New-York tribune., 1911-10-30
SAILS NIAGARA RIVER
IN SMALL MOTOR BOAT
CAPTAIN Klaus Larsen Goes
Through Rapids Safely in
15-Fo0t Craft.
NOW TO CROSS ATLANTIC
Navigation of Boat Keeps Owner
Busy Every Moment of Trip
-Comber Nearly Causes
Disaster.

Niagara Falls N Y, oct. 29.-Captain
Klaus Larsen. OF Detroit, made his sec
ond Niagara River trip from the cata-
ract 10 Lewiston this afternoon In a
motor boat. completing the six miles of
stormy water in twenty-five minutes
and coming through without a scratch.
But he is through with Niagara ad-
ventures.
NO more for mine" he said as he
stepped out Of the boat at Lewiston.
The trip to-day was worse than last
year. The water was above normal and
the wind added 10 my troubles. There
wasn't minute that I wasn't working
for all l was worth. Now let some one
else try. But next year I will make
trip across the Atlantic in the Niagara.
ANY boat that can take me through the
rapids and the whirlpool can take me
10 Europe"
Larsen started from the Canadian
Maid of the Mist pier at 100 o'clock
and swept under the lower steel arch
bridge five minutes later Coming into
Swift Drift. where the river breaks from
the calm upper reach TO the rapids, he
yeered toward the Canadian side.
The boat was behaving perfectly. She
rode the smaller waves without tremor.
But caught by the fierce current about
midway Of the rapids. she was hurled
up and ALMOST clear of the mountains of
water. to be lost to view in the spume
al she came Careening down into the
valleys. once the craft was sideWlped
and almost keeled over by a Comber
But she righted and went on. The rapids
trim took hardly more than a minute
But il was a minute that tried TO the
utmost the nerve and sinew OF the man
The watchers were fearful that the
engine had been put out Of commission
in the tumbling waters. but as the Mag
ara entered the whirlpool ii was seen
that the engine was working perfectly
In the trip last year Larsen's engine
failed him in the pool. and from that
noint on man and craft were playthings
Of the river.
Larsen kept toward the American side
Of the pool. but he was caught in cross
current and was almost drawn into the
vortex. only the hardest kind of work
with the tiIler prevented trouble.
once clear of the whirlpool and in
otieter water. Larsen brought the boat
about and headed her upstream. so that
he might get a chance TO put things
shipshape before the final test in the
Devils Hole rapids.
As Larsen worked he footed greeting
10 the watchers and shouted that all was
well. He was badly buffeted in the lower
,apids. but managed TO hold course
close 10 the Canadian side, and at 2:l4
o'clock he passed under the suspension
bridge al Lewiston. He had made the
five miles between the bridges in nine
teen minutes.
Larsen Is the second man that has
ever naNigated the rapids and the pool
In an engine driven craft. The first
was Joel Robinson. who took the old
Maid of the Mist through in 1864 tc
avoid seizure of the vessel. Peter Ms
sen in 1900 went through in a steel boat
and William Campbell and c. A. Percy
in 1889.
Larsen made his first trip on Septem-
ber Is 1910 The Niagara. the boat he
used to-day. is fifteen feet long, five feet
six inches beam and four feet deep. The
engine is II horsepower. About sever
hundred pounds Of sand ballast was
used.