New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-20
DEATH In THE WHIRLPOOL.
SCOTT PERIsHING IN HIS CORK SUIT.
GRAHAM swrMs THE RAPIDS WITH HIS nEADoUr or
BARkEL-wHAr HE SAW AND FELT.
(DY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrguye

bhhHrL~WhAT HE SAW AND FELT.
(DY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
NIAGARA FALLS, Aug 19.-Although Cooper
Graham Was able to go through tho whirlpool rapids
this afternoon head exposed another man psr.
ished in the waters James d. Scott an nsh.
OF lewiston was the victim. Scott has long tried
lose his life in the Niagara and started At the Webb
inquest when he said that he proposed follow webba
example. Chief OF Police Madgan Suspension Bridge.
to arrest him and no left town. When the
dummy Maid- d-ofthe. Mist sent through on tho day
the State reservation opened Scott xious
to make the trip through the rapids that he had to bs
pulled of the play steamer BY force He was thoroughly
familiar with the dangerous waters and was acrobat
who had frequently walked tight rope across the
gorge. He came bore yesterday and wore q cork life
preserver under his clothes
"rm going to beat Graham" he said to Chief Madi-
land don't you forget IT, will swim the rapids
with nothing on but this ifs prsserver"
GO along" said Madgan, " or wilt run you In"
Scott repeated his boasts and that they werc not die
Coroner Corne knows for he is holding an inquest on
HE body. Thers several different accounts abous
how Scott tried to swim the rapids His clothes wers
found on Thompson's fats, the head or
tho whirlpool, and there several witnesses
who saw him jump in, swim boldly to ths
rapids and disappear. rho body is not much marked
ana from the Indications 1t woud appear tho forcs
OF the waters pressed the breath out Of the Scott
was not of much account and his wife. who sqiaw,
is serving three months sentence In the Erie County
Pentensiary for disorderly conduct.
Cooper Grahap's trip attracted nearly 10000 people
to the Falls and all tho railroads extra excursion
trains Graham had invited TUE TRIBUNE spondcne
to help him through boat taken from the Iat-
of-the-Mist landing TO the point whsre the barrel
submerged, several huodred yards further up
the stream. Graham stripped and jumped in The blr-
ness was so arranged that his head proute1 above the
top Of the barrel piece OF nailed aad
80 fastened that the occupant could not duck his ae"d
At o'clock the boat pulled ont and cast the barrel off,
Five minutes later, at 4l0. tho hr5t breaker was
reached and Graham's head was submerged. Hs
carried on to the next aud tossed aboas
In manner that secusd likely to break his neck OBJ
at the promOnt0ry at the bend In the wlirl-
pool rapids said hc deal. The barrel was shot
into the whirlpool in three and half minutes. Tne
cask took the swell. When baf way round.
Graham Shouted:
"Get me ashore, you fellows"
Persons the shore began prep ra.ons 20 pull the
barrel in. IL had nearly reached the head Of the Dev'f
Rapids when the rope was thrown tEat caught
the cask. Graham was more dead thin
alive when pulled out but he exhibited no evidences
of fright 1t With difficulty that no walked 70 Tho
stairs, whcuce he driven TO his house. There hs
was rubbed down. His body covered with brul'ss
and he had gotten the excitomeat when hes ga7o
tins narrative OF the trip:
"Ibave crossed the Atlantic Ocean ei ;hteen times
and belle we'd there cond be such waves as ex
pcrlenccl IN tnOSo r1puS touiy. luc ia>b tihe
I could not SEQ them, bat this trip | saw
and felt them both. for they pounded ny head preIsy
hard. The SUI hot, but it nothing compared
with the blows the water strdck feel rs II my hesd
had beon through u redhot boat with salyan. was
all right until the first elevator was reached. There the
up it seemedorty feet on TO the swell aud
dropped clear under the water was In maze OK
foam and the sponge had In my mouth was knocked
ou. 1 don't boeve I would make the trip
again for $1,000, and any way all 1 can 10
now is to swim through. Captain Webb could not do
and cannot"
"Dd You have any trouble with the rocksF
"It seemed as II the barrel humping over rocks
half the time, my head dashed within two feet
Of one once II could have pulled my head In would
1t was than dropping of tho bridg."
".Iow ild you feel WHOM you got throughl"
az had no breath left, AMI was haf-idzcd Icout
hardly get ont Of tho barrel did not bclevs the
whirlpool was so bad as IL really Is There is basin IN
the centre. and the pla,e where struck was tho
outside OF the suchoe. could not nave saved myses
IL had carried in but fortunately got on the
QUEER circle There hundreds of sticks OF timber In
tho whirlpool IL seemed If the trip lasted an hour.
although only In the rapid aud whirlpool quarter
OF that time. No SWIM there alive and in
pretty risky with = barrel