The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1913-02-28
CAVE OF TIE WINDS
G '9ot W "a pcRnS

themselves for their great leap. But
the more notable series Is further
down. Below the falls the river moves
sleepily alcng for a while, but pres
emily it is compressed into a narrow
gorge through which it makes it's de-
scent to Lake Ontario. This sudden
narrowing into a defile whose bed is
studded with rocks churns the I'M
mense volume of water into a mass Of
turbulent waves. where the main cur
rent, travelling at 80 miles an hour, is.
swung backward and forward and,
from side to side like drunken thing.
These whirlpool rapids, as they are
called. empty the stream into the.
whirlpool itself, from which It has.
still to surge through the Devils Hole.
rapids, no less triumphant, before 1t
once more becomes navigable near.
Lewiston.
The Whirlpool rapids were safely
threaded in 1861 by the Maid of the.
Mist, but the ordeal turned the cap,
tain OF the steamer into an old man.
Many years later man named Perry
made the same trip in lifeboat. A
rival, R. w. Flack, challenged him to
a race over the course, and lost his
life in a preliminary rehearsal. But
the most tragic story Niagara has to-
tell is that of Captain Matthew Webb.
The son OF an English country doc
tor, he entered the mercantile marine,
as lad. but before he was thirty he
abandoned seafaring life to become
professional swimmer. In 1875 he
swan from Dover to Calais. In 1888,
though warned that physically he was
not what he had been, he made the,
desperate resolve to swim the Whirl-
pool rapids. In describing his plans
he explained that when he found the
water very bad he would go under,
and would remain under until COM
PEELED to come up for breath. He in
tended at the whirlpool to strike out
with all his strength to keep out Of
the suck hole in the center. my life,"
he added, will then depend upon my
muscles and my breath, with little,
touch of science behind them" On
the afternoon of July "a he took the
plunge from small boat. On enter
ing the whirlpool rapids he was al
most turned over by the force of the
water, but he recovered himself, and
in about five minutes he had trav-
ersed the mile and a quarter from the
old suspension bridge to the entrance
OF the whirlpool. Here he seemed for
a moment to be doing WELL Then he
threw up his arms and disappeared.
Swimming Whirlpool Rapids.
In July, 1890, John Soules was more
fortunate than Captain Webb, for his
defeat came earlier While he was in
the whirlpool rapids the breakers
dashed him against the rocks, and he
was washed ashore, badly bruised. be-
fore reaching the whirlpool. Other
swimmers who have attempted the
passage have hesitated to trust their
unaided strength and skill. w. ].
Kendall, Boston policeman, got
through in 1886, but he wore a cork
vest. He reported at the end of his
journey that he had found his swim
ming abilities useless. The current
took him into its main eddy and
sucked him down like a flash. When
he reached the spot where Webb lost
his life the water went from under
him and a wave knocked him uncon-
scious. He was seen to be shot out
from the pool 80 feet from the center.
On regaining consciousness he swan
ashore. thus avoiding being dashed
down the DEVILS hole rapids. On Sen
temper Z, 1889, Steven Brodie, who
some time before had jumped off Brook-
Ign bridge. descended the falls them
selves, clad in an india rubber suit
surrounded with steel bands and
thickly padded. About a week later
another adventurer, Walter Campbell.
wearing cork jacket. equalled Ken
dalfs feat, and even excelled it, for
ne made his way as far down a.
| Lewiston