Year: 1861

parties on Lake Ontario, to be delivered on thai
tranquil sheet Of water, and that at least one
Individual in your city had lien on her which
would DO seriously invalidated IN case the
"Maid" should succeed In finding anchorage ef
British DOCK Il was said. moreover, that said
individual was making quick time hitherward 70
prevent the absquatulstion of his property.


But the idea that anything made out Of wood
could outlive voyage down these terrific rapids,
was regarded absurd. The prospect Of its being
tried, however, drew at least three or four hun.
dred people to the banks Of the river. All dag
there had been hustle of mysterious prepsra.
tion on board the steamer. Hatches were be-
ing nailed down and everything made taut, bat
no satisfaction could be had by ipQuiring minds
A little past three she cut loose from her moor
ings, about quarter of a mile above the Bridge,
and steamed gallantly up towards the Falls. A
murmur of disappointed expectation ran through
the crowd, when suddenly. 90 she reached q
point about half way up to the Falls, she turned
With graceful curve and headed downvards.
There were on board, her engineer Robinson,
famed for deeds Of daring in these parts, and,
I believe, three others. s,l0 .E
The "Maid" came down the current and
hung, quivering, but otherwise motionlsss, just
opposite her dock. IL seemed as II the dauRh-
ter Of the spray were undecided The mo.
ments were long before she made up her mind.
10 an instant, before a spectator could wink,
the die was cast, and she puffed farewell TO
her home under the cliffs. Another second,
and che swung In the sinewy grasp Of the mighty
river, speeding like an arrow down the stream /.
There was rush of excited bebolders for the
Bridge, and looking up thence It was brave
and thrilling sight to see her coming down and
dipping like water fowl under the spray. !


Your readers know how Niagara looks just
under, and just below the Bridge. The giant
offspring of four lakes writhes there like q
chained monster. The water, where it 10 not
mass of angry foam, seems as hard as iron,
and wears a hue Of sickly green, ominous, vora-
cious, deadly. There is the force Of an angry
ocean pent up between these nirrow prison
walls, as the water, tortured into foam, dashes
down the staircase of rocks.


No one thought she could live through it,
but after the first moment Of hesitation, she
lcaped into the gorge as though Niagara had
been her father. As she passed under the
Bridge, the crowd rushed to the other side and
trembled for the safety Of the daring crew, for
the critical point was yet to be reached. Again
and again che shot overhead In foam, and again
and again, as she all but disappeared. It was
thought that the river had claimed Its own.
But the Maid" was native TO the cataract and
bore charmed life. With one blow Of o
seethipg breaker, her smoke-stack was level
ed with her deck, and then everybody gave her
up.


AT last she had run the terrible gauntlet, and
emerged dripping and quivering upon the calm
water of the whirlpool. That Charybdis was
easy after the Scylla she had weathered. A
wide sweep with the current, and she was lost
to sight. She belongs to Ontario now. and her
creditors may follow ii they dare.
The +" Maid of the MIST was built almost 10
the spray of the cataract, about ak years ago.
The thousands who have stood with her under
the sheet of Niagara, will be pleased to hear
| Of her elopement.