New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-27
C4PT1LY HERE'S Elite


calculation and in no sense of the word a sui
eide. lie knew that the passage of the Whirl-
pool at Niagara WAS the most dangerous feat he
had ever attempted, but there is every reason
to believe that he expected to accomplish it.
| His judgment was not Affected by the warnings
which ne received. lie had been called foolhardy
50 often that he had ceased to regard the gloomy
forebodings and earnest entreaties of his
! friends whenever fresh exploit was planned.
| lie had studied the course Of the angry river.
knew where the dangerous places were and the
precise point where a supreme physical effort
must be made and he felt confident that he
could go down the rapids aud skirt the outer
circle of the Whirlpool without being swallowed
up alive.
1t was problem with two factors-the force
of the river aud the force of the man. Con-
| corning the first, Captain Webb had tho evil
dence of his eyes, and neither the Oldest nnab-
liant nor the most experienced ferryman had
anything more. Concerning the second he had
| more accurate and positive knowledge and>n
more mature judgment than anybody else conld
have. He considered himself better qualified
than anybody at Niagara, Buffalo or Boston to
| decide whether or not it would be safe to make
the attempt. In his judgment the best swim
mer in the world could live ina current through
which so fragile craft as the little Maid of the
| Mist had passed in safety. The arrangements
: made for tclcgraphing to his wife, his cool de-
meanor and the absence of excitement or bra
vado in Lis manner, his Indifference to the pres
ence or absence Of spectators, tend to show
that he was confident of his ability to descend
the rapids and to keep out of the vortex of the
m ii 81.
had no idea that he was going to his death. He
underestimated the force of the current and
overestima ed his own powers of physical en-
durance. Those whom no consulted did not
believe that he could go through the Whirlpool.
He believed that he could do so, and nil things
considered, he WAS the best judge. But some
times there will he mscaculation on tho part
of the best judge.
IL Captain Webb expected to risk his life in the
Whirlpool and subsequently to make fortune
by repeating the exploit ut the expense of the
public, he was guilty of n mscaculltiOn Us
gross IA his estimate of the power of the awful
whirlpool or Of his own physical endurance
could have involved. 4 less favorable site tor
a remuneratve peep-show could scarcely be
found than the chasm of the Niagara below the
lower suspension bridge The high banks afford
10 coign OF vantage where an admission fee could
be charged, as was done when Blondin, with
balancing pole and wire, carried man on his
back across the river and performed his other
feats. The river bottom Is inaccessible save
mt one or two points where a large crowd could
not be accc ommodated. The bridge itself would
offer only "a remote view of such performance,
and it is doubtful whether the bold swimmer
q hal al ;,,h A; OF
secured any share of the gate money a second
tinIr Neither could he have made remuner-
alive arrangement with the railroad companies
for the repetition of his feat. The public pre-
JUDGE against such an exhibition would have
remained, even if he had succeeded in returning
alive.
AS it is, Captain Webb has found q grave in
the greedy Whirlpool. He has not so much as
solved the problem which set his mature judy
ment at fiance This is the grossest miscal-
culation of ALL The next strong swimmer who
wins reputation for physical endurance In
the water and resolute courage will not be de-
tered by Captain Webb's fate from repeating
the venture. He will say that Captain Webb
did not choose the best course, OF that he was
dashed against rock and rendered senseess
before reaching the point where the Mad of the
Mist was stored close to the Canadian side.
The present msadventure will be considered AN
accident and not as rrefutable evidence that
the passage of the Whirlpool is impracticable
and who knows but that the next man to at
tempt it may livei Success would have proved
too much failure proves nothing. This is the
most melancholy feature of tins painful acct
dent. Failure is us meaningless as success
would have been. If Captain Webb had been
successful, he would only have proved that the
next man who should attempt it would do az
much. He did not succeed, but the cause of