The Poole Telegram. — 1883-08-31 (Poole, Dorset, England)

THE DEATH ROLL OF NIAGARA.  Dr. Itioh,rosou, de,oribed as " a Canldiau gentleMan of inealle, seletitioC etzAinmeets, and inventive mind," hag cuLatruoted an apparatus, by the aid of which he inteuds goiug over Niagara Valli!. He hai arraugel everything nicely, even to the spot where he intdUCle to laud after having made the descent, but his trierlll3 are nut OVzivieoulugly 0 Altidttlt. . . . .  The melancholy death et Captaiu Webb has led to the publication in one of the New York j nimble of a record of the most memorable incidents and disasters oonnected with the Niagara Falls. Souse of these fatal and romantic incidents we shall briefly reproduce. Tue number of suicides at the Falls hae been very large. On one occasion a man leaped from the bridge, 192 feet, into the current, and is believed to have died before torching the water. For 50 feet he fell like a plummet, lie then began to turn over, and dropped apparently lifeless on the water. A woman who coalwitted suicide tested the current by throwing in her parasol before gathering her skirts together for the plunge. In boomer masa a man calmly undressed and went into the flood, strongly and deliberately swimming to the gid y verge. A brave swimmer tried to rescue him, but the man who sought death sped onward. to it with rapidity on seeing ne was followed, lie was soon where it was not necessary for him to put forth another stroke. The torrent caught him, and he was at once beyond help. On one occasion there was a double suicide, the couple being a Ll3li Idle•aged man and woman, about whom there haa been some scandal, aud who resolved to give the world still more to talk about in their death than they had smile in thew life„ An ingeuious Yankee once showed how the dive might be made in perfect safety. In taking the jump he wore • harness over his ehouners. To it was attached a wire, running loosely over a cylinder on the bridge, That kept his feet downwards, and he successfully accoM. plished the leap, afterwards reaping considerable ptofita by the transaction. Teirible crimes have taken place at the Falls. One, comparatively recent, has never been solved. A body, with a hands kerchief over the face, was found one morning'. R .und the neck was a rope, tightly drawn and knotted at the back, and the end frayed. In the head was a bullet hole, Acurions question of identity aroseiconcerning the man. who had thus met with a foul end. It seems tnat one O. L. Rowell had registered receutly at an hotel, and had complained of the loss of 1600 dollars. His room had not been slept in, and his clothes were found on the bank. The coroner's jury found that the body was Howell's, but not long afterwards Risavell himself turned up. It was then thought the body belonged to one Close. The description answered accurately, nut it was not Close, as was conclusively proved by his appearance in the flesh an I hia subsequent disappearance to evade a criminal charge. It was afterwards sought, but in vain, to identify the carps° with one Raymond, and it went unrecognised. Strange accidents are also reported. A lady stooped ti pluck a flower on the brink of Table hock, and was taken up dead from the ro Ike below. Another lady stooped for a cup of water, loot her balance, and was out of reach and over the Falls almost before her amaz ed husband knew what had happen° l, lii 1875 a very sad and foolish accident occurred. An eugaged couple went behind the Falls, into the Cave of the Winds, , without a guide. The lady actually sought to bathe in ' a pool which even the guides never visited. Her liver lost his life in endeavouring to save hers. One very pathetic and dramatic incident is recorde I. A young man caught up a charming child, who was watching the tumbling waves, 'Now, Lizzie," he playfully said, "I am going to throw you into the water," and he swung her backwards and forwards. The child screamed, struggled, and slipped from his hands. lie gazed after her, and, realising what he had done, leaped into the torreet. Rescue, of course, was hopeless, and he perished. Remarkable escapee have now and again been rec.irded. o.le was that of a murderer. The sheriff was c:ose behind him, the river in front, and only the wires of the old bridge at Lswist an to help him across. Hand over hand he began the passage. His hands quickly blistered, and then they bled. Again and again he rested his arms by hanging by his legs. At length he reached the opposite bank, and lay panting full an hour before he continued his flight. On one occasion a painter was at work on Second Sister's Island, when he fell into the water, ele was carried towards the Falls, and when only 40ft. from them c aught on a rock. After a time of -terrible anxiety he was saved by ropes manipulated from the shore. A boatman was being hurried along towards the Rapids, when he threw out a little anchor he had with him. It seemed like playing for his life with grim death as he heard the anchor bump continually against the rocks without grounding. At 1-ngth his fearful anxiety was relieved by its ca'ching a grip, but all the night through the boatman was tossed about while he held the anchor-rope. Weeu morning dawned he was saved by those on shore.