The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-05-26
OVER NIAGARA FALLS.

OVER NIAGARA FALLS.
How a Boy Solved the Problem that
has been Fatal to Experts.
NV. o. StOddard in Harper's Young People.l
The boat in which Rob Norris decided to
make his trip over Niagara Falls was built
like yawl. 1t was not so very sharp, but
was wide and deep and buoyant. 1t was
ever SO much better for the purpose than a
barrel or suit of blown up India rubber,
or than any kind of diving armor. He in
tended to use oars, and he rugged mast and
sails forward. for he meant to make the
trip some day when the wind should be
blowing strongly down the river. What
he most relied upon to steady the boat was
his drag-board. This was made of two
boards, each twelve feet long and one foot
wide, nailed together at the edges so that it
looked like four yards of wooden gutter.
He fitted two iron rings into the edge of one
board. They were six feet apart, and when
a rope was put through tn rings and fast.
ened to the stern Of the boat, 10 was plain
that the drag-board would drag tremen-
dously..
- Ou uOn seem TO take along any pr0VlS-
ions, do youP asked Jim Hooker:
"Of course not" said Rob. ats one Of
those things it don't take great while to
"And you won't need any lantern" said
Jim, unless you drift into the cave under
the falls after you get down. Do you s'pose
you will?"
that. All want is to go over steady, and
come down right side up. It's too misty
The river runs right along, and the boat'n go
out with the river"
"I'd take lantern if was going" said
Jim. Everybody ought to have candle or
something when they're going into strange
place."
Rob thought about it, and concluded that,
after all, he had better have some lunch put
up, but there wouldn't be any place around
the bottom Of the falls dry enough to scratch
a match en-, and so candle would be of no
use. 1t was better, too, to go barefOoted
than to wear rubbers, and tin dlpper was
worth more than sponge to bail the boat
with, If any water should come in:
OF course everybody knew that Rob was
going over the falls, and some people talked
against it, and said there was too much risk
in 1t. Rob himself thought there might be
some, and he expected to get wet but he had
a great deal Of confidence in his drag-bOat.
When the day came, and the trip was to be
made, all the boys were at the landing, just
as Rob expected. 1t was perfectly natural
that they should come, and that all of them
should feel disappointed because he would
not let them have seats with him In the boat;
but they ought not to have called him stingy,
nor to have said that he wanted to have his
ride, and the falls too, all to himself: What
he really was afraid of was that If one Of
them came along, especially Jim Hooker, he
might be all the while meddling with the
drag-board and disturbing the balance of the
boat, SO that We should not go over the falls
well.
A. 60 inc
Hooker said it would be: Everybody that
lived within 20 miles was there. Both banks
Of the river swarmed with them-men,
women and children. Rob counted IA Sum
Turnvereins' and Schutzenfest. and a free
labor labor procession, and an association
for the improvement of general information.
besides a militia regiment and some fire
companies. All along the bank of the river
people had built great wooden stair plat
forms, to let out seats at 10 cents each, and
they were all full, and Rob wished that
they had to divide the profits with him.
Considering that he was the boy that was
to 60 over the falls, 1t would have given him
no end of pocket money.
The moment Bob set the boat loose and
pulled out from shore, people began to cheer
and wave their handkerchiefs, and the mill
tia regiment fired a salute.
Bob threw over his drag-board, put up the
sail, and began to row hard right down
stream. The rapids carried the boat along
so swiftly that everybody cheered again.
At the same time the sail and the rowing
kept the boats going little faster than the
rapids, so that the drag away out he
hind, more than six feet from the stern of
the boat, had a fair chance to drag and to
keep things perfectly steady.
Rob had never before felt so proud in all
his life, for he knew he was beating all the
men that ever jumped over from anywhere
into anything. 1t would surely make him
famous forever, and every boy in the world
IS anxious to become great man. and have
all sorts Of things said about him, and have
his name in the papers.
The boat swan splendidly, and the wind
blew harder and harder, and the falls roared
louder as they came nearer; that Is, as Rob
and his experiment came nearer to them.
The crowds along the shore took deep
interest and cheered great deal, and sew
eral boys tried to see II they could throw
stones as far out as the boat was. Two Of
them succeeded, and the stones they threw
happen to hit Rob. He knew that all great
men have stones thrown at them and he
didn't mind it.
The falls roared louder, the wind blew
harder, the water ran swifter, the drag
board worked better and better, and Rob
was sure he saw a rainbow in the mist
ahead of him.
There's the edgep' he shouted. as he took
in his oars and turned around. II must be
looking ahead when | go over, or shan't
1t was the last chance for the boys on
shore, and some of them threw stones with
all their might, but they missed their aim,
and had nothing whatever to brag OF:
Now for iti' shouted Rob, as the beat
shot clean out from the edge of the falls
with the impetus she had gathered all the
way, and with the force of the wind upon
the SAIL
1t was just as he had expected. The
water kept hold of the drag board, and 1t
took the boat down nicely all the way, with
the face of the great falls about four feet
behind the stern. IL it had not been for the
drag-board, the boat would have either
tipped over or gone down end wise and
spilled Rob out As it was, she came down
into the water at the bottom steadily and
evenly, as buoyant as a cork, and shot away
down stream, Rob felt proudly than ever
for just one moment, while he thought of
how great man 1t would make him; but the
drag-board began to pull a little too strongly,
and there was so dark a fog he wished he
had followed Jim Hooker's advice and
brought a candle or lantern IL drew and
It drew, and it was pulling him under the
falls. The water began to come down right
on his face and into his mouth, and Just as
he was gasping and choking he heard Jim
Hooker exclaim:
well, Rob Norris, the bells Just rung to
let out school. Never knew you TO sleep so
hard before. Took a whole spongeful to
start your eyes open"
Guess twas the arithmetic did it," said
Rob. rubbing his eyes; 'but there must
have been quart OF water in that sponge"