Niagara Falls 



1880 attempted to stem the rushing waters, but here their wonderful 

 swimming powers were of no avail. They were soon imprisoned 

 in the ice where their pitiful cries were heart-rending. 



The game laws of Ontario still permit the taking of geese and 

 swan in the spring until April 30th and it was not long before 

 men and boys, armed with guns and sticks, availed themselves of 

 the privilege and became the chief factors in the closing scene of 

 Nature's great tragedy ; — the sacrifice of the swans. 



The news of a " Great Slaughter of Wild Swan " appeared 

 in the Buffalo newspapers on March 1 7th and the writer started 

 for Niagara Falls forthwith to investigate the matter. As nearly 

 as could be ascertained from interviews with various participants 

 in the " slaughter " the number of swans taken on March 1 5th, 

 was one hundred and two. Not all of these were taken on the 

 ice bridge. A number were pulled out of Bass Rock eddy just 

 below the power house of the Ontario Power Company and 

 within 1 50 yards cf the Horseshoe Falls. 



On the morning of the 18th of March two more swan were 

 taken at the ice bridge and a third was picked up alive on the 

 shore at Bass Rock eddy. This latter bird I secured within a 

 half hour after it was found and the picture shows it still in the 

 arms of its captor. It was unable to stand on its feet or to use 

 its wings and was taken in that condition to Buffalo and placed 

 under the care of the curator of the Zoo in Delaware Park. It 

 quickly recovered from its bruises and shock and now (March 

 25th) may be seen floating gracefully on Park Lake. 



On March 22nd I went again to the Falls and saw five more 

 swans that had just been taken by LeBlond while six had been 

 picked up at Bass Rock eddy early that morning. Three others 

 were seen in the gorge but were able to mount into the air and 

 fly over the falls to the upper river. I went up the river to the 

 historic village of Chippewa hoping to find a remnant of this 

 swan brigade, but there was not one to be seen on the river below 

 Navy Island. A flock variously estimated to number 20 to 60 

 individuals had been seen by a number of people the day before. 



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