New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-26

BATTERED AND BRUISED
Hauled Ashore from Eddy Near
Power Station-More Affect
ed by Tumbling of Barrel
than by Big Drop.

Niagara Falls, y. Y, July %
Bobby" Leach, forty-nine years old, of
Niagara Falls, Ontario. went over the
Horseshoe Falls I'm barrel this after
noon. and still lives. Though he was
severely battered and bruised in the drop
Of los feet over the brink Of the falls,
he sustained only superficial injuries. and
tonight is able TO he about his house.
This is the second time in history that
the cataract has ever been successfully
navigated. Mrs Anne Edison Taylor, Of
this city, made the trip in a barrel on
October "a 1901 and came out alive.
Harassed by the police on both sides
Of the river, Leach was forced this after
noon to make his start from La Sale. A
village two miles and a half above the
cataract. on the United States side OF
the stream. Albert Mang and William
Perry, old rivermen, took him out I'm a
launch into the Canadian channel. The :
stopped at Navy Island. where every
thing was made shipshape and Leacn
was placed I'm the barrel. steel affair
eleven feet long. the ends being Of lami-
mated wood. Leach was hung in can
vas hammock.
The barrel, with its passenger, was
cast adrift just off the mouth OF Chip
pewa Creek, hardly a mile above the
brink Of the Horseshoe. at 2:J2 o'clock
and was quickly caught by the rush OF
the upper rapids. A heavy wind drove
it toward the Canadian banks, and it
cOursed down for "A time slowly to the
falls. When five hundred yards from
the brink the barrel was caught in the
tremendous current and raced TO the
Chasm.
Though the water was unusually high.
the barrel was roughly handled In the
upper rapids. Within two hundred
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 3:13 o'clock, It
swung straight and went plunging down
into the abyss on its long axis
Hardly thirty seconds elapsed from the
time that it made the plunge until It
was seen, a red speck, careening in the
spume below the cataract. With the
terrific outrush of the Horse Shoe
caused by high water the barrel went
floating down, tossing and tumbling in
its passage toward the upper steel arch
bridge Just abreast of the ontario
Power Company's generating station the
barrel was caught in an eddy and there
spun around for several minutes before
again catching the down current.
Men in Leachs employ were ready in
a rowboat just beyond 10 catch the bar
rel. but before they could get 10 their
oars Frank Bender. of Chippewa, swan
out to 1t with a rope and caught the
barrel by one of its handles. From that
point the barrel was towed ashore and
the cover quickly lifted.
Leach was bleeding and appeared in
a 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 il was
necessary to apply oxygen To revive
him. lie thought that his leg was
broken. but examination showed that L
was merely sprained.
Il minded the tumbling above the falls
more than the big drop said Leach.
Like to killed me the way | was tossed
about before | hit the brink"