The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-09-04
MAID OF THE MIST.
The Story Of the Famous Peat as
Related by the Only
Survivor.

60 through the whirlpool rapids wi,hou,
any passengers on board is attracting So
much public attention as to lend unusual
interest To the following story of the fam
Gus Maid OF the Mist, told to me Yesterday
10y Dewitt G. McMurty. the only one of her
passengers on that occasion now living.
Mr. McMurty, who is now clerk i'm the
City hotel here, is FIVE feet, eleven and one
half inches tall, is nearly 81 years OF age,
but looks much older. His life has been
full of troubles, for twice has he been on
the verge of afflue &c only to have his
hard-earned property dissiPated. The old
mans story is as follows:
II think il was III 1851 that James w.
Buchanan, of Toronto, went 10 live in Sus
pension Bridge. The original Maid of the
Mist had just been destroyed, and Mr. Bu-
chan, who had plenty OF means, thought
that it word be good idea to build a
new on-, better than the other and more
durable She was 160xl6 feet over all.
Buchanau's money held out only
until the time came to place
the engines and boiler in the boat. His
plans were the explosive Capt. joel Rob
inson, who was TO command the boat, re-
monstrated against using old machinery,
b-calIse it was not powerful enough. Mr.
Buchanan came To Buffalo and borrowed
sufficient money from old Judge Adding
ton TO complete the boat, and a mortgage
on it for 81 900 was given TO him. The old
Judge thought mis- venture was perfectly
safe, and so did every one else. One out
let for ESCAPE Was blocked by the great cat
aract and the other by the b 'isterous whirl-
pool rapids, supposed TO be impossible.
Buchanan paid his interest regularly tor
time. He was on the verge of ruin. Al this
juncture some people in Toronto VINO want
ed pleasure boat to ply between Kingston
and Prescott offered him $4,000 tor the
Maid, the boat to be delivered at the dock
In Queenstown, on the Canada side. Then
Buchanan formed the idea Of running Ler
through to evad- the mortgage, and save
his fast failing fortunes. Capt. Robinson
came 10 me and explained the situation.
He SAID: eli We ran this boat through its
worth 800 to me and 500 apiece to you
and Jones" | wss the fireman and jones
was the engineer. After considering it for
while we made up our minds to run the
risk.
The day set for the memorable trip was
June "a, 1859, and l shall never forget ii.
Our usual steam pressure WAS $50 pounds,
but for this trip we sa; the bali so that she
would blow off al 22S pounds. At half-past
> In the afternoon Robinson was dashed I'm
the wheel-house, Jones and went down
iniO the fire hole. the matches were battened
down, and the hawser cast off. She was
living brow into the current and had 20
make 4 semi-circular turn, which she Just
finished as she struck the current. The
engines were working full head, the furnace
was nearly redhot an! sleam was kissing
in The blow of. The current in the rapids
is forty five miles an hour; and We knew
that ii We could not make some Roadway
I'm il, SD the craft would mind the heiIA,
nothing but an interpositlon of providence
could save us. | am the only man now
living who ever passed through those rap
ids, and III never try again.
Had you no fear at all ?'
Il had no fear at the start" responded
McMurty, but after We got into those rap
ids would have given worlds to get ashore
RI ad been able to make land after the first
two OF three plunges that boat made, all
he money in the whole United States
would have been no temptation to me to 60
aboard again. The risk was too great and
.remble now rs in memory j live the |
scenes of that day over again. 1t is simply |
a case OF nature against nature. l do not
think that there is man who can compete |
with God himself, and a man who defes
iods power in that terrible current seems |
10 me to be simply taking issne with the
himself. tell you, sir, that |
believe that nothing but the Intervention of |
providence put us thr ugh safely. We |
mot through with frightiul velocity. Of
he speed YOU can form some idea when / |
ell you that from the lower Maid of the
Mist landing. where We started, to Queens
own wharf is just five miles, and We
rayeied the distance In just seven minutes
md ioriy-hve seconds The rapids them
elves are a mile i'm length, and two minutes
vas the time OF the passage. That is pretty
ast travelling through current sixty feet
ligher in midstream than al the sides, in
In unnavigated channel. From the time
We leit the landing until We made fast at
Queenstown, every moment was one of ex-
'ectation of death. expected every second
o see the hull rent in pieces by the rocks
md find myself tossed about the current
nd beaten to death by the great
raves. / lived my Lille over again
lines innumerab'e, and incidents which
ook long years to enact arose in nv Wis
on ms ;antaneously, and with a realism
hat makes one shudder. We felt that We
Tere on the verge of death. 10 describe
my sensations would require col
INNS of the Tribune. When we struck
he first rapid our boat plunged downward
,aybe thirty feet. Then with greatly
dded impetus she vas thrown out of the
'ater. Through the heavy glass portfolios,
nd by the different working of the engines, ,,
could tell when the wheels were in or out !
wat T. Down would 60 the boat until j,
eemed that she would never stop, when
uickly she would right herself, and with
zap which seemed almost human, 60 clear
ut of the water. We were tossed about
, the hold, Jones and ], until it seemed as
the quick succession of shocks would
Ill us. felt my strength oOziDg away,
nd chung to the hsndrails for dear life. 4
here was barely time to catch on 3