The daily gazette., 1883-07-18
A raKILL1Ns INCIDENT.
a Periious Ride Down the swift Current
Almost to the Edge of Niagara FAILS
ipostan C0nnmerciat

Almost to the Edge of Niagara FAILS
Boston Commercial.
Just as a grain scow containing crew oil
four men. and towed by two horses, swung
out of the Chippewa Out into the Niagara
river, she met RAFT of timber rather near
to the shore for the scow TO pass between ~
and the land The scow was forced to take
the outside. The driver of the horses did
his best to keep the line clear by urging his |
horses, but it finally caught IN the logs ana
snapped As the rope parted the boat
trembed on he surface OF the water Tor an
| instant, as if IN dread OF the terrible fate
| that awaited II, aud then swung around ana
started for Niagara Fail at a terrible pace.
| The scow, being destined for canal naVlga-
ton, had no emall boat or anchor.
/ Appreciatiug III an instant their awiul
| danger, the men on the scow yelled TO the
| men on the raft to get boat quick. One
| of their number spTang ashore ana ran LOT
| Chippewa. shouting as he ran; Help,
| boat, quick, men going over the talisF lhe
| sound OF his voice reached the village cons d
erably in advance of the man, and the cry
| was there taken up and repeated from street
| to street The people poured out OF their
houses and shops, each inquiring OF the
other what could be done. Some scattered
| TO hunt for one, while those who felt that
| they could be Of no use If boat were
| found. ran fowh the creek bank to see what
was :he situation on the river.
On reaching it we were Mortified to see
that the scow had ALREADY got considerably
below the mouth Of the creek, and was
spaeding down stream with .ts precious
human freight to what seemed certain
destruction. Some of the men on the vessel
we're on their knees, with claspcd hands aud
upturned faces commencing their souls to
God. Very soon the Canadian bank OF the
river was lined with hundreds of people,
while quite a crowd could also be seen on
the Goat Island side. They were all ago
uized witnesses of four fellow-beings in hor-
rihe terror.
just as all hope had been abandoned, ap-
parentIy, by people on land and the men on
The scow, voice cried from the upper end
; of the crowd, 'here comes boat" In an
Z instant every eve WAS turned III the direc-
e tion of Chippewa creek, and there most
= of them recognized the tall and athletic
form of a bargenan named Smith, in an Or
iinarS clinker boat, boldly pulling into the
river.
t AS he forgs d out into the stream he made
A hasty survey of the situation and then
: piled the white ash with redoubled energy.
AS he sped along, the b at almost leaping
: from the water at each stroke, cheer arose
from the people on the shore that fairly rent
q the air. The moment Smith appeared tht
(, attention of the men on the scow wat
a riveted upon him and the frail craft. Or
, and on he shot, each stroke narrowing tht
u distance between him and the scow, but thu
y latter was getting alarmingly close to thu
q rapids. to enter which was certain destruc
Il tion to all on board.
Those of us on shore could not help I'd
miring and applauding the heroism OF younl
smith, but we chould only feel that the RI
t, suit of his daring would be to add anothe
m to the list of the lost. AS he neared the seov
40 he turned his head and shouted to the men
Scatter alongside the boat and drop in as
pass by. The command was prompt
obeyed and III an instant the little craft wa
II alongside One after another the me
a sprang in, until the four were safely in tn
IL bottom.
ed Nor came moment OF painful anxiety
no tWhat will he dos" was the query that cam
to every mind. Smith had his plan of actio
u and never hesitated moment. AT por
g. some distance from the Canada shore tn
D. current divided at the head OF the rapid
Ia part of the stream flowing around an islam
. in the vicinity OF the burnt spring.
- reaching the current leading around IL
oi island lay the only hope OF escape. Takin
a a diagonal course across the down strea
ad Smith bent every effort TO reach the Can
dian divide. 1t was desperate struggle +
:, the life of five men between the seethin
ie boiling waters and the muscle and enduran
we Of young Smith, with the odds seeming
ne against him. But the divide was final
,ot gained with not boat length to spare. al
~ the frAi craft shot down between the slal
ne and the mainland like a 70. ket. At d
be loot of the island the channel wident
pie materially, the current siackened and q
ed water became more shallow, and here youI
~, Smith la ded his boat, having periormt
~ one of the most heroic ana daring feats ey
ny performed by mortal man.