Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-09
A STRANGE STORY
Told by Man Who Claims to Have
Gone Over Niagara Falls.

The Buffalo Courier prints remarkable
letter from j. NJ. Brown, of Boulder, Col,
to a friend in that city. Brown was for
merly resident of Buffalo and, it was sup
posed, committed suicide by going over
Niagara falls. The letter, in a condensed
form, reads as follows:
BOULDER, Col, Oct Is, 1883. DEAR Tom:
I take the fl st idle hour to write you a full
account Of my strange adventures after L
left you in the city. [ went to Schlosser's
and took a boat for q row around Navy
island. There was no intended suicide, as
you hint when you refer to my mental de-
preston. 1t was beautiful day and nature
appeared in her brightest garb l drifted
lazily with the current, and thought Of
the past and its buried hopes. Some time
must have passed, for I found myself
a long way down the river, but
not dangerously near the rapids. had been
much nearer before. Concluding it was time
to start for the shore, gathered the oars for
a steady pull and made stroke OF two, when
one Of the rowlocks came OFF and dropped
into the water. In Selling it lost one car,
which was quickly out of reach. For one
moment my heart leaped into my throat
and nearly choked me. saw that escape
was impossible, but soon became cool and
looked at the situation calmly. The boat had
turned across the stream. l Strengthened it
around and headed it for smooth place in
the rapids. Whether the presence Of swift
and sure death brought with it a new revela-
ton, or the intense excitement of the moment
lent new faculties to the mind I know not,
but the impressions of those few minutes are
imprinted in my memory as if burned into
my brain. Every sense was keenly alert. I
noted the little speck of rock [ had SO often
watched from the Sisters, and the peculiar
curls and eddies of the water around it l saw
the flashes and colors Of light that played on
che glancing waters. 1 marked the forms of
shades and coloring of the shore and
clouds. They were all fixed on my mind
as cut in adamant. I had time for all this
and more while dashing swiftly on, till came
to the angle of the horseshoe farthest up
stream, where the deep green water pours
slow SO far without break. l drew in a
long breath, and looked up with the thought:
''This is the last of earth" The boat did not
obey gravity SO quickly as the falling water,
| but shot ont far over. For q moment [ was
| enveloped by ascending mists then by the
wild war of contending elements and the
stunning roar Of thunder, followed by a calm
more sweet and restful than [ had ever
thought possible for the soul to feel, and
which no mortal power could disturb. l
sank into forgetfulness, for how long know
not, but found myself lying partly in the
water on the Canada shore above the old ferry
landing
The writer then goes on to state that with
difficulty he pulled himself up the steep bank
wondering how it was that he was spared
He provided himself with dry garments, ant
then took a train for Buffalo, He heard thu
passengers discussing a rGGlor that a man hat
gone over the falls. Still deeply depressed
: he made hasty preparations and started TO
the far west, whence comes lis strange letter