Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-07-05
FLACK'S FATAL FOLLY.
A LIVE MAN TRIES TO NAVIGATE THE
NIAGARA RAPIDS,

And Dead Man is Picked Up In the Whiri'
pooI-Great Expectations That Ended In
ETERNITY Miraculous Luck of nm uIiuoi.
A.r,,,u, sosto, Alderman in n De-.
'''''' III '"""
NIAGARA FALLS, N Y, July 5.-Robert
William Flack, of 60 Apple street, Syracuse,
N. Y, lost his life here yesterday afternoon
III All attempt TO go through the Niagara
rapids in his life boat, the Phantom. He
came here last Friday with his boat, and put
up at the New York Central house, on the
American hank of the river People did not
pay great deal OF attention To aIIn, as at.
tempts of this KIND have grown common
since Capt Webb lost his life, five years ago.
Yesterday, however, about 2o,hn people as
senhled from all over western Ne" YORK,
many of whom had come for holiday visit
to the falls. These strangers lined the bridges
ana PERCEPTIONS banks Of the river IN dense
tro"ds- Inc Loaf III "hlch RACK inde ms
desperate attempt was liiteen leet long,
four and three-quart erS wide in the
centre and thsty-four inches deeI
and pointed at both ends. The outside
was white Pine, half an inch thick, lined
with oak of the same thickness. All air
chambers We're discarded, hut between the
outside and the lining were cushions, which,
he said, We're lighter than cork, and which
gave the boat great buoyancy. He kept the
materials secret, saying that he wished to
have them patented one third of the boat
was decked over with half inch white pine.
The opening in the center was eight feet long
by yard wide. There were seats for five
persons and double cranks for prnpelling and
steering The craft weighed 700 pounds, and
Flack claimed she would right herself III any
sea. Ills object ia making the trip was 10
show this, and get his boat introduced by
the different governmental life saving serv
ices. He induced Undertaken John Me Arthur,
of Syracuse, 10 loan HIM Siu L. bring the
boat here
flhck made his appearance at ID O'Clock.
lie was dressed IN blue hannel sleeveless
suit and wore a white handkerchief about his
neck, which he said had been sent him hy
Mrs Smith, OF Oneida, the wife Of dentist,
"h" wanted 1t returned 10 her As a rehc lie
hhd pint bottle "i liquor III ms pocket, and
acted as IL he had taken a lew nipS To brace
himself 4 shall make stop OF twenty Nun
uteS at the hlrlpo"i' SAID he so as to al
give $3.50 'naii 10 i'ahe 'he stop hut viii
40 1t shah thel gel III ana make the TRIP
'ni'ush roster mats Where no river naVl-
cation n's ever '''eh. nope VIII turn over
twenty so'ilerSa"''N, ;" tiiat no one VIII ever
dhre l" make the "Trip after me have per
lect confidence In tue boat and ! think
have pluck enough FOR rnythIng myself.
lie entered his boat at " O'Clock. At two
minutes past he was seen tossing III the first
rapids nj ""oal'rd he" elevator, near the
cahtiieNef bridge Ills boat took the middle
"i tue river, ana Ne '"ull De seen working
MS steering apparatus lie went out OF sight
TWO or three times, but he rode safely until
AFTER MannlnE's elevator was reached At
butrery 5 elevator, where the three plunges
are located, he was whirlng, and entered the
first plunge with the stern Of his boat ahead
There IS bug rock standing out seventy five
leet' ana he struck u when ms boat WAS IN
Tue trough over Ne went ana TOOK plunge
oi twenty feet mo tue air at the same time