The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-08-01
Injury Sends Captain George
Webb From Ladders to
Cleaning Business.

Interesting and famous people are
not at all foreign to Ely, but undouot-
edly heading the list is George Webb,
world renowned high diver, who spent
80 years in the show business defying
death to thrill carnival crowds.
Webb, who now calls Ely home, as
spotter for the Quality Cleaners OPP
Grated by Tony Kun, Jr., isn't in the
business any more because whatever II
is that keeps daredevilS like him from
death or injury, deserted him about
wear ago and he cracked up doing his
high net dive.
Captain Webb, as he is known to the
show world, came from family OF
death defiers. His grandfather, Capt.
Matthew Webb, whose title George in
herited, was the first man to swim the
English channel (1875). He met death
in 1888 while attempting to swim the
rapids below Niagara Falls. Georges
parents were aerial performers with
some of the biggest shows in the
business.
were aerial performers with some OF
Captain George was born under the
tent of the famous Barnum and Bailey
circus while it was playing Cincin-
natl. He made his debut at the tender
age of years by becoming flyer with
his parents on their casting act. Light,
easy to handle, and agile, he made
quite a name for himself as the
youngest flyer in the business.
At IA years he embarked on his own
career as a water clown in Dayton,
Ohio amusement park. WebbS circus
closed early and to took to practicing
high dives of his boss, Dad Meyers.
Higher and higher he went until he
finally put on quite show early each
morning for the benefit of himself and
a few early risers employed at the
park.
Then came the break that put him
on the road to international fame
Dad Meyers hit the side of the tank
and was injured. Looking around for
someone to take his place, he was in
formed by park attendants that the
kid, meaning young Webb, was quite a
diver, so Dad drafted the youngster
into the act.
A short time later when Richard K
Fox, owner of the Police Gazette at
that time, sponsored a contest fol
shallow water dives, Webb won it by
diving into AZ INCHES-not feet-oi
water from height of 81 feet. This
record still stands, and will never be
broken until bigger daredevil than
Webb is born.
The Captain continued in water
diving exhibitions until he met dis
eSter at the Implement exposition ir
Peoria, Ill, in 1912. A strong wind was
blowing and he struck the side of the
tank, breaking his jaw and 16 ribs
He lay in a hospital for II months
and four days, and upon being released
owed a 81 600 hospital bill, had no job
and his lines and ladders had beer
destroyed because there had been M
one to take care of them. But Webb
like Grandpa Matthew, who threShec
his way through the whirling Niagara
whirlpools until sucked to water.
grave, was no gutter. Big-heartec
hospital authorities cancelled his debt
and he went to Chicago where HI
worked in a restaurant to earn fund
for more equipment.
Fully recovered from his injuries ant
his new ladders all up and ready to &C
Webb climbed nimbly to the top ant
looked into the little puddle of waite
nearly 100 feet below. Down he sailed
He shook like leaf as he climbed on
of the tank. He had made his las
water dive.
Taking an idea from earlier eX
periences gained in the big top, tn
Captain decided to jump into a net a
he had upon the completion of hi
trapese acts. To put the crowd at
tracing thrills into the feat, the ne
had to be small and the dive high H
started work at IS feet and at on
time made a dive from los feet int
IA by IA net.
Up, up, up the red-dressed figur
climbs his narrow, line supported lad
ders. Eighty-four feet above the neck
craning breathless crowd, he stand
on the top rung. Then he raises hi
arms-LOOK OUT-oh-aW-wh H