Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-05-15
) Tragedies Of HiAgara. {


CARA Falls twenty years ago, after hav-
ing been witness of two terri lie trag-
edies of the falls. and then on my
first visit 10 them in that time be there in
the Inidst Of the excsementoft the " ed
ader.tseafs9nehorr
The speaker was an old man, who
said his name was Andrew Dalrymple,
of Camden. He was a passenger on
an Erie Railway tram yesterday, re-
turning from visit to Niagara Falls,
where he sad he was 3 hackman and
guide for ten years So
81 was greatly surprised to see the
old tree trunk still rising in the Ameri-,
can isapids, between the small islands
Off OF Cost Island and the American
shore. 1gaess no 0ne rememb ers when
that tree lodged there, butI remember
it for thirty years, and it never entered
my mind that it could be there vet. But
there it wa, and as stood on the Goat
Island lridge last week and looked
NdowRsat the gnariedp trunk the thought
of that early summer smorning, over
twenty years ago. when e was one of
the Mstpeople atsthe allsato discover
a man clinging the log. came back to
me with vividne that made me shud-
der. No one knew how he came
there or W.so he was, but it
was supposed that he had been.row
ing across the river somewhere above
during the night before, and losing con-
troll of his boat had been swept down
into the rap ds. and the boat strik ing
the tree trunk he had, by some miracle,
gained a foethold upon it. News never
spread SO rapidly as that of the discot-
cry of this man in hisyperilous situation.
Word vas telegraphed at once to Buff
falo, and a party of lite-saVers came on
q special train to try and rescue the
man. Before ten o'clock thousands OF
people were gathered at every available
spot where sight. of the un fortunate
man and the efforts to save him could
be s,obtained. All the railroads ran.
special trains, and people came in CON
veSances OF aHkinds from the surround
ing country. No one seemed to know
at first how TO go to work, but the man
chung to the, tree watching every move
ment that was made. Of course it was
i'm possible to make him hear or give
him any direction. Finally. a life-boat
was attached to a cable and let down
from the bridge toward him. 1t was
drawn toward the log by ropes attached
to it and handled by men on the island.
The boat was making directly for the
81 OF, and hope that the poor man would
soon be safely drawn ashore begun to
be felt by the assembled multitude.
Suddenly, however, it was caught in a
swirl of the rapids, the cable parted
like kite string, and the boat rushed
past the man Like flash within
two feet Of him, and was carried over
the falls.
After this tn life-savers were all at
sea again. Several plans were sug-l
gested, and one was adopted which it
took unit ate in the afternoon to get
in readine 8, In ali those long hours
of suspen e / don't be ieye one of the
spectators ever moved from his tracks.
Everything else about Niagara Falls
wa forgotten except the terrible scene
of fellow being hanging on the. verge
of death and patiently awaiting the
success or failure of the orts that
were being made to rescue him. 4
The plan adopted was to fasten a
strong cable securely to the American
shore, attach a stanch raft to it, carry
the loose end of the cable over to the
island and let it ELY downiwith the
raft to the tree trunk. By th means
it was hoped that the raft could be
drawn stead ly to the small island be-
tween the man and Goat island, from
which no trouble was anticipated in
taking him. Some food and a ass Of |
brandy were, placed on the raft, and
and ropes were fastened to it by which
the man was to tie himself fast. The
raft moved down and r. ached the man
in safety. As he stepped upon it,
dashed himself fast, and then eagerly |
seized the refreshments, such q shout as
went up from the thousands of people |
that had watched the proceedings with |
beating hearts and bated breath was |
never heard before. 1t could be heard /
abolt Niagara. The raft was moved |
toward the land. Everything seemed |
to be working TO charm. he ten
sion that was put upon the feelings of i.
the spectators. was SO great that many !
tainted away was . strong man,
but / know Il .wept like child.
Suddenly the raft stopped. The /
cable, drawn as it was beneath the /
water. caught on some obstfu ton. /
AN efforts TO loosen il were unavailing.
Che groan of agony arose from the, !
great crowd. Einaliy the man sprang. /
% his feet, undid the fasteIfn.s that I
held him secu on the rant, and kneel-
ing for . moment as II in prayer. spra4g
Into the raging water and pulled brave /
II for the island. Int few feet away. /
At first he gained vsbly, and the
that he would be saved found
nfter>rlce In another iOyful shout from =