Title

Percy, Charles Alexander

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=73315

page

50

Bibliographic Citation

10167508

Niagara : latest and most complete guide to the grand cataract and points of interest.

extracted text

"

-50

1

'--

-51'

went as far as the Whirlpool. Some think Kendall's trip was a
»fake« '. but the writer has t~lked :with th?se whom he believes t9'
be straIghtforward, and who affirm they wItnessed the feat.
James Scott
of Lewlston lost his life in the R,apids below the Whirlpool, on
August 19, 1886, the afternoon of Graham's second trip.
It is not
known whether he intended to go through the Rapids or was drowned
while enjoying a swim. At the time he had a life preserver on.
Charles Alexander Percy
is another who has attracted attention at Niagara owing to his,
daring. On Sunday August ~8, 1887, in a.boat.of b~s own buil~ing,
17 feet long, four feet, ten Inches beam, WIt~ aIr chambers at eIther
_end,Percy made the trip through the Rapids to the »pool«. On tl1is
trip he occupied one of the air chambers. The boat remained anchorell
in the whirlpool for a month, and on Sunday September 25, 1887,
, Percy and a ~ompanion made the trip from there to Lewiston, Percy
being, strapp~d, to the seat outside and his friend occupying one of
the aIr chambers.
On

Septeml>er

,. ",:~ters. of ,the .ge
"Ith hIS lIfe.

16,

18~8,

Percy made

,& voyage

'"
throu",h

~he

to LewIston, and lost bIS boat barely escapIng
..that
Robert WIlham Flack.
,
Robert William Flack of .Syr.acus~N. Y., is the name of one
" ,of the men who have lost theIr lIves m the foolhardy effort to pass
, f!a~elythrough .the d~ath dealing. waters of the Niagara gorge. Flack
?UIlt a boat, m WhICh he "fas confi~ent he ~ould make the pa$Sage
111sa~ety. To attract ~ubhc att~ntIon and Interest, by an understandl~, C. A: peri(J; 1ssued 1!'lack a challe~ge for & rac.e through
the, whIrlpool m theIr r~spectIv~ boats,. WhIC~ the publIc "fere to
belIeve was for ~ certaIn monIed consldera.tIon. Tbe articles or
agreument were sIgned Ju~e 21: 18~8, ~nd it was understood that
Flack was t.o make a »'t:nal, tnp« In hIs craft July 4, 1888. He
made the tnp and lost hIs life.
It was 302 P. M. when the clinker shaped boat with Flack
1ashed to the middle seat passed the cantilever bridge. In the
trip.
,

-!.

'.

.

through the white capped waters the boat capsized three tim6S, tbe
last time just as it entered the pool, and it d~d ,not right it~elf:
but floated round and round the pool: Percy WItnessed the awful
sight from the Whirlpool on the Americau side; He drove up and
acrOFSthe suspension bridge, and down to the Whirlpool on th&
Canada side, descendedtbe elevator, clin1bed along the shore, and
swam out into the pool and climbing on the uptnrned b?at paddled
it to the shore, where it was righted and poor Flack's lifeless body
recovered. 'The straps had held him so that he could, not fre&
himself when his boat did not right itself. .1\.11this happened in
one hour and ten minutes. Flack was 39 years old, and manied.
George Hazlett and, Sadie Allen.
..'
' ,.
ThIS ,couple Journeyed through the RapIds to the Wh~rlpo?1
together, m the same barrel ,that Potts. and Hazlett made theIr tnp.
on November 28: 1886, MISS Allen 1S the only woman who has
ever made the tnp.
,
Walter G. Campbell.
..
Up to the tIme thIS book went to press Walter G. Campbell ?I
Youngstown,
N. '\". was the last one to make the dangerous trIp

through the Whirlpool Rapids. It w~on Sunday Septembe~ 15,1889,
he made his display of nerve and foolishness, HIS method
differed somewhat from those who 'had preceded him, in th3t h& '
rode in a clinker boat till it ,vas capsized and he was thrown out.
to contend with the wavesprotected by a life preserver. As Canlpbell
passed under th~ railway bridges h~ stood upright in the boat usingone oar as a pad,dle, it was the~ 3: 28 ~. M.. At the first wavf! ~b&
boat, gave a huge plunge, bnngIng Its occupant to a kneelingposture, graRping both sides of the boat" while ,& dog, t~~t accompanied him sat serenely in the bow.. Untl! OpposIte SmIth s elevator'
the boat kept on" its keel., but there It was turned bottom up,
and Campbell had to swim. At 3. 32 P. M. he entered the po.°~'
and was carried toward the north shore and along the west sld&
to the pOInt on thlJ Canada side near the entrance whf!n h&
landed at 3. 40 P. M. just 20 minutes after the start.
The
dog' was lost.

6"


"

-50

1

'--

-51'

went as far as the Whirlpool. Some think Kendall's trip was a
»fake« '. but the writer has t~lked :with th?se whom he believes t9'
be straIghtforward, and who affirm they wItnessed the feat.
James Scott
of Lewlston lost his life in the R,apids below the Whirlpool, on
August 19, 1886, the afternoon of Graham's second trip.
It is not
known whether he intended to go through the Rapids or was drowned
while enjoying a swim. At the time he had a life preserver on.
Charles Alexander Percy
is another who has attracted attention at Niagara owing to his,
daring. On Sunday August ~8, 1887, in a.boat.of b~s own buil~ing,
17 feet long, four feet, ten Inches beam, WIt~ aIr chambers at eIther
_end,Percy made the trip through the Rapids to the »pool«. On tl1is
trip he occupied one of the air chambers. The boat remained anchorell
in the whirlpool for a month, and on Sunday September 25, 1887,
, Percy and a ~ompanion made the trip from there to Lewiston, Percy
being, strapp~d, to the seat outside and his friend occupying one of
the aIr chambers.
On

Septeml>er

,. ",:~ters. of ,the .ge
"Ith hIS lIfe.

16,

18~8,

Percy made

,& voyage

'"
throu",h

~he

to LewIston, and lost bIS boat barely escapIng
..that
Robert WIlham Flack.
,
Robert William Flack of .Syr.acus~N. Y., is the name of one
" ,of the men who have lost theIr lIves m the foolhardy effort to pass
, f!a~elythrough .the d~ath dealing. waters of the Niagara gorge. Flack
?UIlt a boat, m WhICh he "fas confi~ent he ~ould make the pa$Sage
111sa~ety. To attract ~ubhc att~ntIon and Interest, by an understandl~, C. A: peri(J; 1ssued 1!'lack a challe~ge for & rac.e through
the, whIrlpool m theIr r~spectIv~ boats,. WhIC~ the publIc "fere to
belIeve was for ~ certaIn monIed consldera.tIon. Tbe articles or
agreument were sIgned Ju~e 21: 18~8, ~nd it was understood that
Flack was t.o make a »'t:nal, tnp« In hIs craft July 4, 1888. He
made the tnp and lost hIs life.
It was 302 P. M. when the clinker shaped boat with Flack
1ashed to the middle seat passed the cantilever bridge. In the
trip.
,

-!.

'.

.

through the white capped waters the boat capsized three tim6S, tbe
last time just as it entered the pool, and it d~d ,not right it~elf:
but floated round and round the pool: Percy WItnessed the awful
sight from the Whirlpool on the Americau side; He drove up and
acrOFSthe suspension bridge, and down to the Whirlpool on th&
Canada side, descendedtbe elevator, clin1bed along the shore, and
swam out into the pool and climbing on the uptnrned b?at paddled
it to the shore, where it was righted and poor Flack's lifeless body
recovered. 'The straps had held him so that he could, not fre&
himself when his boat did not right itself. .1\.11this happened in
one hour and ten minutes. Flack was 39 years old, and manied.
George Hazlett and, Sadie Allen.
..'
' ,.
ThIS ,couple Journeyed through the RapIds to the Wh~rlpo?1
together, m the same barrel ,that Potts. and Hazlett made theIr tnp.
on November 28: 1886, MISS Allen 1S the only woman who has
ever made the tnp.
,
Walter G. Campbell.
..
Up to the tIme thIS book went to press Walter G. Campbell ?I
Youngstown,
N. '\". was the last one to make the dangerous trIp

through the Whirlpool Rapids. It w~on Sunday Septembe~ 15,1889,
he made his display of nerve and foolishness, HIS method
differed somewhat from those who 'had preceded him, in th3t h& '
rode in a clinker boat till it ,vas capsized and he was thrown out.
to contend with the wavesprotected by a life preserver. As Canlpbell
passed under th~ railway bridges h~ stood upright in the boat usingone oar as a pad,dle, it was the~ 3: 28 ~. M.. At the first wavf! ~b&
boat, gave a huge plunge, bnngIng Its occupant to a kneelingposture, graRping both sides of the boat" while ,& dog, t~~t accompanied him sat serenely in the bow.. Untl! OpposIte SmIth s elevator'
the boat kept on" its keel., but there It was turned bottom up,
and Campbell had to swim. At 3. 32 P. M. he entered the po.°~'
and was carried toward the north shore and along the west sld&
to the pOInt on thlJ Canada side near the entrance whf!n h&
landed at 3. 40 P. M. just 20 minutes after the start.
The
dog' was lost.

6"