Walking Niagara Rapids.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 275, 19 March 1889, Page 3

Walking Niagara Rapids.

In January “ Professor ” C. W. Oldrievs successfully walked on the rapids through Hunt’s Falls, in the presence of more than 5000 spectators, from Aiken-srreet Bridge to the Central Bridge. The banks were lined with people from six to ten ranks deep. The wooden floats on the 11 professor's ” feet were square boxes of cedar 4ft. long, furnished on the top with a recess for the feet, and in the bottom with a series of collapsible paddles, hinged to swing horizontally, and on the backward push present aflat surface, like the membrane of a duck’s foot. He walked slowly down the stream, and his principal progress was by the current. When he reached the rapids at Hunt's Falls, the currant, swollen by recent rains, dashed about over rocks and ledges. He tried vainly to keep headway, but the current swept him round and round, Several times he lost his balance and fell forward with fais hands upon his floats. A muimur arose from the crowd that he was gone. Had he capsized his chance for life would have been small; but he recovered himself and

was swept by the current through the rollers and once more stood erect. When finally he entered the pool between the Bapids he was thoroughly exhausted, but he was quite safe. He rested for a moment and then struggled towards the shore, landing amid the applause of the spectators.