The Indianapolis journal., 1883-07-26
DEAD In THE WHIRLPOOL.
Captain Webb Drowned in the Rapids
of the Niagara River.
His Death the Result of Foolhardy At
tempt to Traverse the whirlpool
Below the Falls.
Bunalo SpeciaI, 24th.

In 1861 the little steamer Maid OF the Mist,
with three persons on board, ran the rapids
of the Niagara passed through the whirl-
pool itself, and glided into the quiet water
beyond. OF the three on board two survived
the trip, the only persons who ever went
through this fearful channel alive To-day
Captain Webb, without other means of safe
ty than nature had provided him, attempted
to swim through the war of waters and failed.
His body has not yet been found For three
quarters of a mile below the suspension
bridge runs the whirlpool, the widest, most
tumultuous, and dangerous portion of the
river, The tremendous power of the current
cannot be realized. Webb could not attempt
to swim tit was simply question of en-
durance, whether he could live in the tumul-
tuous waves. He was rushed onward
with resistless force and perished in
his mad attempt. No effort was made to ad-
vertise the undertaking beyond sending cir
culars to the newspapers. Not a dozen peo-
pie at the falls knew this morning that the
effort was to be made. There was no adver
tising dodge about it. The great swimmer
was confident that he could make the trip in
safety He carefully looked over the ground,
but he had failed to realize the immensity OF
the undertaking, and so deliberately COM
mitted suicide.
| Captain Webb arrived at Buffalo last night,
and stopped at the Genesee. His coming was
unheralded, and the fact of his being here
was known to but few. Seen by a reporter
late last night, he said he would surely make
the attempt. Nothing but a desire for noto-
riety moved him. Last June he proposed to
swim the rapids, and tried to get the rail-
roads and hotels to make it
an object. They refused, but
the papers kept talking about it, so he
determined to make the trial. No one ac-
companied him save his English manager
Mr.. Kyle. Captain Webb did not leave for
the falls until noon.. Arrived at Niagara he
proceeded at once to the Clifton House,
where several reporters and others were in
waiting. He chatted pleasantly, and ex-
pressed great confidence in his powers. The
hour fixed was 4 o'clock, and about 3 the
crowd bade HIM good-by and hastened to Sc
| cure good positions for viewing the foolhardy
experiment AT no point could view of
the whole length of the rapids be had.
| AT few minutes before o'clock Webb
|
adian side, where skiff was in waiting with
the veteran guide, Jack Conway, at the oars,
He entered the boat and was pulled into the
stream. The Captain was entirely nude save
| for small breech-clout. Conway pulled as
far down as the Maid of the Mist landing
but did not dare proceed further. "All
right" said the Captain, "this will do u.s."
Il don't expect ever to see you again."
said Conway.
10, yes YOU WILL" was the pleasant reply.
You don't know me. 1 am an English
man."
After few more words Captain Webb
stood up in the bow of the boat and dived
| head first into the water. Then began the
great struggle for life. 1t was Just 4:20 when
| the Captain entered the water. A few Wig
| orous strokes and he was fairly in the rapids,
going breast on, his form mere speck as
seen from the great bluff above. He went
like an arrow shot from a bow. The first
great wave he struck he went under, but in
| second appeared way beyond. His efforts to
| strike out in a swimming form were weaker
| than an infants against the seething waters.
The correspondent stood on the bluff just
| below the curve of the rapids as the Captain
came down the river, the fierce turbulence of
which seemed striving to dash his life out
The great waves seethed over him OCCASION
| ally, but he always seemed ready to meet
| them. His great chest was boldly pushed
| forward, and occasionally half of the mag
uluCenl pnlSlQue Oh IHe reCkleSS auVenIurer
was lifted from the water, but he bravely
kept his position through it all and seemed
| perfectly collected and at home. In second
| more the voyager was lost to view behind
projecting bank. So the mad journey
| went on safely through the upper rapids.
He passed then through the lower ones
There the waves dash higher, the water is
confined in narrower space, and the trip is
in every way more perilous. How far he
went alive no one will ever know. He was
seen by many while passing through this
| awful sea, but ere then he may have been
dead. His body was borne onward, now
rising above, now sinking beneath, the white
capped waves 1t was seen to enter the
whirlpool. The life of the Captain was gone
and not even his body has yet been found.
When the correspondent reached Queens
| town after rapid drive the people laughed
at the idea that the attempt had been made
and laughed at the three or four newspaper
men who organized search. This was con-
tinued until dark, but no trace OF Captain
Webb's body was found. The maelstrom
sometimes gives up its dead in day, some
| times it holds them in its embrace a week
until all semblance of human being is
crushed out in the revolving waters Cap
tain Webb looked upon it as a pleasant un-
dertaking. Those who saw him start looked
upon it as certain death. A dozen ladies
were among those who saw the Captains
body disappear and they aided all the even
ing In searching the banks tor some trace OF
it. Captain Webb's family is understood to
be at Nantucket Beach.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER
Captain Webb was born in Strafshire, Eng
land, and was about forty years of age. He
had been seafaring man all his life. He
was a man of rugged physique, but, though a
good swimmer, his exploits the noise of
which have gone round the world, were not
even dreamed of in his earlier days, nor until
April, 1873 During that year, while he was
serving on the Cunard steamship Russia, a
shipmate, who was somewhere in the rigging,
lost his hold and fell overheard. Quick as