The Opelousas courier., 1883-08-18
A RACE FOR LIFE.
RESCUED ON THE BRINK OF NIAGAR

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RESCUED ON THE BRINK OF NIAGARA
FALLS.
Help a boat, quick; men going
over the fallsi,
"This," said an old resident of Chip
pewa, Ont, above the falls "was the
cry that started this little village one
morning in the spring of 1848. The
excitement was simply dreadful, and
the seeneswas one the like of which /
never want to witness again.
During the winter of 1847-46,"
continued the narrator, "a boat-a
scow-had been built for use on Erie
canal With the view of delivering
her in Buffalo, the vessel was fitted
out with a crew of four men, and a
team of horses provided to tow her up
the river. A start was made one fine
morning, but, just as the scoW swung
out of the Chippewa cut into the
river, she met a raft of timber coming
down. The raft was rather near to
the shore for the scow to pass between
it and the land, and the scoW men be-
ing anxious to avoid the heavy cur
rent outside, tried to persuade the 9th
ers to swing out a little from the shore.
This the raftsmen refused to do, and
Ehescow was forced to take the out
side. So excited were the hands on
the raft that they refused to clear the
line of the scow as it swung over the
logs. The driver tried his best to
keep it clear by urging his horses and
drawing it taut, but it finally caught
In the logs, and, before the team could
be turned to ease up on the line, it
snapped AS the rope parted the boat
5rembled on the surface of the water
for an instant, as If in dread of the
terrible fate that awaitedi it, and then
swung around and started for the falls
at a terrible pace. The scoW, being
destined for canal navigation, had no
small boat nor anchor-in fact, the
men on board had nothing with which
10 reach the land or to arrest the
progress Of the vessel toward the fall.
"Appreciating in an instant their aw-
Gull danger, they yelled TO the men on
sne raft to get d boat quick. The raft
men, now thoroughly alarmed at the
result Of their stupid conduct, be-
stirred themselves, but they had moth
ing at hand with which to render as
sistance. One of their number, how
ever, sprang ashore and ran for Chip
peWa, shouting a he ran Help ! a
boat, quick, men going over the falls 7
The sound Of his voice reached the
village considerably ia advance Of the
man, and the cry there was taken up
and repeated. Some scattered to look
for one, while those who felt that they
could be of no use if the boat was
found, myself among the number, ran
down the creek bank to e what was
The situation on the river. On reach
ing it, we were Mortified to see that the
scow had already got considerably be
low the mouth of the creek, and was
speeding down stream with is pre-
cious human freight to what seemed
certain destruction. Some Of the men
oh the vessel were on their knees, with
cIasped hands and upturned faces,
commanding their souls to God. 9th
sers were wildly running about the
deck, in the vain hope of finding some
means Of escape, now and again shout
ingto the people on shore to bring a
boat. Very soon the Canadian bank
Of the river was lined with hundreds
Of people, while quite a number could
also be seen on Goat Island side.
They were all agonized witnesses of
four fellow beings in horrible terror.
Just as aIl hops had been abandoned
by the people on shore and the men on
the scow, d voice cried from the up-
per end Of the crowd, Here comes a
boat In an instant every ee was
44tlFtgH%M
tnrnedin the direction Of Chippewa
creek, and there most Of them recog-
nlzed the tall and athletic form Of
young Smith. I have forgotten his
frst name. who was well known as
4he most expert oarsman On those wa