Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-09-24
over NIAGARAFAL
CAPT.LARSON In MOTOR BOAT
MAKES SAFE TRIP.
He Was Not Hurt but His Boat Was
Damaged Badly and Was Lost-Lar-
sens Is the Only Engine Boat to
Shoot the Great Rapids Except the
MAID of the Mist" in 1864.

Niagara Falls, N. Y, Sept. 1s.-Cap-
tain Klaus Larsen in his little motor
boat, the Ferro, late this afternoon
made successful trip from the foot
of the cataract through the Whirlpool
rapids to within a mile of Lewiston, a
distance of Az miles He started from
the Maid of the Mist dock at AIS and
ran on a rock near the American shore
at 500.
Despite the battering of the Whirl
pool rapids, Larsen went through safe
ly, but his boat was leaking badly at
the finish, and throughout the trip.
Larsen had intended to start at $3.50
o. CLOCK but he was delayed by engine
trouble. Besides, the authorities threat
ened to interfere on the ground of at
tempted suicide. The Ferro swung under
the cantilever bridge, the engine run
ming at top speed, and was caught in
the swift drift where the river begins
its rush down to Whirlpool rapids.
Larsen held to the middle of the
channel and in less than three minutes
had made the great pool. In the trip
through the rapids the little boat was
lost to sight most of the time, but at
Great Wave it was shot up 90 feet out
of the water. The boat landed right
and continued to the pool. Larsen kept
to the outer edge of the pool and
passed out and down without accident.
At Mercy of Waters.
just as he left the pool the engine
stopped working and Larsen was at the
mercy of the waters hardly less violent
than those above.
The little boat swung around stern
first and turned completely over, Lar
sen coming up with it badly battered
Here also his leg was injured.
| After that Larsen was a mere play
| thing of the rapids, unable to hold the
course, the boat swinging from one side
to the other. After going through the
Devil IS Hole the Ferror swung towards
the rocks on the American side of the
river, rolled over one boulder and went
fast between two others. There Larsen
stayed for five minutes, 40 feet from
shore, working desperately to release
the craft.
Getting free he was hit by combel
and went careening toward the middle
AT the bend, with the Lewiston bridg,
in sight, the boat drifted toward tn,
American side again, and was ther
caught in the shore eddy. The Ferr,
| grounded again, this time near enough
shore to be caught by Percy Rockwell
of this city, who waded into the waite
and caught a rope thrown by Larsen.
Persuaded Not to Continue.
Larsen wanted to continue the trip
but, having accomplished the worst par
of the journey, he was persuaded t.
board trolley car to Lewiston, settinI
the boat adrift.
"The drift was worse than 1 though
it would be-" said Larsen. "But l an
not hurt, and I will do it again som
time with another boat Ny leg wa
jammed when she tipped over, but tn
engine worked well through the rapid
and I could have made the trip in hal
an hour if 1 had not stopped afte
leaving the Whirlpool rapids.
Except the old Maid of the Mist, sen
through in 1864 to avoid seizure
Larsen s is the only engine-propelle
craft to have gone through the rapid,
Peter Nissen, Chicago, 1900, and C.
Percy, 1887 and 1901, went through tn
rapids safely in barrels. No one els
has ever passed through the rapids an
Lived.