The Penn's Grove record., 1905-07-21
wv SWIM NIAGARA RAPIDS
Glover Beats Graham in Race From
New York to Canadian Shore.
One of the Contestants Sucked Into n
Whirlpool But Got Our. Reach.
ing Shore in Safety.

Niagara Falls, N. Y.-Protected by
life-belts and with inflated rubber rings
around their necks, Carlisle d.
Graham, of this city, and William J.
Glover, Jr., of Baltimore, Nd. swan
the lower rapids of the Niagara River
without serious injury, although
Graham was SO exhausted he had to
be hauled to his hotel in a wagon. The
two men had a terrific struggle, and
but for the life-saving apparatus they
wore it was admitted both would have
been sucked beneath the swirling wat
ers and drowned. AS it was Glover
got in the grip Of n eddy which drew
hin beneath the surface and kept him
there almost two minutes.
1t was a race. Glover beat Graham
by four minutes, covering the distance
of four miles in twenty-siX minutes.
1t was said earlier in the day that
the two swimmers would tempt fate
by trying to swim through the upper
rapids in which Captain Webb, the
brave English swimmer, lost his life
many years ago., and much excitement
resulted. 1t subsidized somewhat, how.
ever, when announcement was made
that the race would be through the
lower rapids, which are not nearly so
dangerous.
From Flat Rock, IN the American
side, the start was made at 4.02
o'clock, and the course was from there
to Lewiston, on the American side.
Glover took the lead from the start.
His father watched the contest from a
fiat car, which ran along the Gorge.
Glover entered the rapids a minute
ahead Of Graham. Both of the sturdy
swimmers were held fast in the grasp
of the swift current and roaring rapids
until they reached the Devils Hole.
There it was that Glover, who is thir-
ty-eight years old, was caught by the
whirlpool and sucked under. AS Sec
ond after second licked off and he did
not reappear the hundreds on the high
banks thought another had been added
to the whirlpool's victims.
After two minutes had elapsed Glover
| struggled to the surface, and cheers
from both banks greeted him. By that
time Graham, who is fifty-five years
old, and who had the advantage of
having swan the rapids in September,
| 1901, and in August, 1902, had gained
I on Glover. By the time they had
reached the end of the rapids, just
above the Suspension Bridge at Lewis
ton. however, Glover had gained so
much Of what he had lost when he
was struggling for life in the whirlpool
that only a short distance separated
him from his rival.
1t was in the smooth, swiftly running
water below the rapids that Glover
! passed Graham, the former finding
and the latter laboring heavily. At
4.2S o'clock Glover swan to the end
of the pier in Lewiston and was hauled
| out of the river quickly by the judges
and others awaiting him. While he
was being rubbed down and dressed,
Graham, four minutes behind the
Marylander, swept alongside the pier.
He was in such a condition of ex-
haustion that he collapsed as soon as
he was hauled UP on the pier.
Within fifteen minutes after Glover
was taken out of the river he was
dressed and telling his father and other
friends his sensations as he swept
through the water at the rate of a
mile in less than seven minutes, and
particularly of how he felt when he
was caught by the whirlpool, sucked
| down and held there two minutes.
1t was expected by the friends Of the
two men that they would be cut and
bruised severely by being dashed
against rocks, but they escaped all
such injury and suffered from nothing
except exhaustion from their terrible
SfrT0Uln