SHOOTING NIAGARA RAPIDS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2439, 30 October 1886, Page 2

SHOOTING NIAGARA RAPIDS.

Foolhardy Coopers,

On August Bth, two coopors nainod Potts and -Hazlott started on a tiip through tho Niagara Whirlpool itipids in a torpedo-shaped barrel, They wore an hour going from tho foot of tho Cataract to tho mouth of the river, a distance -qf eight miles. The barrul was built of oak 6fcave« .in inch and a half thick.- It is 10ft long, with a' round prow covered ".w.ij.h sheet-iron. Tho. kiwi-runs tho whole loiigth.'. Tho stern is flat, and about 2ft in-diameter.. A ]2in propeller wheel, ' ivorkod by hand, isiuside tho-.barrel. ;'. and~a small iron -rudder, worked with wires, projects from the stem, The greatest diameter of the cralt is 3ft! Tho' length inside available-fur tho occupants is 6ft, tho front being headed off, no that if stove in by the, neks the occupants would bo safe,; /Chore is a turret-covered opening just large enough for ono-maii to get into tho orafc at.a time. In it were two thick bulls-eyos, and nu quarter iron pipe through which air was taken. The whole contrivance was bound with twenty-ttvo-inoh iron bands, and the whool was protected by iron rods, The preparations for the trip were completed by carefully ballasting the boat with 3001b of aahd, and putting a largo piece of ice in to koep tho air cool. Potts, and flazlet-t-fastoned. themselves to the bottom so securely- that 'they could hot be thrown about, in'sido'by the action of tho waves. Oil slartiug tho craft was carried down the surgo of tho first breakwater and hurled atom foremost over the swell.toward tlie next big wave. Surging currents coming together, in tho centre'of'tiiogorgo in tho vortex turned tho craft over. Whon she righted for a momont before catching in tho noxt. breaker, it was seen that the American flag, whioh bad boea fastened to tho atom, was not torn away, The craft dashed on in tho surf, being twirled about pitched first foremost and then baolnvardand finally the lasi wayo tossed it into tho whirlpool.. It had bean in the rapids for a few seconds less thau four | minutes, and was carried, so near tho ahore in. the. outer swirl of the i maelstrom; that Potts put out his head and luud. Thoy had escaped tho worst of the whirlpool, and said afterwardethoy could have gone ashoro, In ten minutes they were close to the 6feond series of rapids, and were caught by the waves and tossed along. Sovoral rocks wore grazed, and the. craft got a worse shaking than before. Some water poured througd tho air pipe w thoy were sucked under by the swell near tho Devil's Hole, and tho passage was longer and harder, lastinesixteon minutes. Tho propeller and ruddor wore of no use whatever. When thoy reached the smooth water the men wuro fatigued but unhurt, They crawled out, and sitting on the top of the barrel wore towed ashore. Thoy wore dronchod by tho water through tho nir-pipe anil from tho molting- leu. Tho wheel aud rudder were uninjured.- Tho fls? was still flying. Fully 10,000 people witnessed the feat. Graham, who' wont through in the barrel previously, said ho would go throus(li with his head out. of tho. barrel, and challenged Potts and Bazlott to do tho samo, 0o declared also that ho would, about August 10th., get into the barrel, and drop from the old Suspension Bridge into the river, a diatauce of 190 ft, ending tho performance with, the whirlpool trip. ]f he doss this safely Potts and Haslott declare thoy will ar■T.ioyo for atrip over the Falls.