The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-30
SHAKEN UP IN wHIRLPooLs.
Carlos Graham Makes Daring Trip
Through the Niagara Falls.
From the PhiIadeIphia Pres

Through the Niagara Falls.
From the PHILADELPHIA Press.
NIAGARA FALLS, Aug. 25.-Carlos D.
Graham this afternoon successfully per-
formed the most daring feat which has yet
been attempted at Niagara, and the treach-
erous water made him go beyond his ex-
pectations in showing what can be done in
the gorge.
Graham's ambition has been to go over
Niagara, but to-day's adventure is Just as
dangerous, and a craft which will with
stand the racking it received over the rocks
under the tempestuous lower rapids GER
talnly should go over the falls all right
That Is what Graham will do next. The
barrel used in this afternoons trip was a
| new one, built of locust wood which came
from China and which was strong and
tough 1t was like the barrel which Ora
ham lost in the whirlpool two years ago.
but is smaller. 1t is A. feet tall, 90 inches
in diameter across the head and 10 at the
feet. The diameter bulge near the top i;
20 inches. The barrel weighs $50 pounds.
but the weight was increased fully 100
pounds by sand ballast and drag of a
piece of railroad iron. Besides this the
weight of the occupant would keep the bar
rel upright.
GRAHAM FEELS UNEASY.
The banks of the gorge were lined with
people, while the railroad bridge and eleva-
lions were crowded. There was some talk
OF arresting Graham under the act making
attempts at suicide felony, but nobody
took the initiative The barrel was secretly
taken from town last night and hidden near
the old Maid of the Mist landing, just
above the cantilever bridge, where its bright
red upper works were first seen in the
water shortly before the starting time.
While Graham's friends were busy with
preparations this morning he laid down for
nap. When he was awakened he said:
Il feel worse than those four murderers
down in New York did on the day they
woke up to be executed
Graham had good causes for fear. He had
arranged to go through without any ham,
mock or harness such as have been used
IN previous attempts. If it was not for
disappointing the people Graham would not
have made the trip. He was quite i'll be-
forehand ana had been unable TO eat any
thing stree yesterday. He refused to drink
some brandy offered him and slid down
through the manhole in the barrel Charles
Weidman, John Kepford aud John Weisen-
berger towed the cask to the center of the
river and sent it adrift at 4:40 o'clock. 1t
drifted slowly under the railroad bridges,
giving Graham chance to fasten the man
hole cover with an iron bar, and brace him
self for the danger ahead.
THE BARREL IN THE RAPIDS.
The suspense was no6 long, for in a few
moments the barrel was buried in the first
breaker of the whirlpool rapids. As the
gorge slightly narrows and the current
strikes the rocks it becomes a boiling,
seething mass. Spectators shuddered as
they saw the barrel overturned, spun like
top or buried under a huge wave
When quiet bit of water was reached
the barrel recovered its buoyancy and
dashed madly on into the whirlpool
The mile of rapids had been shot in 81
minutes, twenty-mile an hour gait. Ora
ham had time to open the manhole cover in
the whirlpool. His barrel rode quickly to
the center of the maelstrom and was carried
toward the Canada shore, passing by a crowd
of rescuers on the point. Constable Horn,
with a rope attached to his waist, stood on
rock ready to spring into the water to aid
the navigator, and William Devoe who has
backed Graham in previous attempts, was
there with a crowd to help him. A foun-
tain of foam overswept Horn, and Graham's
barrel passed down the river into the Devils
rapids, beyond reach.
IN THE DEvIL's RAPIDS.
"That settled him, -" remarked Horn. "He
wasn't well enough to go this far and Devils
rapids will kill him." The party drove
down to Lewiston in a carriage, but the
horses could go, and 10 was lost sight of
after it had been apparently under by the
maelstrom at Devils hole. These lower
rapids are faster madden and more rocky
than the ones above the whirlpool, and the
danger is greater than in the upper rapids,
through which eX-Policeman Kendall of
Boston swan in August, 1886, and in which
Capt. Webb lost his life.
Graham was found at Lewiston, where
he had been rescued more dead than alive
He was in the barrel only twenty-five min
utes altoget ler, and allowing for the time
he was i'll smooth water, he made the four
miles of angry waters in ten minutes, aver
aging twenty-five miles an hour.
GRAHAM TELLS HIS EXPERIENCE.
To a reporter Graham said:
This is the toughest experience that |
ever want to have. / fastened the manhole
cover so tightly that l was in pitch dark
ness and couldn't see the other side of the
barrel. | braced myself in crouching
position and waited for the battle with the
waters. heard train rumbhng over the
bridge. Then visions of home and nv
family were buried in the dai kness. | had
not told my wife in Buffalo when | came
down, that would make the attempt. She
had urged me not to. My little girl fol-
lowed me to the cars and said pathetically:
Come home soon won't you, papa? Just
then | struck the rapids and was nearly
thrown on my head, my arms and legs hav-
ing become cramped, but the barrel turned
right side up in minute. The blood which
had rushed to my head returned to the body,
and l took fresh brace, crouching as low
down as l could in the caskn