Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-10-20
Two Tragedies Of niagara.

More than twenty years ago Niagara
witnessed tragedy which, while of q
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 to 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" Addihgton, 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 strsyed 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 child's 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 a
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's 9,
brain with the rapidity of the lightning's
flash. He saw his rash act had cost the
child's life-that only one desperate chance
of saving her remained-that the world
was at an end for him for him forever. Tear-
ing off his coat he rushed along the bank
until he had passed little Eva, who was
keeping afioat by her clothing; then
plunging in ahead of her, he seized tie
child and desperately attempted othrow her
I'D the bank. AS he made the effort he
fell back in the rapids and was whirlej 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
passed before their eyes, leaving its dark
cloud hanging over all their future lives.
Charles AddIngton had made hero's
atonement for his thoughtless and reckless
act His father-he was an only SON
was in the habit of visiting the falls once
week for years after the tragedy, and he
would sit for hours gazing al the spot
where his son and little Eva had met their
DEATHS He became well known al 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 Tor 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 in full sight IN the
fiercest part of the rapids, considerably
nearer to the small island ON the American
side of Goat island than to 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 hfe-saving
station, and Captain Dorr fastened to
Niagara by a special train, carrying with
him two metallic life-boats, and plans 10
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 horri-
tied 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 il round and ROUND, and appeared
to be endeavoring to crush its sides. The
strong cable snapped like whip cord, and
the poor fellow whc had been watching
the ,ffott made for his rescue saw the boat
whirled past him aud carried over the falls,
as if in n,ockery of his would-be rescuers-
Considerable time was then consumed In
deliberating on a new plan, and 1t vas pro-
posed to fasten a 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 1t was de-
cided to send down a strongly constructed
raft in the same manner rs 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 agltated- 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
small quantity of weak brandy and water
that had been put aboard, and fastened
himself by the lashings that had been pre-
pared and the intent of which he under
stood. Then the raft was cautiously and
steadily moved toward the Island with the
precious freight The people shouted, and
many wept from overwrought feeling.
Suddenly the raft came to stand. The
rope was taut! 1t had caught in rock.
To attempt to force it was to risk Its part
ing, and the fatal consequences could not
la ,x1,s,,,lor.,no.l Tho vnoor