New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-19
FABLES AND FACTS OF NIAGARA.

A LETTER FROM GEORGE w. HOLLEY.
MISS PoRTER's FAMOUS REMARK A MYTH-CAPTAIN
wEBBs WILD FoLLY-THE WHIRLPOOL RAPIDS.
To the Edttor OF The Tribune.
SIR: There are some Misrepresentation that
seem to possess vitality that defes contradiction or
suppression One of these has just been revved-nno-
Gently, doubt notify correspondent who states tnat
Miss Elizabeth Porter in reply TO tho question put 70
her by Epgishman to whether she had ever seen
Niagara Falls. said Il them. my lord" The late
Miss Elizabeth Porter only daughter OF the late Cen
eral Peter B. Porter spent than three years az
three different times In Europe Egypt and Palestine
This first started in this country by some
entcrprsng correspondent OF an American Newspaper
during her second years visit in England and on tine
Continent 1t had foundation in fact and all who
know Miss Porter well-educated gentle, gcuia most
magnetic woman, will understand how impossible 1t
that she should have made any such vulgar boast to
an English lord or any one else.
While the subject of Niagara permit me few
words relation the recent attempt of Captain Webb
to swim thewhirlpool rapids Several prominent news
papers have expressed the opinion that he was JUSTIFIED
In relying upon his own judgment, after examining
these rapids his ability swim them; that he was
competent than else to judge OF the proba-
bties ofsuccess and that residing In the vicinity
could aid him in making his decision. The tenor of these
comments more less amplihed IL to create the Inn
preston that Captain webbs act was Of brave
II not heroic, character. With all duo defer-
encs to these opinions, I beg leave to dissent
from them entirely. After claiming that he had made
critical examin alton" OF "the rapids with the eye
only, It would while walking down the shore OF
the river-Captan Webb reported in The New- York
Herald In answer to the question, "But what hyour
object in attempting such terrible feat" said: "Ten
thousand dollars"
TERRoRs OF THE WHIRLPOOL.
Thus &c seems that Captain Webb must be denied the
courage even of the vulgar suicide the sordd hope OF
gain beng the impeng motive to his foolhardiness IL
no had had any knowledge OF engineering OF bydrody
namics he could easily have convinced himself that
swift destruction would DO the fate OF any per-
con who, as @ swimmer should enter the whirlpool
rapids Or II he had consulted any Of the old residents
OF the neghborhood with desire to learn tho truth OF
the natter would have reached the same conclusion
There parity between the waves OF the ocean and
the movement Of 10 broken rapid or torrent
rushing through crooked rock studded Jagged channel
In the however powerful it an undulatory
motion in one direction In the other II Is reactonary
eddyiug twisting crushing force operating In all dre,-
tons To say the velocity OF the current through
the whirlpool rapids Is forty or fifty miles an hour con-
veys adequate idea Of the resistess force OF the
water II may be tho average rate at which the whole
body moves but there JETS veins and assures that
acquire almost the velocity Of cannonbal In The Her
aid report referred Captain Webb. explaining
his plan" says: when the water gets very bad
will 20 under the surface aud remain beneath until am
| mreiIed to como up for breath. When strike
the whirlpool will strike out with all my strength and
try 20 keep away from the suchole In the centre. will
begin with the breast stroke aud then overland strokes
To those who thoroughly know the Whirlpool rapids
and the whirlpool this the veriest agon OF diocy
The moment Cap Webb reached those rapids he was
as helpless as would have boon II mounted a cask
OF dynamite harnessed tandem to couple OF thunder
| bolts In repeated instances men and animals have
entered rapids alive but left them except
Robinson and his companions, who went through In
the Maid OF the Mist Largo oak and pine logs fifty feet
In length from RATS broken up by storms on Lake Erie
and dred the falls are tossed aud twrled through
| them ike straws. and reaching the Whirlpool are
| drawn down endwise, submerged for eight min
utes then elected the way above the surface. to
which they fall again and resume the monoonous round
Of great eddy And they go through this routine Tor
| weeks before they escape IRON It. Swimming the
troubled Of the English Channel or daying with
the breakers upon New. England ocean beach was no
adequate preparation for the passage Of this channel
CAPTAIN Webb should have mastered Atlantic under
| tow before undertaking Niagara The proposition TO
swim the itself would be at once characterized
by strangers the extreme OF folly. Yet this is more
practicable scheme than that of Captain Webb Indeed,
| its praoticabllty has been demonstrated In three
instances dogs have thrown into the rapids above
the falls from the bridge TO Goat Island and, after
going over the precpce have reached the shore below
| uninured
| CRANkS AND DELOSlONS
But many wild ideas born OF the great cataract
some wears ago an enterprisng individual, ambitious Of
and greedy GAIN proposed to the writer to take
stock In peculiar craft 70 run between Niagara Fails
and lewiston making daily trips through the Whirlpool
Being at leisure the writer asked for information with
this result namely The prepayment had contrved some
| machinery which to be put In the bottom OF the
boat and be operated by current to counteract
H. and the greater velocity current the greater
would be the propelling power OF this machinery But
10 make assurance douby steam engine was to De
nut I'm and auxiliary force The writer tried
20 indicate fitting terms his appreciation OF this mag
ntcent and unique enterprise. aud also ventured 10
the opinion the boat had made ITS first
sucoessful trip it would be crowded every day with
who would come from all parts OF the world
to make this wonderful voyage. But no oarsd an OBJ
lection which would deter him from taking any OF the
sck namey That II through carelessness or noompe-
tency the part of the engineer In mansgng tn ms
extraordinary combination OF machinery ~ sn t ee
might be carried up the falls ana then Sa DC U a0
use ne tn .%sb catSstroph se''
Il may be well, in conclusion, to correct some popua,
errors about the falls. The water In the cnasm JUST
below there not 400 feet deep but 1ss feet In the
part ascerained by the United states ropo
ssp San f SarGy atty S willie
pool itself it probably is not more more, than 10
Captain Webb called it, not in the Of the peel
but upper end and nearest Z, the Canada &
sS a Ss N rapids
swept into the outer curve toward tpo &
and thus escaped the most powerIui vccn ~
passing to the right of The suggestion recently MADE
IN New York paper that he wss helped through .ne
rapds by men on the shore carrying line 49, OF course,
| preposterous monkey could as readily guide witn
sne 100 pound shell fred from rn me-. nanh a.
Nayer but once far men know, was TINS reacn OF
water subdued tho ice gorge OF 1866 the zee va
set back 10 the upper end Of the WHIRLPOOL over whes
vas twenty feet deep The Whirlpool rapid was suDGueu
nearly 10 an unhroken current and all below 10 LAKE
Ontario was reduced TO gentle now OF quiet waters
was there submer Of the great forces o.
nature Tho frost laid It's hand upon the torrent ana
was still" oa, "hon"h W. "o4@"i'
Niagara Falls. Aug. IL. 1888.
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