Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-08-17
I'D SWIM THERE MYSELF!"
Captain Webb,s Widow Views the
Place Where Her Husband Met His
Death
Boston Journal.

DOSlOu JOuIHdL
Poor Matt" He must have struck
a rock while taking the overland
stroke in the second rapid"
The widow of the late Captain Webb
was standing upon the bank overlook
ing the whirlpool within whose seeth-
ing waters her husband was last seen
alive. She had gone to Niagara Falls
to get the body which was cast up by
the water last Saturday, and before
leaving had gone to look at the scene
of the Captains fatal swim. Accom-
panied by Mr.. Kyle she went to the
point where he entered the boat, and
followed the river along the banks.
She made a critical examination of the
rapids and exclaimed: We'll. There, 5
nothing there to bother Matt. \
little further along Mr. Kyle pointed
out the place where Mr.. Webb was
last seen alive. What said she,
do you call that the whirlpool: Why
I'd 90 in swimming there myself. >
Such was her opinion of the noted
death trap into which SO many have
gone only to come out dead. Her de-
cision was not hastily formed, but was
reached only after close scrutiny of
the whlrling eddies and dashing spray.
Neither was it the result of ignorance
or foolish conjecture, for Mrs. Webb
is an expert swimmer and knows
thoroughly how to maintain herself
in the water. Her husband had said
that he could successfully swim
through the rapids unless some unfore-
seen accident occurred. He met his
death, but the condition of the body
showed that he had struck the rocks.
Mrs Webb relied implicitly on his
good judgement, by him, arrived at
the same conclusion that it could be
done.
This was the first time Mrs Webb
had seen Niagara, and she said that to
her its violence seemed greatly cNag-
gerated She had expected to see
something terrible, but was not very
much impressed with its grandeur
Leaving the river she went to the
tomb wherein her husbands body lay
She was strongly advised not to go in,
but insisted on seeing him once more.
Up to this time she had shown wonder
full fortituda. She was very calm
while gazing at the face of the dead
husband, but when she reached the
carriage and realized more fully her
loss she broke down.
The body has been buried at the
Falls, where it will remain until cool
weather. 1t will then be brought to
Hull. The friends of captain Webb
in tins city propose to erect shaft of
granite, representing a broken column
over his grave.
Ii has been disputed question as to
whether or not Captain Webb was
alive when last seen III the whirlpool
Many claim that he was already dead,
and that the motion of the arm was
caused solely by the force of the water
The lady who saw him last sets at
rest all dispute on this fact. She says
that the Captain was alive, and that
she distinctly saw hin raise his hand
to his face and wipe the spray there
from before diving into the next
wave The theory now is that Cap
tain Webb got through the whirlpool
all right and when seen was clearing
his eyes so that he might better get
his bearings; that he then dove into
the water, and. swimming beneath
the surface for long distance, struck
out for the lower rapids, and while
under the water received his death
blow. Captain Webb could hold h.s
breath for long time and was fully
capable of doing this