The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-03
DROWNED.
ToOlhardy attempt of Capt. We66
to 4" Shoot" the Rapids at
Niagara Fails.
The Athlete Drawn Into the Dreaded
Whirlpool and Hurried Along
to Death.
Buffalo IN. W telegram


with three persons on board, ran the rapids
of the Niagara passed through the whirlpool
itself, and glided into the quiet water be-
You'd OF the three on board two survived
the trip, the only persons who ever went
through this fearful channel alive
On July % Capt Webb, without 9TH
er means of safety than nature
had provided him, attempted to swim
through the war Of waters but failed His
body has not yet been found For three
quarters of q mile below the Suspension
Bridge, runs the whirlpool, the
widest, most tumultuous and dangerous
portion of the river. The tremendous pow
er OF the current cannot be realized Webb
could not attempt to swim tit was simply
a question of endurance, whether he could
live in the tumultuous waves He was
rushed onward with resistless force, and
persisted in his mad attempts No effort was
made to advertise the undertaking beyond
sending circulars to the newspapers Not a
dozen people in the Falls knew that the eff
fort 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 re alize the i'm
mensity of the undertaking, and so deliber-
ately commi, ted suicide.
Capt Webb arrived in 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 re-
porter last night, he said he would surely
make the attempt Nothing but desire
for notoriety moved him. Last June he
proposed to swim the rapids, and tried to
get the railroads and hotels to make IL an
object They refused but the papers kept
talking about 1t, so he determined to make
4 h<A tal 1szl IL
his English manager, Mr. Kyle. Capt Webb
did not leave for the falls until noon. Ar
rAed at Niagara he proceeded at
once to the Clifton House, where several
reporters and others were In waiting. He
chatted pleasantly and expressed great con-
fidence in his powers. The hour fixed was
o'clock, and about 3 the crowd babe him
good by and fastened to secure good posi-
lions for viewing the foolhardy experiment.
At no point could a view OF the whole length
OF the rapids be had
Alta few minutes before o'clock Webb ap-
peared at the foot of the bank on the Cana
dian side where n skif 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 a small breech clout Conway pulled as
far down as the Maid of the Mist landing,
but did not dare to proceed further All
right" said the Captain, "this will do us
Il don't expect ever to see you again."
said Conway.
@Oyes you will" was the pleasant reply.
You don't know me. am an Englishman
After few more words Capt Webb stood
up in the bow OF the boat and Owed head
first into the water. Then began the great
struggle for life. 1t was just 40 when the
Captain entered the water. few vigorous
strokes and he was fairly in the rapids,
going breast on, his form a mere speck, as.
seen from the great blutf above He went
like an arrow shot from a bow The first
great wave he struck he went under, but in
q second appeared way beyond His efforts
to strike out in swimming form were weaker
than an infants against the seething waters
occasionally, but he always seemed
ready TO meet them. His great che Z was
boldly pushed forward, and occasionally
half of the magnificent physique of the
reckless adventurer was lifted from the
water, but he bravely kept his position
through it all and seemed perfectly col
lected and at home. In a second more the,
voyager was lost to view behind Jroject-
ing 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
uninterrupted waves 1t was seen TO enter
the whirlpool. The life of the Captain was
gone. and not even his body has yet been
found The maestrom sometimes gives up
its dead in day, sometimes il holds them
in it's embrace a week. until all semblance of
human being is crushed out in the revolv-
ing waters Capt Webb looked upon it as
pleasant undertaking. Those who saw him
start looked upon it as certain death