The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-17
A SCHEME TO SAVE LIVES.
FALLS THAN IN THE BAL
ANCE or THE U. $.

The Government VIII De Asked 10
stretch n Life Cable Above the
Falls For Men and Boats.
Baltimore, Oct. 15.-H. A. d Arcy of Bal
timore has a scheme I'm mind which, If IL
is adopted by the government VIII make
him a national benefactor.
1t Is no less than the saving OF the
thousands OF men and women who an
nually so to their death over Niagara
Falls. The Niagara river just above the
falls. has a current so fierce that 1t has
never been measured. The few sailboats
that have been drawn within the action
of its current and have escaped have done
50 by the almost superhuman efforts of
the crew. Where one has escaped hun
dred have gone over. And the same awful
fate has been the share of individuals that
have either by intent or by accident ven
tured too near the awful suction.
Niagara Falls is and has been the home
of suicides. Father Hennepin published In
1873 a pamphlet describing the falls in
which he says: 1.-The temptation to throw
ones self down this incredible preciplce
is almost too great foT resistance" From
that time to this Niagara Falls suicide
list has increased more and moge as the
, population of the country has become
greater.
PEOPLE have been known to journey from
the other side of the world for the purpose
of committing suicide in Niagara, And
they have come from Canada on the north
and Florida on the south with TINS one
object So disagreeable did the suicidal
mania become between 1880 and 1880 thai
one of the hotels a Niagara refused 10 al
nit guests that were unknown 70 them' or
who seemed eccentric, uhdeciasu OF u"-
happy in any way.
The boats that are swept over the gorge
are generally drawn over II, by accident,
the undercurrent being felt an extremely
long way uD the river. But even in boats
men have gone over the falls, intending
TO kill themselves
Mr. d'Arcvs scheme is to stretch cables
across the Niagara river about SUJ leel
above the falls. These cables he VIII place
some distance apart. Three under the
surface of the water and three above are
about as he has planned. In case OF accl-
dent the drowning persons would pe stop
pen by the cables and would then hold on
TO them until rescued by government lie
line.
Boats could be stopped in the same way
and though it would be extremely dllncult
10 reecue the craft the crew could be
saved
Niagara Falls, at the place where 1t Of
fers greatest temptation to SUICIDES, II
about 1850 feet above the level of the sea-
The water is very cold although the Iat-
tude is only about 4S degrees north and
the longitude degrees west. Here the
fails have an aggregate length of about
> o0O feet. The air is filed with spray
which rises up into the heavens like smoke
and can be seen a long way off. The wa
for is very chilly, and those VINO nave
tasted its icy depths say that TOT WeTu
horror nothing can be compared to H.
A great number of those who have gone
over the falls by intent were wrong-doers
who set out to leave the states Tor can
ada or who left Canada for this country
but while at Niagara, overcome by re-
morse. or tempted by the peculiar faelll
! Ties for suicide they jumped into the
| river and ended their errors In TINS one
fatal leap. ,,, -,
Visitors at the falls have likened is
roar TO a great bowling maelstrom ina
! draws Won to its depths by a hypnotlsn
| of sound This roar has been heard az
| Toronto. forty miles away, and at Bur
falo. twenty miles off. In the city OF MI
| agara. when the wind is high, 1t sounds
| to the ears like a torrent of ram beauhs
| outside. and is unspeakably depressing tC
! those who are unhappy.
The fate of the unfortunateS VINO nave
| zone over the falls is a secret hidden IRON
| all but tbe Creator. Few bodies nave eVei
| been recovered and these not until they
| come up at the whirlpool, distance OF
| three miles below, where, beaten almos
| beyond recognition, they were seen swirl
| ing in the depths ~.
| Logs. vessels and human beings are alike
carried underneath by the swift current
! This current on the surface below the ram
II J. hint
| below the surface it runs twelve knots al
! hour All bodies that go over the fall'
| are sucked down by this under-current
| ana are carried along for miles before the!
| come up
| II Is not the unhappy alone who finC
! death at the fails. Every year marks
| number of accidents. One OF the mos
! distressing was that of a Mr.. Ayre' Wh'
| ventured too near the falls in boat an'
was carried downward by the current HI
caught himself upon a bed of rock an'
| hung there twenty hours, while franu
| Efforts were made to reach him with
| line. t..
| Mr.. d'Arcy's plan OF stretching wire
| across the Niagara river would not inter
| fere with the beauty of the scenery. Be
| ing small cables, they would be inYlslD"
| except to the life-saying men upon tn
| rocks. Nor would they interfere with tn
| current. they being too slender to act a.
| n ,breakwater. But the helpless victim
| Nlagara's fury would If carried down tn
| river, find himself brought to a standstll
| against the cable. and there he could holt
until rescued. If he had strength enough
| he could beat his way over against tn
! current hand over hand until ne reache'
| the shore.
The nfeboats of the Seine pick up man!
| n man who with remorse or despair in hi
| soul has hurled himself from the brldg'
| into the rivers depths. But with the coo
waters beating upon his hot brow he hal
come into a change of sentiment, and h
eagerly seeks for another chance of life
The cables would rescue many MAI
who. wishing to commit suicide, hal
changed his mind.
The amount Of cable that would be need
ed depends upon the width Of the river a
the point where the cables are stretched
there being quite a diversity in Width
above the falls, where the river wideni
and narrows.
There is a question also about the cos
Of stretching these wires. II the rock
are firm enough to hold them they could
be anchored on either side, and the worl
Of construction would be comparativel!
light.
The saving Of life and property would