New-York tribune., 1886-08-23
NIAGARA RAPIDS.
DARING FEAT OF WILLIAM J. KENDALL.
HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE NIAGARA RIVER wHfRL-
POOL WHILE SWIMMING 1T.

POOL WHILE SWIMMING 1T.
tBT TELEGRAPH TO The TRIBUNE.
NIAGARA FALLS, Aug. 22.-The heroes OF the
Niagara whirlpool who have gone through the
rapids with their heads In and out OF barrels had
their laurels wrested from them this afternoon oy
Boston police officer who through the Rapids pro-
tected by nothing but small cork life preserver Will
lam j. Kendall. q tall, well-buit muscular man
standing over feet inches In height came here from
Boston this morning and quietly told hacK'
man, named William Walker that he was 60
ing to swim the rapids on wager.
"Youre joking about It," said Walker.
"No. am not" responded Kendall, and don't
want any talk about It am Boston man and know
what am doing"
guess you must be crazy" said the hack
man but he arranged to drive Kendall down
to the Maid OF the Mist" landing. Soon
after they started together with Mr.. sault,
oil tho Western Hotel. It a little before O'clock
when the wharf was reached, and preparations were
made Tor the trip. Kendall quickly stripped OIL his
clothing. ana the hie-preserver was bucklcd
upon nim by Walker and sault. After taking
along drink of whiskey from a flask Kendall plunged
into the current ard carried by eddy back in
the direction OF the falls. lie swam toward The
Canada side and quickly into the fesa5r OF the
rapids. which took him down 70 the breakers
INSIDE OF hve minutes. Tta stalwart swimmer
padded easily into the h.g wave and rode 1t handly.
eouPIe oi nuhdI"1 people tho bridge cheerea
Aao hehdai. steered the second wave
~hich hnded him roughly. The rapids three-quar-
'o:s OF mile leng and the passage occupied only
three minutes. During that time Kendall
was tossed about nko plsything by
the surf. His arms thrown around and people on
the BANK said that the deal. Finally the last
breaker tossed him into the whirlpool Itself and there he
disappeared from view for couple OF minutes arising
near the centre. The swimmer lifted his arm up, and
the folks at tho Whirlpool PARK cheered him. This
i'm hfe
moment he began swimming slowly toward
the Canadian shore. He In the outer swim
~ suckhole and at first made little headway. From
the shore the chances OF life and death seemed about
equal. Kendall reached the rock at last and cung to 1t
desperately. He did have th enough left to
pull himself upon tho rock. Thomas Riley, hack
driver. and George Toby, New York Central Railroad
engineer down 20 the bank and pulled the swimmer
out lie had little vitality LETT AMI had to he carried up
to Frank 1awsons place whore hs gwen brandy and
rubbed by willing hands. crowd collected before the
hackman Walker drove down with Kendsfs clothes
They went to the Waverly House Suspension Bridge,
where the swimmer was put to bed lie became violently
seasick and Dr.. Hunter. who the trip,
was called No serious Injuries were found, but the
man is likely be laid up tomorrow.
This evening Kendall came over to the Western
Hotel. lie has wife and baby at
home. Mrs Kendall knew nothing about the trip until
her husband sent tel egram telling her about 1t. KEN
dali not now the regular police force but is work
ing for private detective agency. His account OF tho
trip IL as follows
|" | was OF rarty in Boston recently who were
talking about tho way tha fellows going through
the rapid. in barrels think made the remark that
good swimmer could through better with out barrel
than with and this disputed. Ono man, /
don't think IL necessary to give his name,
offered t, bet 500 ttat none OF us
could swim the Niagara rapids Al tue money / had
in the world was 81 900 and I s; i'd that would take
him up II he made It that sum. This
was agreed, and other bets amounting to from
$1,000 $4,000 made on the result OF tho trip
That's the uducement haa aud am not seeking fame
or Newspaper uoiorety. Will make about $4,000 out
Of the trip, expect"
when did you start r.
"It was about o'clock when l got ready on tho
"Msid OF tho Mist" landing. l had said little
about the matter, for l was afraid OF being
interfcred with, but when found was all right tod
the fellows with INC 10 let folks know about
IT. was swept in tho water bacK toward the
falls and had swim into the main current IL ala not
take over five minutes tho first breaker. did
not feel afraid, although was aware
what chances I was taking I rode tho hrst
all right but the second third one had shallow
crest OF foam which let sucked under IL was ten
seconds before came to the surface and during that
time tho breath nearly crushed out OF
me. / couldn't swim another stroke and was al the
mercy Of the rapids. turned several com
toward the American shore The waves ralned blows
down on my head until was half d.zei. | could do
nothing 10 help myself Near Butterby's elevator
was dashed along iu front OF some rocks. was SO
close and death seemed so certain thas i
II I had turned sOmerssult there my brains
would have been dashed out on tao rocks. when got
to tue 'aS Surface ''S Within ny feet OF For
to ,na rs S"aa ana 40 had S. 70
hang to the rock lay there In the water until was
pulled out" A. ,.,.
"whst are your plans for the future "a
81 am going home tomorrow night to boston. woun
not swim tho rapids again for all the money tnore -
the word" Cooper Graham LETT here This morning ior
Chicago where he will exhioit his barrel 'ho cou'hs
week.
A HORSE TO CROSS THE NIAGARA CHAsM.
HISTORY OF "BLONpIN"- HIS PERFORMANCES On
TIGHT-RurE.
BUFFALO, Aug. % (SpecidD. Adam FORE
paugh, jr, son of tho Snowman OF that name, Is pah
ming TO stretch tight-ropo across tho NIAGARA hNor
Yellow the falls and send trained horse, "B!ondin'
across the river chasm the rope. Thomas H. DAVIS
agent OF Forepaughs said to-day: IL Is TIME tns'
Bondn IL TO make the attempt We have bcon Keep
ing quiet. for desired nothing said until we louuo
out Just how could anchor the cable sufficiently
strong. Mr. FOrepaugh first though. OF II whep he
heard of the fellows passing through the whripooi IN
their barrels. The show ia in Peterboro. On and from
thsre he teegraphed me he had decided TO mako INC
attempt September 49, the day come out of CANADA
and exhibit show Suspension Bridge. He wants 10
see II BlondIn eau walk the rope. Tho idea ia 10
stretch inch steel cable acrossIthe river
either brink OF little below the Iais lhc
wire wrapped with cotton cord so tnaI
BioDdn's rubber snoes will stick To IT,
"Wnat kind Of a horse Ia Biondin T. ,
"Bondn 10 Morgan colt that Adam Forepaugn, ~,
bought West Chester Penu., three years ago no
four years OLD las, spring. He Is fourteen ana
half hands high. compactly built and weighs SUI
pounds. Mr. FOrepaugh began training hun at Philaue
ph la early last fail TO walk the rope At hst tue rope
was placed only feet from the ground, out
before the started out he could wax
22 noh rope 80 cet long and 20 feet from the grounu
gOeA back well for ward. and has never yrt
had a fall. III. fear whatever OF failing. anu
don't think there any doubt but what he Will go over
the Niagara on asm all right a sti day. lie wears
patent rubber shoe and very careful and surefOoted
Ii will bo biz expense, nut don't care about ths
for 1t wiz a blg card for show and stlll bigger
one for the Madison Square winter. II lie