River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-09-12
WITHOUT A SCRATCH.

steve Brodie Dons a Rubber Suit, Jumps
Into tn Niagara River and Is Carried
over tae Horseshoe FalI-His Friends
Take Him from the Water Unconscious,
but without Serious Hurt
NIAGARA FAILS, \. Y. Sept a-Steve
Brodie has accomplished the perilous feat
Of going over Niagara Falls in a rubber
suit Brodie and his party arrived at
Clifton Friday night There were Ernest
Jerold, John Ledger, John Mccarthy and
William +. Hsrding and several newspaper
correspondents. They put up at the
Waverly Hotel aud registered under fcti-
tious names in order 10 avoid suspicion.
Brodie's suit was placed 10 feet above
the Canadian falls Friday night. ready for
use Inflated rubber tubes. ropes, etc,
were alsu placed near the Maid of the Mist
landing. Brodie lef5 the hotel with the party
at m Saturday. 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 bat
ting, then put on a rubber suit. which was
/ inflated fifty two inches around the waist
and seventy five inches around the
chest, the head-gear being also inflated
while two steel bands protected his body.
AT $50 Brodie, with his paddle, entered
I the water. He caught the current, waved
his paddle to Jerold and Mccarthy, and
few seconds later was shot over the center
of the Horseshoe Falls, and, luckily. he was
shot with lightning rapidity over the out
side of one of the falling volumes of wa
ter and was quickly lost in the mist and
foam. He was buried from view for near
/ ly two minutes when a black speck COW
cred 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
rushing waters and carried at a brisk pace
1 toward the American shore. and then all OF
sudden he was hurried toward the Cana
dian shore. There 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. f. Harding held the other end on
shore. Ledger after several attempts,
reached Brodie, fastened the rope TO the
iron bands around his waist and then
swan ashore and assisted in pulling the
daring swimmer ashore.
On Brodie being lifted on the rocky
shore he was quickly stripped Brandy
was poured in small quantities on his
temple while he was rubbed and chafed.
but he was insensible and blood oozed
from his mouth, nose and ears probably
For twenty minutes Brodle lay until am
monia was applied to his nostrils and he
began to shiyer and gesticulate with his
hands He gradually recovered conscious
ness and il was then found that his injuries
were not serious.
In describing his experience Brodie says
that after he entered the river he weak
ened and would have given any thing in
the world he could have reached
terra-frma once moro. He attempted
to get ashore by using his paddle,
when 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 a
man that was to meet death. and pray d
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 in his rubber suit at the waters edge.
Chief McDougail, of the Ontario police,
arrested Brodie at the Grand Trunk station
in the afternoon as he was about to take the
1 p IN. train for New York He was
charged with attempting suicide by going
over the ldAls. DIOul6 was NJ bCAOLc
Police Magistrate Hill. who read the charge
made against him. In defense
Brodie said he did not attempt
to commit suicide by going over the
falls but to show the world that
the trip could be made. The police magis-
trate said he did not believe Brodie went
over the falls at all; that the whole thing
was gotten up to humbug people. and if he
did not go over the falls TO say so. and he
would discharge him; but if he persisted in
saying he went over the case against him
would 90 ON.
Brodle said: IF l tell you did not go
over will yoI let me go?'
Yes" said the magistrate.
well, then, said Brodis, II did not go
over. and | am of.
The magistrate said that was not enough
and wrote out an affidavit declaring that
Brodie did not go over the falls, and asked
him to sign it BrOdie refused saying h
was Catholic and could not perjure him
self Tue magistrate then went on with
the prosecution. Several witnesses were
called who corroborated The story they were
told by Brodie ana party. Magistrate
Hill summed up the evidence and
bound over the prisoner in $500. ON his own
recognizauce, to keep the laws of the Do
minion for one year. especially that relat-
ing u .,..6mpts TO go over the falls Brodie
signed the document and Immediately
made for the American side He seemed
very nervous and frightened throughout
the proceedings
NEW YORK, Sept 9-Steve Brodie re-
turned from Niagara Falls Sunday morn
ing. seemingly very indignant that some
people doubted his having gone over
the falls the day before He said
he had witnesses of uudOubted in
tegrity who would make affidavits to
the truth of the story, and he
furthermore said that the people about
the tails did not question his statement
that he had gone over. Although Brodia
was put under $500 bonds not To DO II
again within twelve months he asserts
with great vigor that he is going TO repeat
his perilous tlip within a few days to 81
lence the cries of the doubters He was
not at all injured by his alleged slide
rbrouorh the rughiuu Watars