The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-31

like a pneumatic tire flOated down the
Ohio river, has any man performing
feats on the water attracted half so
much attention along that river as is
now being paid Prof. Charles Old
rieve, the wave walker, who is attempt
ing the novel feat of walking on the
water down the Ohio and Mississippi
a distance of 1, 513 miles, in forty days,
on wager of $4,000. OF no less in
terest to the public than the wave
walker is HIS wife, who declares she is
| thechampion oarswoman of the world
and who in skiff is following her hus-
band on his novel and perilous trip,
keeping near enough that she could
rescue him in case he should fall, in
which event, on account of the buoyant
moccasns he wears, he would drown
in few moments.
The mind of man runneth not beyond
the time when daring and hazardous
feats on and in the water failed to at
tract wide attention. Water sports
| were as popular with the ancients as
they are today. The sportsman likes
the water because it does not knock
his brains out when he falls.
Swimming the English channel,
jumping from Brooklyn bridge and
"shootin'' over Niagara falls are feats
which have claimed hundreds of hap
less victims. And still there are hun
dreds more who are willing to risk their
| lives IN such attempts for the glory
of success. To such bold and reckless
tion The "landlubber" cannot under
stand the fearlessness with which these
attempts are made. Numerous devices,
some successful and some death traps,
have been invented to aid man in these
remarkable efforts at conquests Of
rivers, waterfalls, lakes and other
bodies of water. The solid cask, has
to withstand contact with rocks, has
been tried in shooting" the Niagara.
Then there is the pneumatic rubber
suit, the swimming jacket and VARIOUS
other life saving contrivances. "A tri
cycle for riding on the water has been
successfully used by a woman, Miss
Jennie Cannon, and NJ. Constantine
has invented a motor propeller to be
worn on the back, the wearer simply
treading on the water.
While those unfamiliar with water
and water sports are inclined to look
upon Oldrieve's feat of wave walking
as a modern miracle, the mere walking
is really no wonderful trick. Let one
get accustomed to the devices that he
must wear on his feet and he can soon
walk in placid water. The miracle in
Oldrievesfeat if he reaches New Or
leans will be the fact that he had the
the rough waters of the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi at this time of the year.
The moccasins worn by Prof. Old
rieve as he walks on the water resem-
BILE small canoes. They are made of
cedar, are three and half feet long by
six inches wide and the depth is the
same as the width. At the bottom,
sides and heel, they are perfectly
square and are slightly pointed at the
toe like a canoe or wooden shoe. Near
the center is the receptacle for the feet.
The professor before donning the moe
cosins encases his feet in heavy rub
Der boots which reach to the thighs,
thus protecting his legs from the water,
and after placing his feet IN the moe
casins, which fit tight, he lashes over
the boots a rubber bandage which
practically makes the moccasins air
tight although at times, he says, water
gets into them. By the agreement Of
the wager he is permitted to go to the
shoes.
AS he walks on the water the moe
casins sink below the surface a distance
of three or four inches and he propels
himself with a stroking motion some
thing like skating, although it is evil
dent that it requires great deal
more exertion than to skate. The
walker while at work somewhat re-
sembles a man Laundering along in
mud from which he is unable to entire
~ I'LL Ills lcet II 10 eNIuelll lIidl the
wave walker requires great eXertion
and the walker when he passed the falls
of the Ohio was already beginning to
show effects of the fatigue, although
he had been out on his novel journey
but five days. He complained of
rheumatism and when on account of
the disabling Of the gasoline launch
that is a part of his equipment and
travels a short distance in advance of
the walker the party was compelled to
lay up in Louisville he complained of
being very tired, but hoped with prac-
tice to overcome this feeling.
The professor walks from daylight
until dark and at night the party oc-
cupies the launch, which is manned by
A. l.. Maiden of Cincinnati. pilot, and
Arthur James, also of that city, who is
the engineer of the launch E. ].
Weatherton of Louisville, who is the
hacker of the expedition, usually ac-
companies the party and is a member
of the gasoline boat family, and Ed
ward Williams of Boston, who is the
representative of Alfred Woods.
Boston sporting man who has wararod