Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-14
NIssEN TO SOUND NIAGARA.
Chicago Adventurer Has a Scheme to
Plumb the River.


From the Chicago Chronicle.
Peter Nissen, the Chicagoan, who, under
the name of Bowser, recently shot the
whirlpool rapids below Niagara Falls. Is
going to attempt the same feat again in the
near future. This time Nissen is to make
the dangerous trip in the name of science.
for he will endeavor to ascertain facts in
regard to the river which up to the present
time have remained shrouded in mystery.
Some years ago government engineers en-
deavored to take soundings in Niagara at
the point where the Grand Trunk bridge
crosses the river. AS plum-bob they
used a 7OO-pound chunk Of lead, which they
threw from the bridge. The lead foated
off down stream like a pine single and
when it reached the length OF the cable to
which 1t was attached the latter snapped
like towstring from the force with which
the lead was carried by the water. That
experiment ended the efforts of government
officials. and all others as well. to ascer-
tain the depths Of the rapids. So today the
depths of both the upper and lower rapids.
as well as the whirlpool remain unknown.
At only one point between the falls and
Lewiston, five or six miles below, has a
sounding ever been successfully made. This
was some distance above the upper rapids
and just below the falls near the boat land
Ing. From that point on down to Lewiston
the distance from the surface of the river
to the bottom is unknown. Nissen proposes
to go to the bottom, 1t were, of this
mystery.
Near the middle Of September he is once
more going to hop into his non sinkable lit
tie 20-foot boat at point close to the mills
and just below the upper arch bridge"
about where he entered the water before,
and start in the direction Of the whirlpool.
The death-defying mariner will take with
him In his boat the paraphernalia for TAX
ing soundings, and as he shoots down the
rapids he will throw out his plumb bob at
Tn Of Wire Ind
do his best to measure the depth Of the
swirling river. Nissen says he is sure he
can get sounding 800 feet below the Grand
Trunk bridge but Is not so sure what he
can do with the turbulent torrent from
there down. If his boat shoots into the
whirlpool from the upper rapids then the
boatman will make strenuous efforts to
sound that treacherous body of water
However. If the boat fails to turn into the
whirlpool. but fes on down into the lower
rapids Nissen Will make virtue of ne
cessity and proceed to take soundings in
that part of the river.
81 first became possessed Of the idea Of
shooting the rapids as long ago as 1897. 1t
was when there was so much talk down
east about the proposed pan American ex-
position In Buffalo," said Nissen. About
that time / was down at Niagara Falls, and
while 1 was down at the rapids one day
the thought struck me that it might be
possible for people to ride down those tur-
bulent waters as safely as they ride down
the so-oalled chutes. I concluded that 1
would study the matter more thoroughly
than was possible just then. / went home
and waited until winter came. Then, when
l thought 1t was about time for the ice In
the river to break up I commenced daily
trips down to one Of the Chicago depots
to ask the conductor on a certain train
which passed Niagara each day If the ice
had yet begun coming down the stream.
At last after many. many trips, the con-
ductor told me that the ice had broken
and that II wanted to see 1t floating down
the river / would better hurry up. l took
the next train for the-falls and arrived in
good time. For a great many hours I
watched the cakes of ice as they came down
through the rapids and as they were thrown
about In the whirlpool. I studied the eddies
and the currents and their effect upon the
cakes Of Ice and the course they made the
latter take.
After ! had studied the flow of the ice
for long time l found that I had not yet
all OF the information which 1 needed.
learned that a few. months later an old
bridge would be replaced by a new and
more modern structure. and that the wood
en- parts Of the old bridge were to be thrown
into the water. That made me determine
to come back once more to the river to
watch the pieces Of timber when they got
into the rapids and the whirlpool / did
so. and / then acquired a great deal OF
important Information. which was of great
value to me in determining how / should
make the plans for my boat and for the
trip which / proposed to take down the
stream"