The true northerner., 1886-07-22
SHOT NIAGARA'S RAPIr,S.
C. d. Graham, In a Barrel.Shaped
Vessel, Floats Through Mag
ara's Whirling Waters.
Uniniured He Is Released at Point
Five Miles Below the Start
ing Place.
buffalo dispatch.1

Very few of the thousands of persons
who visited Niagara Falls to-day had any
idea that another adventurous man would
attempt 10 swim the whirlpool rapids, in
which Captain Webb lost his life. For
some time past G. ID. Graham has been
making preparations for the attempt, but
few persons really believed that his courage
wouia hold out long enough for him 10
make it, Such, however, was not the case,
and at about four o'clock this afternoon
Graham started on his perilous voyage,
which he successfully accomplished.
Graham had told Mr.. Porter all about
his plans, and related that he would carry
them out at the time he did, but requested
that the time be not given In publishing the
article, for fear that the authorities would
prevent him in his purpose. Accordingly
very few were among the spectators. Gra-
ham kept the cask in which he intended TO
make his trip in saloon in this city.
About IL o'clock last night he loaded 1t
in q wagon, and, accompanied by several
friends, started for the falls. They ar
rived there about o'clock this morning,
and unloaded the cask at a point on
the American side of the river below
the falls and about 800 rods above the can
tilever bridge. A policeman arrested him
on suspicion of being Tonawanda horse
thief, but his Buffalo friends secured his
release on bail. When everything was
ready Graham got into the barrel and closed
the manhole at the top. At this point Of
the river the current is very slight.
A small boat towed the cask out into the
river to point where the current would
catch it, and where Graham waa started on
what might have turned out to be mis- trip
TO eternity. The towing process took only a
few minutes, and then the stream caught
the cask and started il toward the whirlpool.
At first il moved slowly down, then faster
and faster, until the mad current dashed il
on with its full force. The cask bounded
up and down over the great waves and
several times turned n complete somersault,
but the wider portion remained uppermost,
although it turned around like top. The
cask kept pretty we'll in the center of the
river until it reached the whirlpool, when
il struck strong side current and was car
ried swiftly through, reaching the waters
beyond in safety. From here the journey
was comparatively quiet. The cask was
picked up mt Lewiston, about five miles be-
low the starting point, and Graham crawled
out of the barrel with only slight bruise
on his arm. He remarked: when L struck
the eddes it was one continued round OF
jerks, but i am not hurt bit"
Graham is native of Philadelphia
thirty three years old, and cooper by
trade. He is a poor man, and did this
thing for glory.
The cask is Z feet long, SO inches in di-
amer at the widest portion, % inches at the
top, and Is inches at the bottom. 1t is
bound around with iron hoops which weigh
$50 pounds. The ballast which was at
tached to the cask to keep it in position.
weighs 240 pounds. Graham will probably
repeat the trip. He says he will yet go
over Horse Shoe Falls.