Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-05-27
over NIAGARA FALLS
Fate of a Schooner That Was
Used as an Experiment.
SHE WAS DASHED TO PIECES.
A Thrilling Sight From the Time She
Struck the Soothing Rapids Until
the Mighty Falls Tore Her Into
Spjnters-A Pair Of Touch Geese.

The following story Of the first pub.
lie excursion to Niagara Falls was
written at the time by an eyewitness:
"The schooner Michigan was the
largest vessel on Lake Erie at that
time. She was too large. In fact, to
enter the various harbors on the lake,
and, being somewhat decayed In her
uppers, the owner, Major Frazer. got
the idea that she would answer the
purpose Of testing the fate OF vessel
that by accident might approach too
near the cataract and also the fate Of
living things that might be caught in
the rapids. The proprietors of the
large public houses at the falls on both
sides of the river and Of stages and
steamboats, made up purse to pur-
chase the schooner, aware that they
would be amply repaid by the specta-
tors that the exhibition would attract.
For several days previous to Sept.
q. 1928. the day for which the affair
was fixed. which was Saturday. the
stages and canalboats came to Buffalo
crowded with people. On> the night
of Sept wagons filled with country
people ratified through the village in
unbroken procession all night long, and
on the morning of Sept. 6 Buffalo IT.
self seemed to be moving in one mass
toward the point of attraction. Five
steamboats, had been advertised to
leave Buffalo Saturday morning. They
were the Henry Clay, William Penn,
Pioneer. Niagara and Chippewa. The
Chippewa was appointed to tow the
schooner Michigan to the Niagara river.
was passenger on her.
"As soon as we got well under way
the scene became interesting. The 9TH
er four steamers came blowing along
in our wake. crowded to the guards
with passengers and bands of music
playing. The Chippewa towed the big
schooner to Yale's landing. on the Can
ada side OF the niagara river, where
our passengers went ashore. as did
those of the William Penn. The pas.
sengers Of the Henry Clay and Pho
neer landed on the American side.
Yale's Landing was three miles above
the falls. and the crowds of people
were taken from there on down the
river in wagons of all kinds. The hour
fixed for towing the Michigan from
Yale's Landing to the rapids was 8
In the afternoon.
"This task. an extremely hazardous
one. was intrusted to the Oldest sailor
OIL the lake. Captain Rough. With a
yawl boat and five sturdy oarsmen the
old captain got the schooner under
way. They towed her to within quar-.
ter of mile of the first rapids and
within half mile Of the tremendous
precipice itself-as near as they dared
approach. They cut the big vessel
adrift. and she passed majestically on,
while the oarsmen of the yawl had to
bend their every nerve and muscle to
remove themselves from the peril Of
being drawn down by the rushing wa
tiers. Indeed. such had been the fear
and apprehension Of the men that they
mutinied against Captain Rough and
cut the towline before the time he
had set. II they had obeyed the reck.
less old captain, he. the yawl and its
crew would have preceded the Michl
gan over the falls.
"rhe high grounds on both shores Of
the river We're lined with people as the
Michigan, unguided by human agency,
approached. head on. the first rapid of
the seething descent, apparently keep
Ing the very course that a skillful nav
igator would have guided her In. The
American ensign streamed from her
bowsprit and the British jack floated
at her stern. The vessel shot the first
rapid unhurt, still head on, making a
plunge. shipping sea and rising from
1t in beautiful style. In her descent of
the second rapid. the water momenta-
rily increasing In velocity and tumult,
her towering masts went by the board.
giving the spectators a startling repre-
sentation Of the crashing of a vessels
spars In shipwreck at sea. She
swung around and presented her
broadside to the dashihg and foaming
water, and. after remaining, MS 1t SEEM
ed. stationary for a moment, swung
around until she was headed upstream.
Passing the third rapid she bilged,
but carried her hull to all appearances
whole as she tossed and groaned be-
tween Grass island and the British
shore to the Horseshoe fall. over which
she was drawn sternforemost and
hurled into the laundering abyss. She
was dashed to fragments before she
struck in the SETTLING waters below.
Immediately after she went over hun.
dreds of people hurried below the falls.
The river was covered with fragments
of the vessel. Nowhere could be found
as much as two boards nailed together,
and her great timbers were broken into
bits like firewood.
There were aboard the Michigan
when she started on her trip toward
the falls wild bull buffalo from q
western prairie. two bears from the
Lake Superior regions, two foxes, a
raccoon. dog. cat and four geese.
When the vessel left Yale's landing in
tow all these were let loose on the deck
except the buffalo. He was inclosed In
a pen. The two bears got enough Of
the trip when the vessel began the
descent Of the first rapid. and they
climbed down the side next the Canada
shore, plunged Into the swift water,
breasted Its powerful sweep successful
~ and reached the shore. They were
SO exhausted when, they got on land
that they made no resistance to being
captured. The bears. before they aban
doned the ship. climbed the masts OF
the vessel and. as 1t was presumed,
from that outlook saw what their fin.
ish would be anyhow and then deter
mined to take the chances OF getting to
land. slim as they were. The raccoon
ran up mast and remained there I'm.
til the mast fell. He was never seen
again. The foxes ran frantically up
and down the deck and went over with
the schooner. as did the buffalo bull
and the geese. Not a trace of foxes or
buffalo was ever found. Two of the
geese swan ashore half mile below
the falls. The other two met the fate
Of the huffalo and fhe fOxeaU