The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-07-10
ANOTHER FOOL GONE.
Flack Loses His Life in Niagara's
Whirl.


BUFFALO, Now York, July 4.-LSpecial. l.
Another crank tried the Niagara rapids today
in an open boat, and he is dead. The adyen-
turer was Robert w. FlacA a Syracuse carpen-
ter. He left widow and five children. His
boat was the Phantom of his OWE construc-
ton. He induced Undertaken John Near
thur, of Syracuse, to loan him $50 to bring the
boat here, and to accompany him. Hi
brother and sister-inlaw, Mr.. and Mrs. Will
liam Stephenson. of Woodstock, Ont, were
also present, as was Master Willie, aged four
teen years, who had lived with them since his
childhood.
Flock made his appearance at 2:15 O'Clock.
He was dressed in a blue flannel sleeveless
suit, and wore white handkerchief about his
neck, which, he said had been sent him by
Mrs. Smith, of Oneida, the wife of a dentist,
who wanted it returnedto her as a relic. He had
PINT BOTTLE OF LIQUOR
in his pocket and acted as if he had taken a
few nips to brace himself.
II shall make a stop of twenty minutes at
the Whirlpool" said he $50 as to allow the
reporters to get there. had rather give 1000
than to make the stop; but [ will then get in
and make the trip through faster flats, where no
river navigator has ever been. L hope l will
turn over twenty somersaults, so that no one
will ever dare to make the trip after me.
have perfect confidence in the boat and L
think
HAVE PLUCK ENOUGH
for anything myself"
He entered his boat at o'clock and THE
CONSTITUTION correspondent entered car
riage and drove rapidly to the Deveraux col
lege grounds which command view of the
rapids and whirlpool.
AT 3 :02 he was seen tossing in first rapids at
Woodford's new elevation near the Cantilever
bridge. His boat took the middle of the river
and he could be seen working his steering ap-
pa P@ra0s tbre lie t %ent out hn of sight two
safely until after the Manning's elevator was
reached. At Buttery's elevator he was seen
whirling and entered the first plunge with the
stern of his boat ahead. There is big rock
standing out Is feet and he struck it when his
boat was in the trough. Over he went and
took plunge Of twenty feet into the air, at
the same time. His boat never righted and it
plunged and
SHOT FROM ROCK TO ROCK
in way that left but little doubt in the minds
OF the spectators but what he was a dead man.
His sister, brother-in-law and son ran about
on the bank, $50 feet above, Wringing their
hands.
At 80 he struck the whirlpool, but took
course which held his craft instead of allowing
it to shoot into the Devils Rapids below.
AZ 1903, two boys went into the whirlpool,
but were unable to make any resistance to the
current and could not bring the boat in. The
boat, still bottom up, sailed around four times,
and at 10, Charles a. Percy, who last Sep
TENDER shot the rapids in his boat, swan out
and towed it ashore. Fully one hundred men
nau CllinpeU down TO the waters edge ana
they turned the boat over. FlaciS's body was
still strapped to the seat and his face was blue,
showing that
HE HAD BEEN DROWNED.
A rope wound about the steering wheel tod
the story. He had been unable to
right the boat and the wheels
had been clogged. The body was
taken up to Suspension Bridge, and will be
shipped to Syracuse tonight if the Canadian
coroner does not object Fack left widow
and five children. lie had been in the Eng
lish army and had visited India and Egypt.
He was sailor, and made a living as a car
penter. He was born in Bristol England,
thirty-nine years ago. He camo to America
when he was twenty-three years old, and for
twelve years lived at Toronto.