ALEXANDRIA BAY — A fall foliage tour on the St. Lawrence River turned a bit harrowing for the 102 passengers aboard a cruise boat Saturday afternoon.

An engine fire on the Alexandria Belle forced the passengers' evacuation onto two Canadian tour boats in Canadian waters off Rockport, Ontario, just after 4 p.m.

"It was an adventure," said passenger Ann Harmon, Waterbury, Conn.

The triple-decker boat operated by Uncle Sam's Boat Tours was nearly two hours into its 21/4-hour cruise when passengers began to see smoke.

"We were up on the top deck, and all of the sudden there was smoke and you could smell smoke," Mrs. Harmon said. "The crew told us to move to the front of the boat and said, "As a precaution, we'd like you to put your life preservers on."

Chris VanAlstyne, Syracuse, said he didn't wait to be told to get a life preserver. As soon as he saw smoke, he grabbed one for himself and his wife, Karen.

"Smoke was just pouring out. It was filling up inside and outside," he said. "She was scared to death."

Mr. VanAlstyne said he had been trying for years to convince his wife to take a river cruise and finally succeeded Saturday, the couple's 21st wedding anniversary.

"They handled it well, but it was pretty scary. I don't swim," Mrs. VanAlstyne said.

Russ Davie, Southbury, Conn., said the experience was "almost comical" as the boat's hostess had earlier advised passengers on the use of life preservers, but assured them "they hadn't been needed in 80 years."

"It was pretty amazing. The minute the smoke started coming out, there were two tour boats coming out from Rockport. That had a calming effect, seeing those other boats coming out," he said.

He said the Canadian boats docked next to the Alexandria Belle, which was stopped outside the river's main channel, and passengers were transferred to the other boats in an orderly fashion. Passengers were then taken to Heart Island, home of Boldt Castle, where an Uncle Sam's boat picked them up and returned them to Alexandria Bay at almost precisely the same time the cruise was scheduled to end.

"There was wonderful cooperation between the two countries," Mrs. Harmon said. "Everyone handled it very well."

In addition to the Canadian tour boats, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene, with assistance from two fire boats from the Alexandria Bay Fire Department and one from the Wellesley Island Fire Department. No one was injured in the incident.

Coincidentally, the local fire departments had conducted a drill a little over a week ago in which they were asked to respond to a tour boat in distress.

"Our crew responded just as they were supposed to," said Charlotte H. Waterson, director of sales for Uncle Sam's. "They unloaded all of the passengers onto a safe vessel and brought them all back home. Everyone's safe and sound in Alexandria Bay, having dinner."

Uncle Sam's offered all passengers full refunds for the cruise.