The Washington times., 1901-09-29
RISK DEATH AT NIAGARA.
Foolhardy Feats Which Are Daily
Attempted in the Cataract.
Swimming the Rapids I'm Barrels
Crossing the Gorge on Ropes
Daring the Whirlpool in Life
boats-The Record of Fatalities.


The recent death of Maud Kellar
while attempting to pass through the
Niagara rapids in barrel recalls
many similar foolhardy ventures which
have been made in the past. The bar
rel feat has seldom resulted fatally.
The well-remembered attempt of the
famous English swimmer, Capt
Matthew Webb, to brave the mighty
force of the Whirlpool was notable, in
so much that he wore no life preserVer,
but trusted entirely to his own strength
to pull him through. The rock, envel-
oped constantly in a furious mantle of
water and spray, where he was last
seen, and upon which he is supposed to
have been killed, is pointed out to this
day.
1t is not generally known, perhaps,
that the little passenger steamer called
the Maid of the Mist or its predeces-
sor of the same name, which now af-
fords close view of the American fall,
and approaches within reasonable dis
tance of the Horseshoe" made trip
through the rapids in 1851. She went
straight through the whirlpool, it is
said, commanded by Joel Robinson, who
is said to have aged twenty years in
appearance during the terrible ordeal.
So far as can be ascertained, the
mania for persons of certain tempera-
ment to risk their lives at Niagara COM
menced to attract public notice when
Sam Patch erected ladder on the foot
path under Goat Island, and announced
that he would jump into the Niagara
River. Patch rested the bottom of the
ladder on the edge of the river, with the
top inclining over it, and staying it
with ropes to the trees on the bank. At
the top was a small platform, and from
this Patch dived ninety-seven feet. He
repeated the feat, but on moving to
another location he jumped and was
killed
Traditions of Blondin are still current
at Niagara. Other tight-rope perform
ers have repeated some of his feats over
the rapids, but there seems to have
been a grace and sangfroid about the
Canadian which have distinguished hirn
from all the rest. He is said, on the
occasion of the Prince of Wales visit
to have offered to Gerry his Royal
Highness over the rapids upon a tight
rope, seated in a wieeelbarrow, which
enticing proposal was firmly but re-
specfully declined by the present ruler
of Great Britain, or some member Of his
suite. 1t was in 1859 that Blondin first
proposed TO stretch a wire across Nj
agara River, and there was universal
hnx nf dAric icf of ha Lon he
less. one of the largest crowds ever
gathered at Niagara went to see him
throw his life away.
Blondin got out on the rope with a
forty-pcund Die, crossed the river and
then came back again. He lowered a
cord to the old Maid Of the Mist and
drew up a bottle from which he took a
drink. Then, after some feats of bal
ancing, he came ashore amid the hug
zas OF the crowd, and the whole coun-
try rang with the news of the exploit
A couple of months later, he carried
his manager, Harry Calcourt, across
on his back. 1t is said. and it also has
been denied, that on this occasion Blon-
din mad a quarrel with Calcourt. The
latter had previously been trained to
balance himself in order that he might
be let down on the rope in the mid
die of the river while Blondin took
a breath. The wind was strong. the
managers cOattails began to futter,
and the rope swayed in a sickening
manner. Then, according to the story,
Bicndin threatened to leave his mana
ger on the rope, at the mercy of the
waters underneath, unless he kept him
self under control. The threat was sue
cessful, and the trip across was safely
made.
A few days later the fearless Blondin
again crossed the river, chained hand
and foot. On his return, he carried
cooking stove, and made an omelet,
which he lowered to the deck of the
Maid of the Mist for consumption
On another occasion he crossed with
a bushel basket on each foot, and once
carried lady on his back In 1860 he
performed before the Prince of Wales,
the rope being stretched 230 feet above
the rapids between two the steepest
cliffs on the river. He turned somer-
saults before his Royal Highness. and
went through his whole repertoire. He
even crossed on a pair of stills. 1t is
wonderful to reflect that this daring
man walked the tight-rope without ac-
cident for nearly seventy years.
Since Dlondin's time. Niagara has be-
come the jumping place for per-
sons who crave a certain sort of no.
toriety. or who desire to take leave of
this world at a spot where, one would
suppose. the splendor and majesty of
nature would WOO them back to life.
There has hardly been year in which
some tight-rope exhibition has not ta-
ken place at Niagara Falls. Some years
Ggo a young man named Stephen Peere
stretched cable across and made sew
sral passages. In 1878 he jumped from
enc of the bridges. and in 1887 he leap
ed tc his death. A man named Nc
Donell made Scveral very creditable
attempts, and proved himself an ex-
cellent walker. He went across with
baskets on his feet, and frightened the
crowd of spectators by hanging with
his legs from the wire, head down.
ward. Another man, named Jenkins
made the trip on bicycle. The ma
chine. however. was specially con-
structed. so that the feat was really
not so remarkable as one might sup
pose.
Samrel ]. Dixon. a Toronto photog- |
rapher. on September 6, 1890, crossed the |
gorge, and gave an excellent exhibition. |
One OF his crack feats was lying on |
his back on the wire. 1t is marvellous !