The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-24
SWEPT over
The FALLS.
Three Men Plunge to Death Over
the Horseshoe.
THOUSANDS SEE THE TRAGEDY.
THE BOAT CAUGHT BY THE
CURRENT AND CAPSIzED IN THE
BREAKERs-ONE MAN .GRABs
ANOTHER AS IF TO SAVE HIM.
THE OTHER MANS VAIN SWIM
FOR THE SHORE.

Niagara Falls, \. Y, Aug. 23.-About
O'Clock this afternoon three men were
swept to death over the brink of the
horseshoe Falls. Thousands of people
filled the beautiful parks on both sides
of the river and witnessed the awful oc-
currence.
The first seen OF the boat was when the
people on the upper end of the Safe res
ervation, on the New York side, and the
people on the Duffern Islands, on the
Canadian side, noticed the craft further
down the river than such boats usually
go. Farther and father down stream that
boat was carried. Either the sail was
not pulling with effect against the
stream, or else those in the boat knew lit
tie about sailing.
The position of the boat on the river
was nearer the Canadian shore, toward
which The occupants seemed to be head
ing. When the first reef and first line of
breakers were met those OH shore realized
the danger. The men in the boat appeared
to know that they were going down to
death, fer they worked hard with their
oars. But all their efforts were truitless.
They had gone too far, and as the boat
plunged over another reef it capsized,
and the three were thrown into the
ite-capped waters.
On one OF the Dufferin Islands stood
Thomas Young. chief of the Ontario po-
lice, who is noted for his daring. When
the boat capsZed it was seventy. five
yards from where Young stood II saw
the boat capsiZe," said he, "and the men
thrown into the water. One of them
grabbed another, as though determined to
save HIN. The other man swan with
great strength and bravery toward the
shore, and came near renching 1t. If the
falls had not been SO close or the current
less strong, he would have made it, But
both he and the other man and the boy,
who had disappeared before, were swept
over the fallsn
The boat was carried by the current OH
to the head of one of the islands, where
it was soon surrounded by crowd of
people, many of.whom did not hesitate
to break pieces off to carry. as souvenirs
OF the tragedy they had witnessed. The
boat is of the clinker pattern. The foot
board and other parts are covered with
copper. On piece OF orr picked up after
the accident the letters IN p" were
marked.
The boat was Mt once announced us not
being from this port, and others stated
that it WAS not from Chippewa. This led
to the conclusion that the craft came
from further up stream, or from one OF
the numerous Sunday parties OH the
islands in the navigable portion of the
river
Main and Perry keep a penthouse on
the upper Niagara ut LII Salle. seven
miles up the river One of the firm on
hearing of the disaster, cane to the falls
and stated tonight that the boat was
undoubtedly enc of theirs, which n week
ago they had rented to u party who were
in camp OH the river above Ia Sallie. He
did not know the name of the men.
The bodies carried over the Horseshoe
Falls are usually found in about five
days.
A visit to the camp a mile ..and a half
above La Sale, on the main shore, to-
night revealed that the three..persons lost
were Frank Weber, aged :.4C, OF Blu 1alo,
married, and leaves widow and three
children; Warren Bush, aged 81, of Chi
cago, and Charles Glasner aged %, n
clerk in the United States Express Com
pony at Chicago. There were six other
occupants of the camp. and none of them
had heard of the accident until informed
by the reporters.