i But before the arrangements Were
| coma"tcl, the news had been spread abroad.
and many thousands Of persons hnd reached
the fhIis 10y special trims. Goat Island. the
bridge. the American shore. the roofs and VIII
dows Of AL adjacent buildings and tno branches
OF trees wrr" covered with anxlSus AMI hOrri-
tiad spectators.
The first attempt Mt rescue was by means Of II
Francis metallic if"hoat attached 10 II cnble
whlrh WaS stacked OF from the bridge opposite
the log. and guided by silc ropes. The boat
had hot rot far from III" bridge when the fierce
rapids sriz4d It, turned il round aud rolnl
and APPEARED 10 be rrd"avornc to crush in its
sid's. tn" strong cahiG snapped like II whip
cord, aud tho poor fellow who had been wi'cn-
whrici ndst him aud carried over the falls. Gs
| II in muckrry Of his would-he rrscurere. Con-
siderable time was then consumed in ipiibrrat-
ing on II new pan, ahd Il wns proposed 10
iaston cable 10 some building on the American
side to carry II over tn tue islnnd until 1t would
| sag near the log. and then To rescue the man by
| menns OF a basket hung on the cable lay rings.
and 70 he let down aud pulled in by mems OF
| smaller ropes. The mAteriuls for this expert
melit could not be procured. so ut last 1t WIS de-
| cded to snnd down Il strongly constructed raft
| in the same manner as the lifehoat had been
launched and II II reached the man in safety.
| TO ease it over toward the srnal! island. from
whence his rescue would b- rompnrntiveiy
easy. The raft was built. but IL wills o'riock III
mad passed without the Hisht Of time beinsa a
| needed. The excitement was intruse. Men
| AMI women. who had stood for hours without
! food, We're painfully agltated; The raft moved.
| angry rapids. 1t neared the log. The man
| stood up and waved his arms. The raft came
with %thin ns reach Hnd he got on to it the
| and water that had been put aboard and las
tened hlms'f by the lashiuGs which had been
preparol and the intent OF which h" under;
s,'alily moved toward the island. with It's
precious froight. The people shouted ANA
| DENY the RAFT clme TO II stand The rups wis
trut! 1t had raugnt IN rock. To attempt 10
| force II was 70 RISK It's parting. gn! the fatal
| CONSEQUENCES could not hn misunderstood. Thr
| poor victim seemed to tlkr IL the situation and
| lngs, stood up made sprln.: from the RAFT in
| the direction o the island. nnd was in the iunm-
hand. He seemed TO n. unw"rfui swimmer
| and thousands Of rien aul women held their
breath in norr,hal suspense. Ne appcars.d to
arose the cry, He's saved! hes saved"
But suddenly those IN the bridge. who could
see more distinctly from their location. became
aware that the spnc" between Tho island and tho
Swimmers sr head was rtfndua.!y Widening.
| There was another drea!iu moment of suS.
p.nse aud then the Implying rapids seia"d
| their prey. aud apparently making sport ol the
| efforts that had been ree9rtei to To snatch him
| from their GRASP. twisted him round and whirl-
| ed him along until thcS hurried him over the
| prcrlu"c. A. the poor fellow went over
! singular effect was observable. The vast
| body Of falling water curves over the edge OF
! the falls like nuge wherl. and rs the body was
| shot forward by tho force of the "urrunt il
seemed 10 leap completslv out OF the water. the
| itct being Wis Bile, before ii took tue terrible
! plunge. The deathliEe silence thai hnl! fallen
upon tine crowd was broken 10y u fearful rry-a
sound minglng wal, howl and a shrek in
nn" Many strong ui'u aS well rs women tainted.
| They Ind Witnessed tragedy more intense
| III lis painiuinesS than any the drama could
present. and ono not likely to be- soon forgotten.
Tanner n Nihiliat.
To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-!Sr: ! beg