Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-11-11

witnessed \ tragedy which, while of a
heart rending character, was marked by an
act of true heroism, seldom equalled in
grandeur. Mr.. Charles Addington. "A
young man about twenty-three or twenty
four years OF age, was affianced 10 Miss De
Forrest, both being residents of Buffalo
One day happy party, comprising
Mrs. DE Forrest, Miss De Forrest,
younger daughter, Eva, beauti-
full child five or six years old, and
Charley" Addington, as his friends were
accustomed to call him, visited the Falls
They crossed the bridge TO Goat Island,
and while resting under the trees, Little
Eva strayed away from the group, and ap-
preaching the bank of the narrow, but deep
and swift stream that rushes between Goat
Island and the small island lying between
it and the American rapids, was amusing
herself by casting sticks into the water
and watching them as they were whirled
swiftly away. Mrs De Forrest alarmed
for her childs safety, requested Charles
Addington to go after her and bring her
back. Charley at once proceeded to the
bank, and thinking to give the little one q
fright, approached her stealthily from be-
hind, and catching her under the arms,
held her over the stream. The startled chIld
threw up her little arms over her head,
and instantly she slipped through young
Addington's hands and fell into the rapids.
The realization of the horrible calamity
must have come home TO Addington' 8
brain with the rapidity of the lightming's
flash. He saw his rash act had cost the
child's hfe-that only one desperate chance
of saving her remained-that the world
was at an end for him for him forever. Tear
ing of his coat he rushed along the bank
until he had passed little Eva, who was
keeping afloat by her clothing; then
plunging in ahead of her, he seized the
child and desperately attempted TO throw her
up the bank. AS he made the effort he
fell back in the rapids and was whirled over
the small fall that intervenes between the
American horseshoe falls. Little Eva
struck the top of the bank, but all power
had apparently gone from her, and she
rolled back into the stream and was hurried
to her dreadful fate. The mother and sis
ter stood paralyzed with horror, while the
tragedy, almost instantaneous in its action,
passed before their eyes, leaving its dark
Charles Addington had made a hero s
atonement for his thoughtless and reckless
act. His father-he was an only SON
was in the hsbit of visiting the falls once
week for years after the tragedy, and he
would sit for hours gazing at the spot
where his son and little Eva had met their
deaths. He became well known at the falls,
and there were many who believed that he
would one day voluntarily seek the same
fate that his son had courted. But his sad
pilgrimage had no such ending.
An accident with dramatic accompani-
ments occurred some years after the sad
event that cost Charlie Addington and Eva
De Forrest their lives. One morning soon
after daybreak. the early risers at the falls
discovered something moving on huge
old log or trunk of tree which for years
had shown itself above the boiling rapids
on the American side, having become
caught by and become firmly wedged into
the rocks on its way toward the falls.
Looking downward from the bridge this
log was and still is III full sight In the
tiercest part of the rapids, considerably
nearer TO the small island on the American
shore. The moving object was soon found
TO be a man, and II was evident that his
boat had been carried over the falls during
the night, while he himself had mi
raculously been cast against the log, by
which he had managed to stop his fearful
rush toward death. Dispatches were i'm
mediately sent to the coast life-savlng
station, and Captain Dorr fastened TO
Niagara by special train, carrying with
him two metallic life-boats, and plans TO
save the man were concerted. But before
the arrangements were completed the news
had spread abroad, ana many thousands of
persons had reached the falls by special
trains. Goat island, the bridge, the Ameri-
can shore, the roofs and windows OF all
the adjacent buildings and the branches OF
trees, were covered with anxious and horrl-
fed spectators.
The first attempt at rescue was by means
of Francis metallic life-boat attached to
a cable which was Stacked off from the
bridge opposite the log and guided by side
ropes. The boat had not got far from the
bridge when the fierce rapids seized it,
turned it round and rounO, and appeared
to be endeavoring to crush its sides. The
strong cable snapped like whip cord, and
the poor fellow who had been watching
the fort made for his rescue saw the boat
whirled past him aud carried over the falls,
as if in nlockery of his would-be rescuers.
Considerable time was then consumed IN
deliberating on q new plan, and it vas pro-
posed to fasten cable to some building on
the American side, to carry 1t over TO the
island until 1t would sag near the log, and
then to rescue the man by means OF bas-
ket hung on the cable by rings, and to be
let down and pulled in by means of smaller
ropes. The material for this experiment
could not be procured, so at last it was de-
cided to send down a strongly constructed
raft in the same manner as the life-boat
had been launched, and If that reached the
man in safety, TO ease 1t over toward the
small island, from whence his rescue
would be comparatively easy. The raft
was built, but it was four o'clock in the af-
ternoon before all was ready. The day
had passed without the flight of time being
needed. The excitement was intense.
Men and women who had stood for hours
without food were painfully agItated. The
raft moved. 1t withstood bravely the wild
assaults of the angry rapids. 1t neared the
log. The man stood up and waved his
arms. The raft came within his reach,
and he got on to it, ate the food, drank a
small quantity of weak brandy and water
that had been put aboard, and fastened
| hImself by the lashings that had been pre-