New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-16
THE MANAGEMENT OF CAPTAIN WEBB
A LETTER FROM RICHARD HENGIsT HORNE.
IT, III

LETTER FROM RICHARD HENGIsT HORNE
To the Edit0rOf The Tribune.
SIR: have waited till the public excitement
at the OF the sad end Of the greatest swimmer the
world has ever known subsidized before offering few
words on the want Of all practical precauton on the
part Of his "agent" manager" as he has been
called I'm America He may be excellent manager in
other matters but he should not NEEDLE with swimmers
was at Niagara in my YOUTH staying there during a
week or more. and well remember the grand waters,
above the Falls below the Falls, and under the Falls.
But it was very long ago. you will readily understand,
when mention that the great tragedian Edmund Kean
was there at the time He had refused TO put on
the dress offered by the guide, aud saw him emerge
from beneath the Falls like badrOwned rat laughing,
however at his own self.wilcd folly. That Captain
Webb was OF a self-wiIlcd and most determined char
acter has been only clearly; nevertho
less If ever the life OF brave aud skilful man wasI
will say cruelty, but suidly-thrown away, bs re-
cent loss In the vortex beyond the lower rapids OF
Niagara is painful example Of It,
His agent evidently did nothing whatever TO prevent
the rasn attempt 1--WE may suppose
and mere talk; which. with like Weob. any body
might have known woudbe like talking to gale o: wind
In order to stop 1t.
But what else could the agent, or manager. do
As lifelong swimmer, and the winner OF various gold
and silver medals and forth, feel that an entitled
10 offer "a few words whoa would submit to the con-
alteration OF great swimmers like Beckwith and Boyton
in fact TO all swimmers of skill and long experience. In
the first place. the manager should (wlthout captain
webb's knowledge have hadseyera egles constructed,
OF the same weight aud size ms the swimmer.
These should have been cast at long Intervals, into
the rapids near the whirlpool Webb being then called 10
witness each result How long eflgy was kept under
the water after being drawn down by the vortex wond
have noted. IL IL had reappeared, or only
after half more, that would have pretty well
settled the question. But not quite, as no human
powers, however inadequate. were present ii, how
any egy reappeared With Its head twisted round,
It's legs contortcd with mark OF blows or
cuts from submerged rocks, surely such unmstakabe
warnings would have caused the bodest 10 abandon
such an attempt
Nothing whatever done for him. powerfully
inflated swimming belt Ohe scorn OF swimmers all
Ordinary Occasions should, least have been offered
him, together with a wadded cap fastened round his
head aud face by classics II all these things torn
of in the vortex they could have done harm and
might have added something TO his chances When
swimming rough sea, where the surges c0ntinu
ally dashed into the ears and up the nostrs have
always found it advantageous TO stop the ncsrs and
the cara with fine cotton. But nothing was done for
Webb The agent aid not go into the little boat 10
the last him There stood the brave, naked man.
with nothing round him but little red grde, while his