The Monmouth inquirer., 1889-09-05

drag. Inside some canvas straps had been
arranged to support Graham. These had not
been deemed necessary in his trip through
the whirlpool and DEVILS maelstrom, but
this time Graham felt he could not do with
out them
Constable Hern, of Niagara Falls, and
Constable Staley, of La Sale, towed the bar
rel out and set it adrift below the mouth OF
the Chippewa river
Into the Barrel.
Graham got into the barrel through the
manhole and crouched down in the bottom,
fastening himself with three canvas straps.
Meanwhile the other men busted themselves
towing the barrel out into the river Gra-
ham had previously given his gold watch
and $40 in money to Hern with an injunction
to give it to his family if he failed to come
out alive.
Constable Staley threw the iron drag into
the river and the barrel boat started on its
Journey. The extra irons had been carefully
fastened, the manhole cover had been bat
tened with tarpaulin and Graham was Sc
curely fastened.
Just twenty-five minutes after Graham had
been cast adrift people on Table rock, who
had watched an hour or more and were just
ready to 60 away, saw the barrel coming
swiftly down about 200 feet from the Cana
dian shore and well away from the inner
horse SHOE
Over the Falls.
The barrel swept down over the falls in the
water and did not shoot out as was expected.
This saved the shock of nearly 200 feet of a
fall. The time was just 7:10. The increased
crowd around the banks watched anxiously
for the temperance of the barrel
In just one and one-half minutes it came
bobbing up in the foam, circled around in
the swirl and went into the bass rock eddy,
only few hundred feet from the foot of the
falls. Along the banks on both sides friends
of the intrepid navigator waited to rescue
him. Almer Jones and Michael Cahill finally
lassoed the boat and took it ashore. Graham
was more dead than alive. He was so limp
that people thought his neck was broken.
The rescuers finally revived him. He was
badly bruised, and will not get over his trip
for some time
A correspondent found him in bed last
night.
Graham's Story of the Trip.
II was determined to make the trip this
morning." said Graham, because l was sat
isfied that / could do it safely. notified all
the people could trust and went ahead.
II went down to the combing or reef where
the Horseshoe rapids start SO quickly that
was hardly prepared The fall there must
be fifteen or twenty feet.
Tossed About Like a Feather.
'sThe first thing l knew / seemed to be
going into deep abyss. Then / got crack
on the head such as policeman would give
drunk Then didn't know much was
tossed about like feather. | couldn't get
much air and did not dare change my posi-
tion. had braced myself with the aid Of
the straps, SO was sure I would not strike
my head again.
ssWhat were your sensations when yor
went over the fallsg"
His Sensations.
81 cannot tell just when l did go over the
fall" replied Graham. '"The awful shaking
up got stupefied me. I felt happy. felt
like man who has passed in the painless
portion of death by drowning. There was
sense of danger mixed with pleasure which
then seemed more pleasant than feel now
after accomplishing this feat
'There were many shocks on the trip
It none so great as the first one, and
the mere act of going over the falls did
not make itself particularly felt.
was not entirely oblivious, but ! felt help
less and voiceless.
ssIt was simply awful, yet l felt con
tented resignation that cannot now under
stand.
He Couldn't Speak.
'sThe first time knew that was really
over Niagara Falls was when the barrel went
into the bass rock eddy. I was in an almost
insensible condition. They raped on tht
barrel and shouted to me. could hear then
talk to me and tried to answer, but couldn't
| Finally they broke open the barrel. didn'
faint, but don't know what happened for a
while