Norwich bulletin., 1911-07-26
Over Falls in
 Steel Barrel
BOBBY LEAcH's FOoLHARpY
 STUNT AT NIAGARA.
BADLY BATTERED, BUT ALIVE
Did Not Mind Drop of 15s Feet So Much as Tumblins Over Rapids Second Successful Performance.

Niagara Falls, N. Y, July 25.-Bob- bic Leach, 49 years old, of Niagara Falls, Ont, this afternoon went over the Horseshoe falls in barrel and stlll Hves Though he was severely battered and bruised in the drop of I52 feet over the brink of the cataract. he sustained only Superficial injuries. and tonight IS able to be about his house.
 Second Successful Attempt.
 This is the second time in the his tory of the river that the cataract has ever been successfully navigated. Mrs. Anna EdSon Taylor of this city made the trip in a barrel on Oct 24, 1901. and came cut alive.
 Barrel Was of Steel.
 Harrassed by police on both sides O. the river. Leach was forced this after noon to make his start from LaSaIe, village two miles and a half above the cataract on the United States side of the stream. Albert Mang and VII liam Perry, old rivermen, took hirn out in launch into the Canadian channel They stopped at Navy Island, where Leach was placed in the barrel, a steel affair, II feet long. the ends of lanni- mated wood.
 Hung in a Canvas Hammock.
 Leach was hung in canvas ham mock. The barrel with it's passenger was cast adrift just off the mouth Of Chippewa creek, hardly mile above the brink of the horseshoe, at 2-52 o'clock, and was quickly caught by the rush of the upper rapids. A heavy wind drove 1t towards the Canadian mainland and it coursed down for a time. slowly to the falls.
 Strikes Rock, Piece of End Breaks Of
 When 800 yards from the brink the barrel was caught in the tremendous current and raced to the chasn A. though the water was unusually high the barrel was roughly handled in the upper rapids. Within 200 yards of the brink it struck hard against a rock and large section of the wooden end was broken off. As the barrel reached the crest at S.13 o'clock it swung straight and went plunging down into the abyss on it's long axis Spun Around by an Eddy. l, Hardly 30 seconds elapsed from the time that it made the plunge until it was seen a red speck careenins in the spune below the cataract. With the terrific outrush of the horseshoe caused by high water, the barrel went floating down, tossing and tunbling fa it's passage towards the upper steel arch bridge. Just abreast of the On tario Power company's generating station the barrel was caught in an eddy and there spun around for sev- eral minutes before again catching the down current.
 Swimmer Gets Barrel
 Men in Leach's employ were ready in rowboat just beyond to catch the barrel, but before they could get to their oars Frank Bender of Chippewa swan out to it with a rope and caught the barrel by one of it's handles. From that point the barrel was towed ashore and the cover quickly lifted
 Leach Exhausted
 Leach was bleeding and appeared in bad way, but once out of the barrel he raised himself and waved to the crowds that lined the bank. He was badly exhausted and it was necessary to apply oxygen to revive him. He thought that his leg was broken, but examination showed that it was mere ly sprained.
 Tossing Nearly Killed Him.
 T minded the tumbling above the falls more than the big drop" said Leach Tt came near killing me- the way I was tossed about before 1 hit the brink