Chapter 1
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"Okay everyone, stay calm!" Abby called. "I'm sure someone will be here to help us as soon as possible."
She turned quickly to her teacher's assistant, a young man who looked almost as frightened as the nineteen six-year-olds who made up her class. They were part of a large group of first-graders taking a tour on a sightseeing boat that traversed the Niagara River between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. With parents and children, there were nearly one hundred people on the boat called the Niagara Belle, and they were currently dead in the water.
Abby tried to smile reassuringly again. Things were not looking good.
Abby's class was from the Buffalo School. Things had been going extremely smooth on this late-spring sightseeing trip and the children had been having a great time, in addition to learning a lot about the history of the great river and the Erie Canal. In fact, things had been going so well Abby had finally relaxed. But that's what she got for letting her guard down. Now things were looking bleak. She could feel her throat tighten and her panic begin to rise.
The water of the Niagara that had looked calm and peaceful at the start of the tour now looked dark and dangerous. The wind had picked up and was whipping in off Lake Erie, bringing with it the cold bite of winter still lingering over western New York and lake waters that hadn't begun to warm for the summer. Worse, there was a large black cloud coming in from the west. It appeared to Abby as if it was being pushed by a rocket on a collision course with them.
Add to all this the danger of the river and the dead tour boat...her captain apparently suffering a heart attack. Abby sucked in a deep breath. Well, it wouldn't do to panic. She had to be strong and self-assured or her children would pick up on her fears.
"Okay, kids, everyone find your buddy and line up in a straight line behind Mr. Stella," she called. "Let's let the crew and Dr. Bailey do their work."
Dr. Bailey and one of the chaperones, who was a nurse, were working feverishly on the captain. The boat had an emergency medical kit and Abby knew that calls had already been made to 911. In fact, as she looked out over the bow, she could see a large white-and-red boat coming to them. She smiled again. Everything's going to be fine.
She wouldn't even think about the fact it seemed as if the Belle was drifting closer and closer to the large International Railroad Bridge that crossed the Niagara from Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood to Fort Erie, Ontario. What could happen? Just because the bridge had been built in 1870 and was still used today, surely a ninety-foot long cruise and tour boat built in the 1990s could handle ramming into the bridge supports. Right?
Abby closed her eyes as another wave of panic threatened to overcome her. She'd put that right out of her mind. That just left room for the thought of what would happen if a bridge meant to carry the weight of freight trains collapsed on top of their relatively modern boat.
"Look, Ms. Smithton. The Coast Guard is coming," one of the children cried.
Abby looked back out over the bow and could now make out the markings on the white boat. The child was right. It was the Coast Guard. And Abby could see there were other boats speeding to their rescue as well. Abby smiled, starting to really relax. "Yes, I see. I told you there was nothing to worry about. Now hurry up and find your buddy."
Abby refused to think about how they were going to get everyone off the Niagara Belle and onto the other boats. Well, maybe they'd just tow the Belle and her passengers back to shore. There probably wouldn't be any danger of anyone having to step over the water. At any rate, Abby knew the Coast Guard and all the other rescue teams were the experts. She'd let them handle it.
She wasn't afraid of water...she just didn't like the fact she couldn't see the bottom. She wouldn't think about what it would be like stepping across a chasm between two
----
"Okay everyone, stay calm!" Abby called. "I'm sure someone will be here to help us as soon as possible."
She turned quickly to her teacher's assistant, a young man who looked almost as frightened as the nineteen six-year-olds who made up her class. They were part of a large group of first-graders taking a tour on a sightseeing boat that traversed the Niagara River between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. With parents and children, there were nearly one hundred people on the boat called the Niagara Belle, and they were currently dead in the water.
Abby tried to smile reassuringly again. Things were not looking good.
Abby's class was from the Buffalo School. Things had been going extremely smooth on this late-spring sightseeing trip and the children had been having a great time, in addition to learning a lot about the history of the great river and the Erie Canal. In fact, things had been going so well Abby had finally relaxed. But that's what she got for letting her guard down. Now things were looking bleak. She could feel her throat tighten and her panic begin to rise.
The water of the Niagara that had looked calm and peaceful at the start of the tour now looked dark and dangerous. The wind had picked up and was whipping in off Lake Erie, bringing with it the cold bite of winter still lingering over western New York and lake waters that hadn't begun to warm for the summer. Worse, there was a large black cloud coming in from the west. It appeared to Abby as if it was being pushed by a rocket on a collision course with them.
Add to all this the danger of the river and the dead tour boat...her captain apparently suffering a heart attack. Abby sucked in a deep breath. Well, it wouldn't do to panic. She had to be strong and self-assured or her children would pick up on her fears.
"Okay, kids, everyone find your buddy and line up in a straight line behind Mr. Stella," she called. "Let's let the crew and Dr. Bailey do their work."
Dr. Bailey and one of the chaperones, who was a nurse, were working feverishly on the captain. The boat had an emergency medical kit and Abby knew that calls had already been made to 911. In fact, as she looked out over the bow, she could see a large white-and-red boat coming to them. She smiled again. Everything's going to be fine.
She wouldn't even think about the fact it seemed as if the Belle was drifting closer and closer to the large International Railroad Bridge that crossed the Niagara from Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood to Fort Erie, Ontario. What could happen? Just because the bridge had been built in 1870 and was still used today, surely a ninety-foot long cruise and tour boat built in the 1990s could handle ramming into the bridge supports. Right?
Abby closed her eyes as another wave of panic threatened to overcome her. She'd put that right out of her mind. That just left room for the thought of what would happen if a bridge meant to carry the weight of freight trains collapsed on top of their relatively modern boat.
"Look, Ms. Smithton. The Coast Guard is coming," one of the children cried.
Abby looked back out over the bow and could now make out the markings on the white boat. The child was right. It was the Coast Guard. And Abby could see there were other boats speeding to their rescue as well. Abby smiled, starting to really relax. "Yes, I see. I told you there was nothing to worry about. Now hurry up and find your buddy."
Abby refused to think about how they were going to get everyone off the Niagara Belle and onto the other boats. Well, maybe they'd just tow the Belle and her passengers back to shore. There probably wouldn't be any danger of anyone having to step over the water. At any rate, Abby knew the Coast Guard and all the other rescue teams were the experts. She'd let them handle it.
She wasn't afraid of water...she just didn't like the fact she couldn't see the bottom. She wouldn't think about what it would be like stepping across a chasm between two
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