AMERICA. FATAL DISASTER AT NIAGARA FALLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 136, 24 December 1853, Page 4

AMERICA. FATAL DISASTER AT NIAGARA FALLS.

One of the most soul-thrilling casualties that has ever occurred at Niagara Falls, is recorded in the papers, now to hand. On Monday evening, the 29th ult, tnree men, two of them named John Avery and Andrew Harmainan, and the other, a stranger, got adrift on a small boat just above the frightful abyss, over which the two latter had hurled, and instantly dashed to atoms. Avery, when near the verge of the foaming cataract, succeeded in reaching a rock, to which he clung till about 6 p.m., Tuesday. The anxiety of the people on shore to rescue the unfortunate man from his perilous situation was most intense throughout the day. But if the feelings of the spectators were roused to such a pitch what must have been the thoughts of him who was almost certain of eventually becoming a prey to the roaring torrent ? Every scheme that human ingenuity could /devise was resorted to ; lifeboats were brought fromBuffalo, and pi'ovisions were floated to him on rafts. Late in the afternoon he succeeded in placing himi self on one of these rafts, and was on the point of [ stepping from it into a lifeboat, when, to the dismay I and horror of the spectators on shore, the boat came ' in collision with the raft with so much violence as ! to pitch poor Avery into the water. Still undaunted, , he struck out boldly for a small island in the vicinity ; ! but the current overpowered his already exhausted physical energies, and, after thus struggling fo r life,

and tenaciously clinging for twenty hours to a slippery rock, which itself could scarcely withstand the impetuous force of the stream, the victim was swept into eternity. One wild, piercing shriek, and all was over.

A Richmond paper gives full particulars of thi« melancholy accident, from which we quote the following :—: —

"Our informant tells us that the man was in a part of the rapids where the rocks rise nearly to the surface of the water. A log of wood, apparently wedged tightly between the rocks, and crossed by another, still higher out of the water, was his resting place. Here he remained, half clinging to and half perching upon the log, from which he would occasionally slip down and walk a little on the rocks which were only a short distance under water. A few feet in advance was a small fall of about four or five feet, and here and on each side of him, the water rushed wildly on at a speed of about forty miles an hour. A raft was constructed formed of cross timbers, strongly fastened in a square form, a hogshead being placed in the centre. The raft was strongly secured with ropes on each side, and was floated down to the rocks upon which Arery was stationed. As it approached the spot where he stood, the rope got fast in the rocks, and the raft became immovable. Avery then appeared to muster strength and courage, and descending from the log, walked over the rocks to the place where the rope had caught and laboured long and hard to disengage it from the rocks. After some time he succeeded and then with renewed energy, inspired by the hope of rescue, he pulled manfully at the rope until he succeeded in bringing the raft from the current towards his fearful resting place.

" Avery now got on to the raft, making himself fast thereto by means of ropes which had been placed there for that purpose, and those on the land commenced drawing it towards the shore. It had approached within thirty feet of one of the small islands, towards which its course was 'directed when suddenly it became stationary in the midst of the rapids, the ropes having again caught in the rocks. All endeavours to move it were found to be in vain and much fear was entertained that the strain upon the ropes might break them, and occasion the poor fellow's loss. Various suggestions were now volunteered, and several attempts were made to reach him. One man went out in a boat as far as he dared to ventnre, and asked him if he would fasteu a rope round his body and trust to being drawn in by that. The poor fellow, however, shook his head despondingly, as though he felt he had not strength enough remaining to make himself secure to aiope. At length a boat was got ready— a lifeboat, which had ariived from Buffalo— and was launched. Seem-» the preparations, Avery unloosed his fastenings', with the intention of being ready to spring into the boat. Borne on by the rushing waters, and amid the breathless suspense of the spectators, the boat approached the raft. A thrill ran through the crowd —the boat lived in the angry wavea— it struck the raft— a shout of joy rang forth from the shores, for it was believed that he was saved— when, suddenly the hope that had been raised was again destroyed' —a moment's confusion followed the collision and in the next the victim was seen in the midst of the waters, separated from his frail support, and struggling for life. For a minute or two the poor fellow striking out boldly, swam strongly towards the island, and the cry echoed from shore to shore that he would yet be saved. But soon the fact became certain that he receded from the shore— his strength was evidently failing. Gradually he was borne back into the fiercest Dart of the current— slowly at first then more rapidly. Swiftly and more swiftly he approached the brink of the fatal precipice the waters had him at last their undisputed victim, and madly they whirled him on to death, as though, enraged at his persevering efforts to escape" their fury. A sickening feeling came over the spectators when, just on the brink of the precipice, the doomed man sprang up from the waters,— clear from their surface,— raising himself upright as a statue, with his arms flung wildly aloft, and with a piercing shriek that rang loudly above the mocking roar of the cataract, fell back again into the foaming waves and was hurled over the brow of the fatal precipice !"

The New York correspondent of the Times says — Our fhiancial world looks gloomy ; the stringency in the money-market is very severe. Our importations is unprecedented!}' large. American securities are dull in London ; and, as we have nothing else to pay with now, your merchants must stop their exportations, or take these securities. We have not seen the worst of this crisis. Yesterday stocks went down alarmingly, and respectable house's were paying 4 per cent, a-month for large sums. The next steamer is likely to carry no very cheering news to Europe from our financial world.'

How a Coat was identified.— At the Justice Court, in New Orleans, a case was some short time since decided in a most novel way. A coat was in dispute, and the evidence was direct and positive for both claimants; both parties were Irish, and ' full of gift,' ready to spend all they had rather than 1 give up beat.' The affair had been airt- fully examined, and the court was ' in a quaud.iry,* not knowing who had the best claim to the garment. However, a moment before his honour was to sum up tho evidence, Patrick Power, one of the claimants, made the following proposition for settling the affair. ' Timothy Maguire,' said Patrick, ' now ye say that coat belongs to yerself intirely ; I say it is me own. Now, mind ye, Timothy, the both iv us will take the coat an' look it all over ; the man that finds his name on it shall be the owner. Will ye stick to that bargain ?' asked Patrick. * To be sure,' said Timothy, to whom the coat was given, and who vainly searched every part of it for his name, and then passed it over to Patrick, boastingly saying, ' And now let us see if ye can be findin' the likes iv yer own name upon the garment.' 1 Yell stick to the garment,' said Patrick, eagerly grasping the coat. ' Upon the honour iv a man,' was Timothy's reply. ' Then howld on a bit,' said Patrick, as he drew his knife and opened a corner in the collar, and taking therefrom two very small peas, he exclaimed, as he held them out in his hand, ' There, dye see that ?' ' Yes ; but what iv that ?' said Timothy. 1 A mighty dale it has to do wid it ; it is my name to be sure— pea for Patrick, and pea for Power, be jabers !' So Patrick got the coat— he did.