New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-01-21
One Chance in a Million.

1
When something like a third Of
century ago, the first wire suspension
bridge was thrown across the mighty
gorge Of the Niagara river, about a
mile and a half below the falls, the
structure was SO seemingly frail and
SO sensitive to the feet of animals,
that neither man nor beast felt over
comfortable while crossing it. The.
flooring, in anything like a stiff
breeze was as billowy as the ocean;
but it was under the weight OF line
OF carriages or a seething drove of cat,
tie that it's commotion became abso-
lutely appalling.
Ihad a very ti1nid friend staying
with me, quite convenient to the gate
on the Canada side, whom, after re-
peated solicitations, I at last induced
to creep out one fine morning before
the hackmen began to move, to take
a view OF the falls from the center OF
the aerial highway, at the edge Of
which there hung beneath a strong
iron cradle that ran on pulleys from
shore to shore, and was used for
Tightening nuts and for other pur-
poses under the flooring. I was I'M
able to accompany him, so he sat
alone, and soon, as I supposed, he
picked his steps with fear and trem-
bling to a point had Indicated.
lie had not been gone more than
ten or fifteen minutes, however when
my attention was attracted by a loud
hallooing near the gate. l glanced in
the direction, and perceived that a
drove Of cattle had just passed in be-
tween the towers close by, and were
jostling each other in wild confusion
as they rushed forward toward the
American side of the river. This so
alarmed me for the safety ofmy friend
that l instantly started for the gate,
but before Preached it, what was my
d1smay and CONSERVATION to behold,
through some mistake Of the gatekeep-
er another drove OF cattle rushing at
the same moment from the opposite
end of the bridge, while my poor friend
who seemed crazed with fear, was
making the best of his way over the
wire cables, with a view of clinging to
them outside, so that he should not
be trampled or gored to death when
both droves met.
He succeeded in gaining the outer
narrow ledge OF the flooring, and was
hanging over an awful gulf of upward
OF 300 feet in depth, when the crash
came between the animals that now
appeared to have become Infatuated
from some unknown cause. The col
lision was terrific, and to render it
more appalling it was accompanied
with dreadful bellowings. It took
place just at the point where he was
all but dangling over the blind chasm,
through which one of the most savage
floods in the world rolled in thunder.
From a moment the struggling among
the animals was indescribably ter
| rible, while the bridge swayed to and
fro in the most frightful manner. He
might have withstood the shock, how
ever, had not some of the cattle that
had been dashed against the wires
shaken him from his hold, when he
fell with long, loud cry;
l closed my eyes in horror, and sank,
almost fainting, on one of the wood
en- seats hard by, where buried my
face in my hands in an agony of an.
! guish and despair.
How long had remained in this
position [ was unable to say, when my
name was called, and a hand at the
same time placed tremblingly on my
shoulder.
Hooked up, but refused to believe
my senses, for my friend, pale and
CHASTITY, stood before me.
[ started to my feet. It was no illu-
sion: He had dropped into the iron
cradle, which had broken from it's
slight moorings, and through the i'm
petus given it by the shock had run in
along the wire rope and landed him at
my feet!