Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-07-20
IN NIAGARA'S RAPIDS.
FooIhardy Attempt to Make a Pas
sage in an Open Boat

sage in an Open Boat
The first crank of the Niagara rapids and
whirlpool to meet the death that such fool
hardy feats invite is Robert William Flack,
of Syracuse who was killed few days ago
while attempting TO make the passage in an
open boat Five years ago Captain Webb
came to Niagara Falls, looked over the rapids
and whirlpool, and declared they were not
such an ugly piece of water, and announced
his intention of swimming them His sad
fate and the recovery Of his bruised and
bloated body will be readily recalled:
cranks turned their attention to
the rapids. Carlisle D. Graham, Buffalo
cooper, constructed a barrel in which he sue
cessfully made the trip after dummy boat
had been sent through. Potts and Hazlitt, two
Buffalonians of the same calling, then made
a trip in a barrel of their own contrlvance.
Policeman Kendall of Boston next swan the
Graham went through with his head out OF
his barrel Potts and Hazlitts sister Sadie
next made tour. All lived to tell the story,
and all exhibited themselves in museums.
Last fall William A. Percy, of Suspension
Bridge, constructed lifebOat, which he
tested by going through the rapids Flack
spent last winter in building a boat which he
called the Phantom, and which he designed
for life saving purposes. de Wlsned 10 give
it test equaling Percey's, and in doing SO
he met his death. His boat was ID feet long
nearly feet wide, and "a inches deep. The
outside was Of p inch white pine, lined with
white oak = inch thick. There were no air
cham ers but between the pine and oak were
cushions of an unknown material lighter and
more buoyant than cork. About one-thlrd
of the boat was decked over. Power was
furnished by a propeller wheel, operated by
hand, in the centre of the boat. The crafts
entire weight was 700 pounds. On the keel
of white oak was an iron shoe, which pro
iected at each end.
IL hOT-Y in RriS
nine wears ago. He came to America six
teen years ago, lived at Toronto twelve years.
and at Syracuse four years. There he leaves
a widow and five children.
Flack came to Niagara Falls with his boat
with the intention of racing through the
rapids and whirlpool with Percy, having &C
copied the latter's wager OF sou on the re-
sult of such contest. The trip which cost
his life was undertaken to test the boat and
to give him the same familiarity with the
currents that PERCY possessed. his was the
first open boat tried in the Rapids; the pre-
ceding crafts have been either barrels or lie
boats closed at the top.
Flack took his place in the boat and was
buckied fast to the stern seat by brOao
strap around the waist, leaving MS hanas
free to handle the rudder and propeller, two
perfectly useless articles in that torrent OF
rushing water which he was soon to enter.
1t was just 3 P. NJ. when the boat was
started, and a moment later 1T was seen hOat'
ing down the middle of the stream under the
Cantilever. Some three hundred feet further
down the boat encountered the first pig wave
of the Rapids. The Phantom capsized, but
Immediately righted again. Just off But
lery's where the big rock juts out - feet, on
which Capt Webb's head split on his
memorable trip, and where the pillows rise
mountains high, the Phantom was lost IN
the foam Flack could be plainly seen inside
the boat, trying to use his steering gear: AT
1908 o'clock the third and last somersault was
made Just above the Deveaux College
grounds, and when the craft came up, only
his heel visible. She Hoated into the
whirlpool at 3: 05 o'clock.
Watching the fate of the daring navigator
from Deveaux College grounds was Percey,
the rival navigator; William Stephenson, OF
Woodstock Ontario and his wife. who is
Flack's sister, and Willie Flack, the eldest
son of the dead man, bright boy OF IA
years, who lives with the Stephensons. AS
the boat f1Oated past a cry went up from the
| crowd. Every one turned to his nelghbor
and asked: rs the man underneath the
boat?" The fatal strap held HIM close. Anx-
ious eyes watched its course into the whi III
| pool where it sluggishly drifted to the
! Canadian shore and made the circle not Tar
! from the margin of the maelstrom, still bot.
/ tom side up The sight of a log or a piece OF
/ driftwOOd frequently aroused the cry:
! There he isIn until keener eyes and glasses
! proved the mistake.
PERCY now offered to enter the whirlpool
! and make an attempt to rescue the boat, not
/ in any hope that Flack could be reSuscltated,
| for it was now - minutes since he was sub
| merged, but rather to recover the remains
To do this it was necessary to reach the
! Canadian shore, and this consumed about 70
minutes and the boat had now made Its third
circuit of the pool. 1t was swept across to
the opposite shore. On its return to within
| 100 feet Of the Canadian shore Percy and
two others swan out to it, and in just an
hour after it entered the whirlpool 1t was
pushed to land When the boat was over
turned, Flack was found buckled to the seat,
his face black, and his body pounded to the
condition of beef steak. Undertaken Nc,
Arthur. of Syracuse, was on hand, for he had
loaned Flack $50 to pay his expenses to
Niagara Falls, and had come on to see how
the navigator succeeded. He took charge OF
the remains which were forwarded to syria