Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-10
WHIRLING DOWN NIAGARA.
Thrilling Story of the Rescue of Four
Men by Brave Canadian
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Men by Brave Canadian.
BufdIO Commercial.
just as a grain scow containing a crew
of four men, and towed by two horses,
swung out Of the Chippewa Cut into the
Niagara river, she met a 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
of the horses 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 sur
face of the water for an instant, as if in
dread of the terrible fate that awaited it.
and then swung around and started for
Niagara Falls at a terrific pace. The
scOw, being destined for canal naviga-
ton, had no small boat or anchor.
Approaching in an instant their awful
danger, the men on the scow yelled to the
men on the raft to get a boat quick. One
OF their number spTang ashore and ran
for Chippewa, shouting as he ran: 'Help!
boat, quick, men going over the fallsr
The sound of his voice reached the village
considerably 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 in
quiring 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 a boat were found ran down the
creek bank to see what was the 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
speeding down stream with it's precious
human freight to what seemed certain
destruction. Some of tne men on the YES
sci were on their knees, with clasped
hands and upturned faces, commencing
their souls to God. Very soon the Cana
dian 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 agOnized witnesses of four
fellOw-beings in horrible terror.
just as all hope had been abandoned,
apparently, by people on land and tue
men on the scow, a voice cried from the
upper end of the crowd, "Here comes a
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 a bargeman named Smith,
in an ordinary clinker boat, boldly pulling
into the river.
As he forged out into the stream he
made hasty survey of the situation and
then piled the white ash with redOubled
energy. As he sped along, the boat al
most leaping from the water at each
stroke, cheer arose from the people on
the shore that fairly rent the air. The
moment Smith appeared the attention of
the men on the scOw was riveted upon
him and his frail 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.
Those of us on shore could not help ad-
miring and applauding the heroism of
young Smith, but we could only feel that
the result Of his daring would be TO add
another to the list of the lost. 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 l pass by"
The command was promptly Obeyed and
in an instant the little craft was along
side. One after another the men sprang
in, until the four were safely in the bot
tom.
Now came moment of painful ankle
ty. ''What will he dO?' was the query
that came to every mind. Smith had his
plan of action and never hesitated mo-
ment. AT q point some distance from
the Canada shore the current divided at
the head of the rapids, part of the stream
flowing around an island in the vicinity
of the burnt spring. In reaching the cur
rent leading around the island lay the only
hope of escape. Taking diagonal course
across and down the stream Smith bent
every effort to reach the Canadian divide.
1t was desperate struggle for the life of
five men between the seething, boiling
waters and the muscle and endurance Of
young Smith, with the 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 a rocket. At
the foot of the island the channel widened
materially, the current slackened and the
water became more shallow, and here
young Smith landed his boat, having per
formed one of the most heroic and daring
feats ever performed by mortal man.