Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-09-11
OVER THE HORSESHOE.
Steve Brodfe's Terrific Plunge at Mag
ara-He Shoots the Great Falls and
Comes Out Alive-The Swimmer I'm
protected Except by Frail Rubber
Suit.

NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y, Sept. 7.-Steve
Brodie accomplished the perilous feat
to-day of going over Niagara Falls in a
rubber suit.
Brodie and his party arrived at Cliff
ton last night. There were Ernest
Gerold, John Ledger, John Mccarthy
and William E. Harding and several
newspaper correspondents. They put
up at the Waverly Hotel and registered
under fictitious names in order to avoid
suspicion.
Brodie's suit was placed 200 feet
above the Canadian falls last night ready
for use. Inflated rubber tubes, ropes,
etc., were also placed near the Maid of
the Mist landing. Brodie left the hotel
with the party at 4 A. NJ. John Nc
Carthy and Ernest Gerold and Brodie
went to a point 200 feet above the falls.
He then stripped and had his body pad
ded with cotton batting, then put on the
rubber suit, which was inflated fifty
two inches round the waist, seventy.
five inches round the chest, the head
gear being also inflated, while two steel
bands protected his body.
At $50 Brodie, with his paddle, en-
tered the water. He caught the cur
rent, waved his paddle to Gerold and
Mccarthy and few seconds later was
shot over the center of Horseshoe Falls.
Luckily he was shot with lightning
rapidity over the outside of one of the
falling volumes of water and was quick
ly lost in the mist and foam. He was
buried from view fer nearly two min
utes, when black speck, covered with
8 thick white coating, was seen bobbing
and jumping to and fro in the boiling
cauldron of rushing, gurgling waters.
In short time Brodie was caught in
the rushing waters and carried at q
brisk pace toward the American shore,
and then all Of sudden he was hurried
toward the Canadian shore where John
Ledger had ropes ready to drag him
from the water. Ledger was stripped
and swan out 200 feet with a rope
fastened to his waist while w. E. Hard
ing held the other end on shore. Led
GER after several attempts reached,
Brodie, fastened the rope to the iron
bands around his waist and then swan
ashore and assisted IN pulling the dar-
ing swimmer ashore.
On Brodie being lifted on the rocky
shore he was quickly stripped. Brandy
WIS pOuI0O III Su1d1I QUANTITIES. on MS
temples while he was rubbed and
chafed, but he was lnsensible and blood
oozed from his mouth, nose and ears,
probably from the shock or conclusion.
For twenty minutes Rrodie lay until
ammonia was applied to his nostrils and
he peean to shiver and gesticulate with
his hands. He gradually recovered con-
seriousness and it was then found that
his injuries were not serious. He ex-
poets to be able to go to New York to-
morrow.
In describing his experience Brodie
says that after he entered the river he
weakened, and would have given any,
thing in the world if he could have
reached terra frma once more. He at
tempted to get ashore by using his pad
dies, when the swift current swept him
back and turned his feet toward the
brink of the cataract. When he saw that
1t was impossible to get out he felt the
same as q man that Was to meet death
and prayed for dear life. Just as he
came to the brink of the falls he became
unconscious through fright and re-
NAMED SO until he struck the water,
churned into foam, at the base of the
falls, when he was temporarily brought
to by the force with which he struck the
water. Then he again lost consciousness
anC knew no more until he found HIM
self lying on his rubber suit at the
waters edge. There is no doubt that
Brodie successfully went over the falls.