BOUNCES OVER NIAGARA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16722, 14 August 1928, Page 2

BOUNCES OVER NIAGARA

IN 6FT. RUBBER BALL AIR FROM OXYGEN CHAMBERS NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.. July 4. For the third time in history man conquered the mighty Niagara on Wednesday afternoon, when Jean A. Lussier, a French-Canadian, now of Springfield, Mass., went over the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side in a specially-constructed rubber ball, while 150,000 persons lining the river banks on either side cheered and applauded him. The start was made from Cayuga Island, about three miles above the falls,- at 2.30 o'clock, and Lussier y>-a<: rcscued from the bridge eddy below the falls at 3.30 o'clock by William (Red)' Hill, daring river man. atone in a row boat.

At first it was feared the giant ball might be carried downstream into the rapids. Lussier plunged over the brink at "> o'clock.

Above the falls, the ball became dislodged and he went over the brink head first.

A short time later the ball was recovered a short distance below the falls, ripped open and Lussier hauled ■from within, smiling. One hundred thousand or more people, lining the shores, cheered. His sister, Mrs. J. P. Cauiiore. Sherbrooke, Que., kissed him. Many other women tried to do likewise. A few succeeded,

"I have spent more than a year and over £I4OO on my venture," Lussier explained to-day. "I have succeeded and lam quite happy. I have demonstrated that my theory was correct. I could do it. again, I am sure, but once is plenty for me. "As the ball was carried downstream in the rapids, it was bumped about quite a bit. Just before I plunged over the falls I received an. extra severe bump. It gave me a nasty bruise on my right temple. Another bruise is on my right cheek and one on tho left shoulder. GOT JARRING UP

"I had really no sensation when I went over the falls. When I landed on the water at the bottom I got a jarring up. The ball struck the water and hounded up and down six times just like a ball being bounced on the sidewalk by a child. It went over the falls head first, but straps and pillows saved me from serious injuries." Mrs. Annie Taylor was the first to plunge over the falls and live to tell of her experience. That was in 3901. She made the trip in a wooden barrel. Bobby Leach went over in a steel barrel 17 years ago. George Henry Stevens, Bristol, England, barber, lost his life in an attempt to go over the falls in an oak barrel made in England, 10 years ago. An arm was tin' only part of his body recovered.

It has been announced that Lussier would made his daring plunge into the river from an airplane, but since ho was unable 1o make the necessary arrangements, he engaged a motorboat to tow him into the river. SAW- LEACH BO IT

The feat of Jean Lnssier is the realisation of a dream inspired many years ago, when, as a boy of IS," he saw Bobby Leach go over Niagara in a barrel. Lussier came here in 1922 as a travelling salesman. He has talked about his contemplated feat "for months, showing newspapermen designs of the ball, with its air chambers rind seating place. He sa'id 'he had staked" eyery cent he owned on the stunt in the hope of some day gaining a fortune from it or of making at least enough to buy his parents a farm at Magog, Que., just over the Canadian border.

The ball, which is fift in diameter, has six pieces of Tubbcr over a steel frame, and four pieces running under the steel. Its walls contain 32 oxj'gen compartments with tubes leading into the inner chamber where Lussier sat.

Tubes to the outside of the 7581 b ball provided communication with the outside world. A weight was fastened to the man's feet to keep him upright.