Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-09-08
OVER NIAGARA.
STEVE BRODIE'S DARING FEAT.
The Bridge Jumper Breaks All Records,
and
DISTANCES ALL COMPETITORS.
BE is Arrested Because Hs Did Not Kill
Himself.

NIAGARA, FALLS, N. Y, September T..
Steve Brodie accomplished the perilous
feat of going over Niagara Falls in a rub
Der suit. Brodie and his party arrived at
Clifton last night. There were Ernest
JerOld, John Ledger, John Mccarthy, and
VIM. F. Harding, and several newspaper
correspondents. They put up at the
Waverly Hotel, and registered under fcti-
tious names in order to avoid suspicion.
Brodie's suit was placed 200 yards 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
q. m. John Mccarthy and Ernest Jerold
and Brodie went to point 200 feet above
the falls. He then stripped and had his
body padded with cotton batting, then put
on a rubber suit which was inflated to so
inches around the waist aud 75 inches
around the chest, the headgesr being also
inflated, while two steel bands protected
his body.
FLOATING TO THE EDGE.
At $50 Brodie with his paddle, entered
the water. He caught the current, waved
his paddle to Jerold and Mccarthy and q
few seconds later was shot over the centre
of the Horseshoe Falls, and luckily he was
shot with lightning rapiditY over the out
side of one of the falling volumes of water
and was quickly lost in the mist and foam.
He was buried from view for nearly two
minutes, when a black speck, covered with
a thick white coating, was seen bobbing
and jumping to and fro in the boiling
cauldron of rushing gurgling waters. In a
short time BrOdie was caught in the rush
ing waters and carried at brisk pace TO-
ward the American shore, and then all of
a sudden he YVES hurried toward the Cana
dian shore, where John Ledger had ropes
ready to drag him from the water.
RESCUED INsENsIBLE.
Ledger was stripped and swan out 200
rect with rope fastened to his waist,
while W. E Harding held the other end
on shore. Ledger, after several attempts,
reached Brodie, fastened the rope to the
iron band round his waist and then swan
ashore and assisted in pulling the daring
swimmer ashore.
On Brodie being lifted on the rocky
shore be was quickly stripped. Brandy
was poured in small quantities on his tenn
pies while he was rubbed and chsfed, but
he was insensible and blood oozed from
his mouth, nose and ears, probably from
the shock or cOncussion.
HIS INJURIE4SoT SERIOUS.
For 90 minutes Brodie lay until am
monia was applied TO his nostrils and he
began to shiver and gesticulate with his
hands. He gradually recovered conscious
ness and it was then found that his injur-
les were not serious. He expects to be
able to 90 to New York tomorrow.
In describing his exi erience Brodie says
that after he entered the river, he weak
ened and would have given anything in
the world if he could have reached terra
frma once more. He attempted to get
ashore by using his paddles when the swift
current swept him back and turned his
feet toward the brink of the cataract.
FRIGHTENED OUT OF HIS SENSES.
When he saw that it WAS impossible to
get out he felt the same as 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
remained 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 and knew
no more until he found himself lying on
his rubber suit at the waters edge There
is no doubt that BrOdie successfully went
over the Falls.