Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-08-05
BRINK OF NIAGARA.
Marrow Escape of Four Men in a
ScoW.
HerOsm Of a Bargeman-A Thrilling Story
Ofthe RaPi5s-How Courage and In
trepidib Rescued Four Souls
From Certain Death.

The Buffalo Commercial says that
just as grain scow, containing crew
Of four men and lowed by two horses,
swung out Of the Chippewa Cut into the
Niagara river, she met q raft of timber
rather near TO the shore for the scow to
pass between it and the land. The
scOw was forced to take the outside.
The driver did his best to keep the line
clear by urging his horses, but it finally
caught in the logs and snapped. As the
rope parted, the boat trembled on the
surface of the water for an instant, and
then swung around and started for
Niagara Falls at terrific pace. Appre-
ciating in an instant
Their AWT full Danger.
the men on the sCOw yelled to the men
on the RAFT To get boat quick. One of
their number sprang ashore and ran for
Chippewa, shouting as he ran: Help!
a boat, quick; men going over the
falls" The people poured out Of their
houses and shops, each enquiring of the
other what could be done. Some scat
tered to hunt for u boat, while the rest
ran down the creek bank To see what
was the situation on the river.
On reaching il We were Mortified to
see that the scow had already got con-
siderably below the mouth of the creek
and was speeding down stream with its
precious human freight to what seemed
certain destruction. Very soon the
Canadian bank of the river was lined
with hundreds of people, while quite q
crowd could be seen on the IOat Island
side. They were all agOniZed witnesses
of four fellOwb beings in horrible danger.
Just as allhOpes had been abandoned,
apparently, by the people on land and
the men on the scow, a voice cried from
the upper end Of the crowd: "Here
comes boat"
In an Instant Every Eye Was Turned
in the direction of Chippewa creek, and
there most of them recognized the tall
and athletic form of bargeman named
Smith, in an ordinary cliuker boat,
boldly pulling into the river.
AS he forged out into the stream he
made q hasty survey of the situation
and then piled the white ash with re-
doubled energy. The moment Smith
appeared, the attention of the men on
the scOw was riveted upon him and his
frall craft. On and on he shot, each
stroke narrowing the distance between
him and the scow, but the latter was
getting alarmingly close to the rapids,
to enter which was certain destruction
to all on board. AS he neared the scOw
he turned his head and shouted to the
men: Scatter along the side Of the
boat and drop in as / pass by" The
command was promptly obeyed and in
an instant the little craft was alongside.
One after another the men sprang in,
until the four were safely in the bot
tom.
Now came
A Moment or Anxiety.
"What will he do?" was the query
that came TO every mind. Smith had
his plan of action and never hesitated
a moment, At point some distance
from the Canada shore the current di-
yided at the head of the rapids, part Of
the stream flowing around an island in
the vicinity of the burnt spring. In
reaching the current leading around an
island lay the only hope of escape.
Taking q diagonal course acrose and
down the stream Smith bent every
effort to reach the Canada divide. 1t
was q desperate struggle for the life OF
five men between the seething, boiling
waters and the muscle and endurance
ofyoung Smith, with odds seemingly
against him. But the divide was finally
gained with not boats length to spare
and the frail craft shot down between
the island and the mainland like q
rocket. At the foot Of the island the
channel widened materially, the cur
rent slaekened, and the wateE became
more shallow, and here young Smith
landed his boat, having performed one
of the most heroic and daring feats ever
performed BY mortal man.