SHOOTING NIAGARA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7506, 13 September 1902, Page 4

SHOOTING NIAGARA.

MRS TAMR^S iMJslVjprigT, : > &Wmg^m the years**.: sengafe^nSi f bats «t Niagara mail ike summed df ___m & ■bpdy && volhntarijy^tiie| to; gs^e* $$ falls and live. -At lea** £#o : in£n tried to jprttwid to r inatke the trip", but jmc.cess. Mr* Taylor *p-jved a* th# falls with a bm*\, residents. smiled at her^statei nwnfc ihafc. she would mafce the falls trip. Dropping ' the ba_|»i md' a lium'an pccuj^Mij oyer the Hplis'aShbe^Fall wuld liave but one sistent. Thefifact thajS, jfcherev was -ati taipV $?°yg: a ;lfere«r»uarters of ja oi lipids a^T e j?S*M bpfore the frightful precipice WMxxftohpd did.nQfe. deter her. , '.-,'. " J-.-xX..- --~ Oh Sunday, Oct. 20, and again on the following Wednesday, the waiting: crowds were disappointed. -Owing to * high wind, IS? Jg^UP°^t'-.-»9fr. bestowed .into the current. People became sceptical j : bnt the ne^Jfo7: : isA& .T%Xlq? was tmo toVF#r word. Starting out from" Port. -JDay^.a -mile above -jthe ,igll? K o4h& AWW-rpwed :to: ©r&ss J&&*: ■■!?%J^FBa#^JH_^in'ti» , S*t-"" rel, and towed fap.oftt in|o;the..Ca____a» cuiTent. Jusb before the start- the craft was pumped fufi "xrf- air. -|Wene_; to the bottom' Was a blacksmith's irivil, weighing abooti lOOlbjr 4o keep^h^hatfe.: -prigftt 'in the -water.-- <■-."• '-' .■.'--■■ .*.-.*'-- '■--'./ : - - When, within two. -hundred yards of the Canadian shore, baei of the boatmen ,-x_^_it on the ■bairelvHth Msjoar.- ; This was the signal to iMrs.Taylar* that she wai tbtJe cast, adrift; . and a -minute later— afr *^[V_ minutes past four o'clock— fee Hue w_s cut. .v^-.. _ y.:^X y.-. . ■- ■-: ~ :.-..— y. ._\y;jth „&11. speed jfahe &bat> framed -out of the dangerous . currant, Great - Horseshoe. All who hAve viewed, Niagara-know tbe Y_U4 patujs of tha-waters: above the Calls. Reel after reef intends from shore to Shores over which the tumbling torrent flows in splendid fury. It is. a spectacle that delights the artist's eye, but onb to -strike terror t? : tJje i®"*: of .any. vteubi^w: navigator. There is a, descent of 55ftiin -these whitened waves "before, ihefajl is. reached, and thrpugh $hem Mrs-TaylPßa^d her-bar-re^ shot. Tumbling, roljjng, now- and then ; it lingered undei^ the ioaming- waters at the foot} pf ,the reef, but* reaippea&ng; Was ; swept on toward that awf ii-brink, - oVer ■ which no human ..being- -bad paseedvand lived. -. - -■• . •• - ..-■•- -.- .-'■•> -- ; After >lhe barrel came in sight, plunging down the rapids', -little was said by the thousands gathered at every- point whence the broad surface of the river could be seen-. ; Each eye- was strained -to catch, the niove- , ments of the Small dark .object tossing oh. the -whiteicapped waves -far- ous -ofr the river." ; * — *■-"■-■ ----- .--■• ---- ----i.-. The4a*t*eef <was pissed. — There was nothing but smooth, Clear water now between ' the "barrel and the' brink of the-Horseshoe. -- -*■■■ : --. -'• yy •■'<* Ib 4els *ke<Hsucfcion itf- the- is*-. faster it 'moved, swinging- -round toivards.! the Canadian side &s it 'wasv pulled fdrwardv by the terrific-force of the-rti^ingVWitbrs. ! •'-d'ait %;-momMt*'- J it' , -wra , 'vrJiblir 'pirthe bfitjjk j- then,' withrlightning-like 'tdpidibr,'?^ dfopjgbd a distance of 160 ft, into tbVP6eet|i-inlr^am-iashed Waters^of thVl^erTi^er'. This broke the tremendous tension "of. the crowd; -and everyone made « : wild rush] tp .the- edge ofi the Jiigh banks, .where the - gorge could, he. seeiu. -Before many.ofjthsm got. in position the -barreL had. reappeared on tbe surface of the lower river,, and was floating* down .stream, Jt was^caught in=an eddy on the Canadian side, and swung back between the jragh ofiwa eddies. .' It floated there for soma -minutes, before ifc was caught at twenty minutes tp five,, having", passed over the faiLafc:twenty-three minutes * past -f onr.v :. The ibonel was- landed on. a \ »ck. The cover-of the. manhole was toin ' ofiE^an.d when Mrs Taylor raised her.hand fa Wave-td tfefee about,; a mighty cheer #eii£ : bp that told- the*. sawdtitude on the, cliff that the Falls of Njagara-had ..teen conquered— and by a woman. And *.' then ,. Jlrs Taylor landed, braised, bnt Mttto injured.-* ■■••' 'y^*' ---- - -_ v;^*^ . \