Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-10-01

--------~~~--~-~---~~-~~~-
Gradually-for such il the trend
OF the current there's the boa
noated downstream, Il vas borne
further and further from land, and
when it did arrive opposite Vel.
land River was fully 800 yards out.
Only then did the syn pat hiking
friend rush into the viIlase end give
the alarm.
From the edge Of 3 nara 70
Chippewa Bridge, whel BE near
est boat lay, WAIST Ieas 6xee hun-
d51d zszas. T.. - y hsd
lock, equip with oars and man the
boat. The consequence Of course
was that the doomed farmer was
far beyond human help even before
it started-started only and then
turned back from the hopeless
chase.
That awful cry, GA man going
over the falls !'' resounded through
the village streets, and crowd of
people quickly gathered.
The hapless castaway was now
shooting down that smooth, swift
incline of water Immediately above
the Rapids. He had evidently given
up all hope of rescue, and was
kneeling on the bottom of his frail
raft, with outstretched, clasped
hands, apparently in prayer.
Faster and faster he was hurried
along, and in another moment we
saw the box lifted high on the crest
of the Rapids first tumultuous
ridge, shaken to pieces like q pack
of cards and floated in fragments
away amidst the seething hell of
waters, while its late occupant dis
appeared forever from human view.
The second person whom l saw
thus done to death was one of a par
ty of duck-hunters, who had been
shooting in the weedy passage be-
tween Grand and Buckhorn Islands.
In spite of his companions advice
to the contrary, this man determ-
ined to remain out all night, in the
hope Of making q go5s 5ag in the
morning.
The last thing his comrades saw
of him-so they told us-he had
drawn the bow of his boat little
way up on a sand-bar at the lower
end of Buckhorn Island, and laid
himself down to sleep in her.
1t is supposed that, while he
slept, a change of wind caused the
water to rise sufficiently to set the
coat free-a moderate down stream
breeze would do it. At all events,
shortly after daybreak the next
morning, some one of the Chippa-
was early risers called out that an
empty boat was going over the
Falls. A knot of interested spec
tators soon focked down to the riv-
er's edge to see the exciting event
opinions being about equally di-
vided as to whether the light ski(f
would live to reach the cataract it
self, or would 60 to pieces on touch
ing the Rapids.
AS we thus speculated, our idle
talk was suddenly replaced by q
general cry of horror, for, from the
bottom of what we had thought an
empty shell, the head and should
ers of man all at once became VS.
ible, and the next moment he rose
to his feet. Beyond all doubt the
luckless being had only that instant
awakened.
Can human Imagination conceive
or mortal pen describe what that
awakening must have been
A few short hours before, he had
lain down to rest in fancied securi-
ty and with bright anticipations OF
coming sport. Now he opens his
eyes and looks around to find him.
self-where :-on the very brink OF
that wildly-tossing, awful food from
which all the wealth, all the united
powers of the world. cannot save
him
The boat was almost in the exact
centre of the river. Those of u.
who had field-glasses could see thai
group much larger than our owr
had congregated on the American
shore to witness the final catastro
phe.
1t was not long delayed. In les
than a minute after the poor ma,
had become aware of his situation
he took off his hat, waved it iran
tically toward either bank, and al