The Dillon tribune., 1882-01-28
Hisfellsnes.
TWO TRAGEDIES or NIAGARA.

More than twcnt, years ago Niagara wit
messed IA tragedy which, while OF heart.
r.nding character, was marked BY an act
Of true heroism seldom cqualled in gran
deur. Mr.. Charles Addington, young
man about twenty. three or twenty'four
years Of age, was alta. ced to Mrs. lie FOR
est, both oeing residents Of Buffalo. One
dav happy party, comprising Mrs. De
Forest, Miss De Forest, young daughter
Eva, beautiful child five or six years old
and "Charley" Arlington, 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 laying between
it and the main American rapids, was
amusing herself BY casting sticks into the
water and watching them al they whirled
swiftly away. Mrs. DE Forest, alarmed
for her child's safety, requested Charles
Addington to bring her back. Charley at
once proceeded 10 the bank, and thinking
to give the little one fright, approached
her steal,hily from behind, 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 Addington's hands and
fell into the rapids.
The realiz ,ticn OF the horrible calamity
must have come home to Addington's
brain with the rapidity Of the lightning's
flash. He saw that his rash act had cost
the child's life, and that one desperate
chance Of saving her remained that the
world was at an end, for him, forever.
Tearing off his coat, he rushed along the
bank until he had passed little Eva who
was kept affoat BY her clothing; then,
plunging in ahead Of her, he seized the
child and desperately attempted to ethrow
her on the bank. AS he made the effort
he fell back into the rapids and was whirled
over the small fall that intervcncs between
the American and the 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 sister stood powerless and
paralyzed with horror, while a tragedy,
almost instantaneous in its action, passed
before their eyes, leaving its dark cloud
hanging over all their future lives. Char
ley Addington had made heros atone
ment for his thoughtless act.
| ~ accident with very dramatic accom-.
pa y nents occurred some very few years
after the sad event that cost Charley Ad-
dington and Eva De Forest their lives.
One morning soon after day break the
/ early risers at the falls discovered some.
thing moving on huge old log, or trunk
Of tree, which for years had shown itself
above the boiling rapids on the American
side. having been caught by and firmly
wedged into the rocks on its way to the
falls Looking downward from the bridge
this 10y was and still is in full sight, in the
! fiercest part Of the rapids, considerable
nearer to the s,M,l; island ON the American
side Of Goat Island than to the American
shore. The moving object was soon found
to be man, and il was evident that his
boat had been carried over tn. falls during
the night, while he himself had n,irac uous.
" been cast against the log, by which he
had managed to stop his fearful rush to-
ward death. Dispatches were immediate.
~ sent to Buffalo, to the Coas, Life.Saving
Service, and Captain Door hastenec. to
Niagara by special train, carrying with
him two metallic lile.boats, and plans to
save the man were concerted. But, before
the arrangements were completed tine news
had been spread abroad, ana many thou.
sands Of persons had reached the falls by
special trains.
The first attempt ut rescue was by means
Of a large Francis metallic !ife-boat attached
to cable which wis Stacked off from :;
bridge opposite the log and guided by side
ropes. The boat had not got tar from the
bridge when the fierce rapids seized il,
turned it round and round, and appeared to
be endeavoring to crush in its sides. The
small cable snapped like whip cord, and
the poor fellow, who had been waiting the
effort made for his rescue, saw the boat
wtirled past him and carried over the falls,
as 1t IN mockery Of his would b. rescuer.,
Considerable time was then used in delhi.
Grating on new plan, and it was proposed
to tasten cable to some building on The
American side, to carry it over to the island
until 1t would sag near the log, and then to
rescue the man bv means of basket let
down by rings, ana to b. let down and
pulled in by similar ropes. The materials
tor this experiment could not be procured.
SO at last it was decided to send down a
strongly constructed raft in the same man.
ner as the life boat had been launched. and
il it reached the man in safety, to eas, :;
over toward the small island, from whe,c.
his rescue wonld be comparatively easy
The raft was built, but it was 4 O'Clock in
the afternoon before all was ready. rh.
| uav had iG,SSti without a: ~.