The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-05
other Rtrifctures

:, which Is about 500 yards above the
Z Other structures.
Just above tho old Maid of the Nils,
landing, quarter OF q mile from the
whirlpool rapids. the floe on which,
the threc were borne broke into two
section. each about 200 feet square the
man and woman on one, Hcacock OH
tho other, Iieacock waved his hands 70
his companions In distress us his floc
moved clear of the other, and. caught
In current raced down the river.
The other floe then shot towards the
american shore and was caught in an
eddy and whirled there for about ave
minutes. This was within sight OF the
tumbling waters that marked the be-.
ginning OF the rapids and death
Heatock saw the ropes dangling
from the bridge and made ready TO
catch one Very coolly he took of his
orercoat and poised himself on tho
tossing floe. In his course there
dansled one rope and a second was
moved towards him. He caught that
held by Officer Pat Kelly, of the On
tario police force. and II company of
about twenty railroad men caught it
and jumped free OF the ice.
The sag of the rope Al thrt great
drop-200 feet--let him into the chilly
water up to his waist, ai.d before no
was clear of it he was frightfully bat
tered by three successive Hoes OF jut-
ting ice. Not content with the efforts
OF the men abovt 10 draw him up he
tried to assist himself HAND over hand.
The time was $40 o'cloclS. and the hour
or more that the boy he'd been on the
ice and tho effects OF the icy ducking
lad snapped his strength. He stopped
trying to pull himself up and hung
limp on the rope. which spun him
around like Il top. Kelly and his men
RULED steadily. Ten feet, twenty,
twenty-five. thirty feet, up nc came.
The great crowd on the bridges cheer
ed--thosc that We're not weeping.
CiFimly the boy hung on. irving always
to get himself or his leg wound about
The rope. Then his hands began to
slip. lie sought to get hold OF tho
rope with his teeth. but could not. FL
rallS-, just as he was about sixty feet
clear OF the water his head fell back
He was utterly spent. He lost his grip
and plunged far down into the stream.
When he came up his face turned to-
wards the great wave. and he feebly
moved his arms in the breast stroke.
But the mighty rush of water was too
much for him. He was caught like Il
cork and was sent racing on into the
midst Of the seeth'ng waters. For
perhaps half minute he was in view
a"d then he disappeared In the spume.
Rope Gives Way.
leacock's failure was witnessed by
the man on the other Hoe. The wo-
man apparently dared not look The
mai appeared calm as he in turn pre-
pared TO make 4 play against death
when, caught by a down river cur
rent, the noe moved into the course
Eeacock had gone. AS the couple
swung under the cnntilcver bridge. the
man graSped rope and tried to put
IL about the womun's waist. The
force of the current was too much for
the rope. 1t parted and the man
waved the torn end toward the crowd
There was still another chancG-the
rope that was dropped from the lower
steel arch bridge by the Niagara
Avenue hrcmen.
AS the iioe went into swift drift
the man caught Il and .:r mly hung
on. He was given slack, and he tried
TO wind the rope about the woman's
waist. He fumbed in his agony oil
effort as If his hands We're numb. lme
rusl of the ice in the stream was
overpowerinE. When he could not tie
the rope about the woman ne let II go.
There apparently was n thought OF
nimseu lie raised the woman 10 her
feet, kissed her and claspeu her in
his arms. The woman made as If 10
cross herself and the. sank to her
knees The man knolt beside her, his
arms clasped Close about ner.
So they went u IT, ir death.
Tie ice held intact until II struck
the great wave. There II was shiver-
cd: there the gallan, man and the wo-
man at his side disappeared from
Elrw