Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-07-12
THROUGH THs NIAGARA RAPIDS IN A CASK.

|
Very :cw Of the thousands Of people who
visited Niagara Falls yesterday had any
| idea that another adventurous man would
attempt to swim tho whirlpool rapids, in
which Capt Webb lost his life. For some
time past G. d. Graham had been making
his preparations for The attempt. But few
people, if any, really believed that his cour
age would hold out long enough for him TO
make it. Such, however, was not tho case ;
and about O'Clock yesterday afternoon
Graham started on his porilous voyage,
| which he successfully accomplished. Gra-
ham had told United Press reporter all
about his plans, and stated that he would
| carry them out at the time he did, but re-
ouested that the time he not given in pub
| fishing the article, for fear that the authori-
ties would prevent him in his purpose.
Accordingly very few people were aware of
| the fact and the banks Of tho river, which
| would have contained several thousand
more people than watched Capt. Webb in
his suicidal attempt, contained but Il few
hundred, aud most of these were attracted
there only by the curiosity and anxiety with
which those who knew of Graham's inten-
tons were watching different points of the
intended to make his trip in saloon in Bul-
falo. About IL o'clock Saturday night lie
loaded it on wagon, and accompanied by
several friends started for the Falls. They
arrived there about o'clock yesterday
morning and unloaded the cask ut point
on the American side of the river, below IL Q
Falls ard about 800 rods above the Camille
yer Bridge. A policeman noticed him after
he had unloaded his barrel arranging mat
ters around his horse and wagon.
Graham looked somewhat anXiously
around at every approaching person, and,
being afraid Of arrest, his looks did not
add much to his good actions. The officer
took him for one of the Tonawanda horse
thieves and promptly arrested him on sus,
picion. His Buffalo friends, however. man.
aged 10 get him clear with the promise that
he would appear before the justice Of the
peace this morning at 10 o'clock. When
everything was in readiness Graham got in
to the barrel aud closed the manhoe ct the
top from within. At this point of the river
The current is very slight. A small boat
pulled the cask out into the river TO where
tho current could catch it, and then Gra-
ham was started on what might have been
his trip to eternity. It took but few mo-
mcnts, and then Tho stream caught the cask
Whirlpool Slowly at first it moved along,
then faster and faster, until the mad cur
rent dashed it on with its full force.
The cask bounded up and down over the
great waves and several times turned conf
plete somersaults, but more generally the
wider portion remained uppermost although
it twirlod around like top. The cask kept
pretty we'll in the centre of the river until
it reached the whirlpool, when it struck
strong side current and was carried swiftly
through. reaching the water beyond in
safety From here the journey was COM
paratively quiet. The cask floated on
towards Lewiston, right side up and all
danger was passed. It was picked up ut
Lewiston about i've miles below the starting
point, and Graham crawled out of the bar
rel unirjured, with the exception of slight
bruisc on one arm, which he received when
passing through tie whirlpool. He remark
ed, "When struck the eddies it was one
continual round of jerks, but am not hurt
bit"
C. D. Graham is a native of Philadelphia
thirty three years old and cooper by
trade. He is poor man and compelled to
work every day for his living. About two
months ago he camo to Buffalo, obtaining
work in cooper shop in that city. He has
travelled pretty extensively, and for q long
time had some scheme of this sort in his
brain. Being cooper, a barrel naturally
suggested itself to him as the best means
with which to swim the rapids. All his
possessions were put into the barrel, which
he constructed himself. The barrel was
made of inch and quarter oak slaves, wide
at the top and narrow at the bottom and
shaped like buoy. A sand ballast was so
| fixed as to keep the side of the barrel which
Graham faced uppermost. Graham hung,
or rather stood, in q sort of hammock made
like suit of clothes, and held on to two
iron handles fixed at the side. He could
live for at least half an hour without re-
quiring any fresh air, and BY the time the
air was exhausted he was beyond the whirl-
pool and could pull out the plug from the
little air hole, about three quarters OF an
inch in diameter, and get all the fresh air
he required. Graham did not make cent
by the operation; he received no pay and
bore all the expenses himself, being glad
for the privilege of being allowed to make
the great attempt