The examiner., 1882-02-04
Niagara.

Mr. Charles Addington, a young man about twenty three or twenty four years of age, was aflanced to Mrs. De Forest, both ben residents of Buffalo. One day happy party, comprising Mrs. De Forest, Miss
 De Fore, t, young daughter, Eva, a beau
 tiful child five or six years old, and " Char ley" Addngton, as his friends were &C., customed to call him, vi tied the falls.
 They crossed the bridge to Goat Island,
 and, while resting under the trees Ii tie
 Eva straycd away from the group, and, ap-
 preaching the bank of the narrow, but deep
 and swift stream that rushes between Goat 1sIanu, ls.,.I4u Iy ,ng between 1t and the Ii..il American rapids, was amusing her elf by casting sticks into the water and watching them as they whilled swiftly away. Mrs. De Forest. alarmed for her child's safety, requested Charles Ad- dlngton to br ng her back. Charley at once proceeded to the bank and thinking to give the little a fright, approached her stea thily 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 re"lization of the horrible calamity must have come home to Addington's bra n with the rapidity of the lightning's flash. He saw that his rash act had cost the child's life, and that ore 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 atioat by her cloth ing; then, plugging in ahead of her, he seized the child and desperately at tempted to throw her on the bank. As he made the effort he fell back into the rapids and was whirled over the small fall that in- tervenes 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 dr adful fate. The mother and sister stood power less and paralyzed with horror, while a tragedy, almost instantaneous in it's action, passed before tn IT eyes, leaving its dark cloud hanging over all their future lives. Charley Ad ,ington had made hero's atonement for his thoughtless and reckless act.
 An accident with very dramatic accom- paniments occurred some very few years after the sad event that cost Charley Ad- dington and Eva De Forest their lives. One morning, soon after daybreak the early risers at the faI!~ discovered something moving on hugc or trunk of a tree, which for yea l.. VII itself above the boiling rapids on th: American side, having been caught by and firmly wedged into the rocks on it's way U the falls. Looking downward from the bridge this log was and still is in full sight, in the fercest part of the rapids, cons .derably nearer to the small island on the American sde of Goat Island than to the American shore. The moving object was soon found to be man, and 1t was evident that his boat had been carried over the falls during the night, while he himself had miraculously been cast against the log, by which he had managed to stop his fearful rush toward death. Despatches were immediately sent to Buffalo, to the Coast Life-Saving Service, and Captain Dorr hastened to Niagara by a special train, carrying with him two metallic life e-boats, and plans to save the man were concerted But, before the arrangements were com pleted the news had been spread abroad, and many thousands of persons had reached the falls by special trains.
 The first attempt at rescue was by means of large Francis metallic difeboat at tached to cable which was slacked off from 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 round, and appeared to be endeavoring to crush in it's sides. The sma l cable snapped like whip cord, and the poor fellow, who had been waiting the effort made for his rescu , saw the boat whirled past him and carried over the falls, as if in mockery of his would-be rescuers. Considerable tune was then used in deliberating on new plan, and it was proposed to fasten a cable to some building on the American side, to carry 1t over to the island until it would sag near the log. and then to rescue the man by means of a basket let down by rings, and to be let down and pulled in by similar ropes. The materials for this experiment. cou not be procured, so at last it was decided to send down a rA x1.z ner as the life-boat had been launched, and if it reached the man in safety, to ease it over toward the small island, from whence his rescne would be comparatively easy. The raft was built, but it was O clock in he afternoon before all was ready. The day had passed without flight of tune being noticed.
 T.e excitement was intense Men and wo- men, who had stood for hours without food, were painfully agitated. The raft moved, it 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 to the lashings which had been prepared, and the intent or which he understood. the raft was cautiously aud steadily moved toward the island with it's precious freight.
 The people shouted, and many wept from overwrought feeling Sud enly t raft came to a stand. The rope was fast It had caught in rock To attempt to force it was to risk it's parting, and the fatal con- sequence could not be misunderstood The poor victim seemed to take in the situation. and grow desperate. He unfa>t tened the lashings. stood up, made a spring from the raft in the direction of the island, and was in the foaming waters. Instantly he struck out for the island He seemed to be powerful swimmer, and thousands of men and women held their breath in mortified He appeared to near the island in his desperate enGeavors. Then arose the cry: " He's saved: he's saved!"
 But suddenly those on the bridge. who could see more distinctly from their loca- ton, became aware that the distance be- tween the island and the swimmers head was gradually widening. There was an other dreadful moment of suspense, and then the unpitying rapids seized their prey, and, apparently making sport of the efforts that had beeu.zstsorted to to snatch him from their grasp, twisted him round and whirled him along until they hurried him over the precipice. As the poor fellow went over, singular effect was observable. The vast body of falling water curves over the edge of the falls like huge wheel, and as the body was shot forward by the force of the current, it seemed to leap completely out of the water, the feet being visible, be- fore 1t took that terrible plunge. The