Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-08
JUMPED HORSESHOE FALLS.
Steve Brodie Successfully Leaps the
Cataract of Niagara.

Cataract of Niagara.
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 Clifton last
night and put up at the Waverly hotel, where
they registered under fictitious names in or
der to avoid suspicion The party left the hotel
at o'clock this morning and went to point
200 feet above the falls. Brodie stripped and
had his body padded with cotton batting.
Then he put on a rubber suit which was in
fated ffty-two inches around the waist and
seventy-ive inches around the chest, the
head gear being also inflated, while two steel
bands protected his body
At $50 Brodie entered the water
with his paddle. He caught the
current, and few seconds later was
shot over the center of the Horseshoe
falls and was quickly lost to sight He was
buried from view for nearly two minutes,
when black specb. covered with thick,
white coating, was seen bobbing and jump
ing to and fro in the rushing water.
In a short time Brodie was caught and
carried by the current toward the American
Shore and then all of a sudden he was hur-
ried to the Canadian shore, where John L.
Edger swan out and dragged him in.
Brodie was lifted on the rocky shore and
quickly stripped. He was unconscious and
blood oozed from his mouth, nose and ears.
For twenty minutes he lay until ammonia
was applied to his nostrils, when he began
to shiver. He gradually recovered conscious
ness and it was then found that his injuries
were not serious. He expects to be able to
go to New York tomorrow.
In describing his experience, Brodie says
that after he entered the river he weakened
and would have given anything IN the world
if he could have reached land again. He at
tempted to get ashore by using his
paddle, but the swift current swept
him back and turned his feet
toward the brink of the cataract. When
| he saw that it was impossible to get out he
| felt the same as man who was to meet death
| and prayed for dear life. Just as he came
| to the brink of the falls he became uncon-
| scous through fright and remained so until
| he touched the water at the base Of the
| falls when he was temporarily brought to.
| Then he again lost consciousness aud knew
| no more until he found himself lying in his
rubber suit at the water's edge.
Chief McDougall, of the Ontario police
| force, arrested Brodie at Grand Trunk sta
tion this afternoon as he was about TO take
! the D. m. train for New York. He is
| charged with attempting to suicide by going
over the falls this morning.
Brode was brought before police magis-
trate this evening who read the charge made
against him. In defense. Brodie said he did
not attempt to commit suicide by goinglover
| the falls, but wanted to show the world the
| trip could be made. The police magistrate
said he did not believe Brodie went over the
falls at all; that the whole thing was a hum
bug. and if he didn't go over to say 30 and hi
would discharge him.
Brodie said in that case he would say he
did not 90 over but declined to make affida-
Wit TO that effect, saying he was Catholic
and couldn't perjure himself.
The magistrate then bound him over II
bonds of $500 to keep the laws OF the domin
ion for one year, and especially that relating
to attempts to go over the falls. Brodit
signed the document ON his own recognizanc,
and Immediately made for the American
| aida