Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-28
A SHIP OVER NIAGARA.

l copy from 6 letter which was writ ten by @ former resident of Lancaster an ac- count of most remarkable occurrence at Niagara Falls sixty years ago, which the writer of the letter witnessed, and of which it is doubtful if many people of today ever heard. No history of Niagara Falls that I ever saw gives any account of 1t, although nothing that ever occurred at the great cataract has a more peculiar interest The letter Is especially interesting as giving an illustration of the manner in which people went on excursions in the days before rail- roads It is doubtful if so many people have ever gathered at the falls at one time since the day described in this letter. Here Is the extract:
 'BUFFALo, Sept g, 1898.
 "I was in hopes that I should have got back to this town from the Niagara falls last evening in time to have dropped you a line respecting the fate of the schooner Michigan, but owing to the delay in getting away, wait ing for our passengers and some derange- ment of the machinery of the steamboat and head wind, we did not arrive until o'clock this morning. As the exhibition yesterday was of a novel character and has excited much more interest than any person could have anticipated when it was first men, tioned, you will doubtless be anxious to learn the particulars, and to gratify your curiosity will endeavor to give you the story as much in detail as possible.
 "The schooner Michigan was the largest on Lake Erie, and too large, in fact, to enter the various harbors of the lake, and, being some what decayed in her uppers, the thought struck the owner, Maj. Frazer, formerly of New York. that she would answer the pur- pose of testing the fate of a vessel that by ac- ctdent might approach too near the stu pendous cataract of Niagara, and also of the fate of animals that might be caught in the rapids of those swift rolling waters and car ried over the falls.
 "The propretors of the large public houses at the falls, on both sides of the river, and of stages and steamboats, made up a purse to purchase the schooner, aware that they would be repaid by the company which the exhi- bition would attract, and in the calculation they were not deceived
 "For several days previous to the Sth the stages came crowded, as we'll as the canal boats, so much so that it was difficult to find @ conveyance to the falls; and such was the interest that tho descent was the only topic of conversation among all classes. On the night of the 7th wagons filled with country people rattled through this town all night, and on Saturday morning Buffalo itself seemed to be moving in a mass toward the
 
 who could not find passage in carriages, five steamboats had advertised to leave here on Saturday morning They were the Henry Clay, William Penn, Pi- oneer, Niagara and Chippewa, being all the steamboats on Lake Erie except the Superior. Tho Chippewa was appointed to tow down the pirate schooner Jas she was termed), the Michigan, which service she per- formed. I took my passage on board this boat, and we got under way before the others, passed through the basin at Block Rock and about mile below the rock took in tow the vessel destined to make the dread ful plunge. As soon as we got under way the scene became interesting. The sun shone in full splendor, the waters of the Erie were placid, there being scarcely rutf1e upon its surface, and few miles astern of us four steamers crowded with passengers, and with bands of music on board, were blowing their way down the rapids of Niagara. Our little boat lowed the Michigan as far as Yale's Landing, British shore within three miles of the falls, where she anchored, and at this place the Chippewa landed her passengers as we'll as the William Penn, and they were conveyed from there to the falls in vehicles of all descriptions. The three other steamers landed their passengers on the American side.
 
 weigh anchor on board the Michigan. The task of towing her from Yale's Landing to the rapids, and 6 most hazardous one it was, was intrusted to Capt. Rough, the oldest captain on the lake With yawl boat and Ave oarsmen, of stout hearts and strong arms, the old captain got the schooner under way, and lowed her till within one-..uarter of a mile of the first rapids, and within half mile of the tremendous precipice, as near as they dared approach. Cutting her adrift, she passed majesacalty on, while the osrsmen of the yawl had to pull for their lives to make themselves safa Indeed, such were the fears of the men, as have understood, that on approaching near the rapids they cut the tow line before they had orders from their commander.
 And now we approach the interesting moments of the exhibition. The high grounds on both sides of the American and British shores were lined with people, having a full view of the rapids and of the approach of the vessel, and now it was that thousand. fears and expectations were irdulged, as the Mich igan, unguided by human agency, ap- preached, head on, the first rapid or descent, that the most skillful navigator would have pursued, having an American ensign dying from her bowsprit and the British jack displayed at her seern. She passed the first rapid unhurt, still head on, making plunge, shipping sea, and rising from 1t in beautiful style. In her descept over the second her masts went by the board, at the same moment affording those who have never witnessed shipwreck a spect- men of the spars of 6 ship at sea In a wreck. Expectation of her fate was now at the high est, she swung around and presented her broad side to the dashing and foam1ng wa ter, and after remaining stationary moment or two, was, by its force, swung round, stern foremost, and, having passed the third rapid, she bilged, but carried her hull ap- parently whole between Grass Island and, the British shore to the Horseshoe, over which she was Carried stern foremost and launched into the abyss below. In her fall she was dashed to pieces. went below the falls immediately after the descent, and the river presented a singular appearance from the thousands of floating fragments, there being scarcely to be seen any two boards nailed together, and many of her umbers were broken into twenty pieces. Such was the eagerness of the multitude present. to procure piece of her that before sunset great part of her was carried away.
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