The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-01
r..creat Swimmer Drowned In
niagara Whirlpool.


RrrFA1o July IS 1888 -Captai,
NJ new Webb. he famous English
.pr, made the or a'est attempt q
-: life at Niagara to day and failed.
II alan was TO swim through the terri
- hir % "n about two miles below the
..urthiny that has never beer
an peueraliy regarded as impossi
-, Visitors at Niagara are familiar
vIh @. great whuip Ioi which Is hardly
-. wonder than the cataract. IT.
now. i irresistible, and there is no In
~. m record Of any living being go
ing through II IN safety. me rapid
iaa5iny to the whirlpool proper are also
If tremendous force. dashlng up several
90, and when once in the fatal circular
mSol bodies of drowned persons have
tn known TO remain there for weeks
- wing all the time with great rapidity
Eotwt ~hStanding the almost certainly ia
,aI nature OF the attempt, Captain ebb
r~"s,Iyei to make it. and visited Niagara
s1ma weeks AFRO 10 look at the situation
a an 3. however, had any faith that he
w,oII carry out his promise. He did
mt aiyertise it extensively aud apparent
/, ARE nothing to make a grand exhibi-
tor.
DETERMINED To MAKE THE TRIAL.
lie arrived in Buffalo from New York
with ms manager last evening and re-
NAMED till this morning. when he took
the last train for the Falls, determined
+, carry out his plan. and went to the
Clifton House, on the Canada side. His
manager tried to persuade him not to at
tempt the fearful undertaking, but Webb
had made up his mind and said he would
fake he entire responsibility. He seem
81 ia realize the danger, aud befor,
starting made his will, leaving all his
property to his wife, who, with his two
Children is ia England. So little faith
was placed in his promise to make the
attempt that scarcely any credit was
,,iyen the announcement and less than
two hundred people assembled or the
hanks Many people at the Falls knew
nothing about it. He took dinner at the
hotel aud then spent some time In trying
60 get a boat
ON THE wHIRLING RIVER.
Al halt-past three p. ~, perfectly cool
and confident. attired ia a blue shirt and
tirht clothes, he went do Sn To the ferry
ON the Canada side alone, except Me
GLOW. who was the emily one who
cared to take the risk of rowing
him down to the point where
he wished to jump. He started
down stream, and on the way McCloy
asked him how much he had made by
giving swimming exhibitions. lie re-
plied about S25, 900.
How much nave you left - asked
oarsman.
About SIS. 900, wa. the answer.
,.'Fhop Won b.d battar LET me- mill Won
ashore and go On a $751; 900 spree rather
than Try to go through that You can
not do that. 1t is sure DEATH
But Webbw was determined and laughed
ia a reckless way. He took off his
clothes aud McCloy said he would never
need them again. lie told the boatman
to meet him with the clothes AID blank
els at The Swiss Glen, below the whlri
J. ,ol. As he wished t. go to Boston to-
m0uOg.
''GooDBY!"
Ha IN made all preparations. he said
'Gouin,' aud plunged into the riveI
al a paint "a il lie above where they ar
lu.lI: = the nes Canada Southern
Brldse As soon as Webb went, Nc
Gov, who dared go no further, turned
aud pulled to the Maid of the Mist land
lug Webb plunged into the water al
thirty Two minutes past four, New York
time. lie came up Instantly and swan
Viii a bold, vigorous stroke, apparently
with ease, till he struck the first rapids,
soinc uuier the old railway suspension
b.Iu-r. Then he was carried along by
the { aren't with tremendous velocity,
but >ull seemed to hold his own.
IN n REslsTLEss CURRENT.
The spectacle at this time Was verl
thrilling. lie shot along like an arrow,
with mo whirlpool straight before him
4, he went through the rapids he dove
each tue aud reappeared as strong a:
ever. lis intention was to go through
ca the Cauada side, but the current wa:
too strong tor nun. In thirteen minute
9 -e4cheI what Is known as the Chan
Lei. or place where the waters shoo
l4shr aud lett To those on the blidg
lie va i mere speck.
Suddenly he threw up mis- right arm
and dlsaEp,ared aud that was the las
seen ~ the great English swimmer. ii
Was ulGtupted Y sucked down into tn
frIgh,rul vortex and met au instant death
Il wa thought that he was Injured i
some mauuer while diving, as be SCENE
exhausted and unable to make niue
much progress. His manager and th
reporters were hopeful that he would ge
through. aud drove down the Canad
side ~ tie Whirlpool Park, but coui
ind 10 trace OF him. He never al
,earr aud has body is probably still |
the Whirlpool, if not torn to pieces III
search Was kept up till dark IN van an
,xrpt led L., Queenstown.