Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-16
HE DEFIED NIAGARA
Walter Campbell Swims the
 Whirlpool Rapids.
aE WORE A LIFE-PREsERvER
\ Dog Accompanied the Swimmer and
 Game Out Alive.


 pIishsd the Greatest Feat on Record.
 but Gould Not Be Induced to Repeat
 the TYlp-steve Brodis Indulgos In An.
 other Jump ia ohio.
 NIAGARA FALLS. N. Y.. Sept i8.- William G. Campbell, despite the pre- dictions of all who knew anything about the whirlpool, yesterday after noon passed through and lives to tell the story.
 clinker boat, which was taken down the river some distance above the Maid of the Mist landing, and hidden behind g rock. Early yesterday morning. fear ing arrest. he went down the road to the landing and dressed in his suit of tights heavily padded with cotton, over which was strapped a cork Nfe-preserver. In the boat was cockerel spaniel encased ina life-preserver, which accompanied hiM in his perilous trip.
 newspaper was dropped from the Sus- pension Bridge as a signal for him to start; In an instant the boat showed out from shore with several people in 1t. A landing was made at the Maid of the
 Mist landing. and all but Campbell stepped ashore. Precisely at 8:98 o'clock Campbell pulled gi away from mt the caa;g landing. A00NAAk OOAA4OOAy AOA VAo S0A0AAoA shore. Standing up he drew in the oera, laying one in the boat and using the other as paddle to straighten the course of the boat, and passed under tho Cantilever and Suspension Bridge
 at 3:2s, forming picture never to be forgotten by those who witnessed 1t In breathless silence. As he struck the first rapids he dropped the paddle, crouched down in the boat and grasped The first pitcb was passed over, the
 boat going cut of sight for on instant. but when seen again Campbell was still hanging to the boat. Opposite the first elevator below the bridge Is another pitch, when the dog was thrown out and could be seen swimming ahead of the
 boat, which was still right side up but full of water, and Campbell still hang ing os. Opposite the Bulting Elevator the boat was thrown clear of the water, and Campbell was out of 1t struggling in the rushing watef.
 At 3:87 he was seen to enter the Whtrl- pool, but whether dead or alive those on shore could not toll. He was seen to float directly across toward the north shore and 1t was thought he would make landing.
 He came near enough for those on shore to see that he was alivo, but not close enough that help could be ron dered. Here he caught an upper cur rent and was carried back. For SOme time the water in the pool has been very low and large quantity of drift wood was floating around and into this Campbell was carried. It was danger ous place. for most of the drift was heavy sticks and he stood in great dan- ger of being killed, For Q moment he could be seen struggling for life. Then he extricated himself from the drift wood and struck out manfully for the shore, calling for help. He reached tho shore at the upper end of tho pool on ! the Canada side, unaided, at $40. Wining hands reached down to pull him out, his father being among them. With the exception of an apparently | severe nervous strain, Campbell seemed none the worse for his trip. and he was | able to walk to tho foot of tho incline. some little distance away.
 The dog was seen to chamber out on | the Canadian shore, while 8 remnant of | the boat could be seen floating around ! the center of the pool. bottom up.
 "Tell the people," said Campbell.
 |" that have accomplished the greatest | feat on record. l did not lose my head | only for an instant. and that was just as I entered the whirlpool: remember ! distinctly when left the boat" When ! asked n he would repeat the trip, Campbell replied: "No, sir. You could give me New York State and then | pile all the others on top, and l would | not go again. I am going home now y