The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-06
A FooIhardv Feat at Niagara.

Especial to THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Dispatch.]
NIAGARA FALLS, July 5.-Samuel Smith.
the Lewiston, N. Y, boatman who was to
go through the whirlpool rapids in a row
boat with John L. Soules, of North Muske-
gon, Mich, funked and would not under
take the foolhardy feat. Soules, not to
disappoint the Large crowds that had con
gregated along the banks of both sides OF
the river and on the suspension bridge, was
announced to go through alone. The boat
which he had concealed up the river ano
intended to go as far as possible in, some
one mad cut from the moorings and let 20
through the rapids during the night. Not
daunted by this, he made a start to swim
the rapids with only his swimming suit on
consisting of wool shirt trunks and a cork
vest. At the sound of three shots from
rifle fired by Manager William Leary. OF
thesuspension bridge, Soules at 3:1S pm,
entered the water about seventy-five feet
on the falls side of the cantilever bridge,
on the Canadian side. At 40 he was seen
coming around the abutments of the CAN'T
lever bridge. The force of the volume of
water forcing itself through the gorge
causes an up current along the shore and is
known as the Canadian current" Soules
struggled hard against the breakers that
seemed to want TO wash him on the large
rocks that line the shore all the way down
the river. When he escaped from the
grasp of the current he treaded the water
all the way down to the railway suspension
bridge. He raised his hands once or twice
above his head, waving them to the spec
tators, who seemed TO be paralyzed at the
nerve of man who was tempting provi-
dence When the swift current caught
hold of Soules it swept him under the
bridge like a flash. Below the railway
suspension bridge there are two large
rocks. AT times one of these is covered
with water, when large breakers wash over
it, while the other towers above all break
ers. The current carried SouIes up against
the first rock and the spectators gave vent
to simultaneous yell OF horror, expecting
to see the swimmers brains dashed out
But luckily just as he came in contact with
the rock, large breaker caught him up
and he scarped over the obstruction. On
he went with the current until the second
rock was reached, when most of the spec
tators covered their faces that they would
not see the foolhardy man killed. But luck
favored him again. The current swung
him around to the side of the rock, and he
put out his hand and showed himself clear
of the rock. Then large breaker caused
him to turn a somersaUt, submerged him
for q few seconds and then kept him
stationary in the eddy. The spectators
yelled out ''He's killed" In few seconds
he was seen to swim out of the eddy and
he went past the Grand Trunk house some.
times submerged and sometimes swimming
When near the whirlpool rapids, near the in
cline railway, a large wave washed him into
an eddy near the shore, and with the as
sstance of several spectators he scrambled
out on the rocks. When he was brought
up On the steps leading to the inclined rail
way he was greatly exhausted. He had a
deep hole in his left knee near the knee-cap
and cut on his left foot. The first thing
he said when he got out of the water was
that his knee hurt him so much that he
| thought he would get ashore when the op-
portunity presented itself. He received his
| injuries when he was dashed against the
last rock His manager asked him how he
asked If he sLould continue his trip through
the whirlpool, as he did not wish
TO disappoint the spectators that
were stationed there watching for
him. Leary said: ''No, not with that Leg
which was bleeding prOfusely. After re
ceiving some stimulants Soules ATTEMPTED
to walk up the steps TO the incline railway
car but was unable to lean on his injured
| leg. He was assisted to a car and upou
reaching the top of the incline he Was
driven across to Leary's establishment al
suspension bridge 1t is fortunate 70,
Soules that he was washed ashore, for had
| he gone through to the whirlpool he surely
would have been killed. The place where
| he got out was about one hundred feet
above the spot where Webb IS supposed to
/ have been killed. Soules was never over
thirty feet from shore during his triu
| through the rapids. He says he will 20
| through again when his knee is all right