It's hard to imagine; someone actually going over Niagara Falls in a barrel and surviving the attempt. It's even harder to imagine that someone would even consider doing such a thing. Nevertheless, Annie Taylor was the first person to pull off this stunt successfully in the year 1901, and she managed to come out of it with nothing more than a minor cut on her forehead.
Annie Taylor had a manager for the event and she had high hopes that her successful trip over the falls would make her rich enough to pay off her debts. Hopping into a rowboat, with her wooden barrel trailing closely behind, the widowed Michigan schoolteacher rowed out to an area just before the falls and climbed into the barrel on October 24, 1901. After her safe arrival at the bottom of the falls, the stunt being successfully accomplished did not gain her the fame she desired.
Since Annie Taylor's successful attempt, others have tried to go over the falls, and although they have succeeded, it is not without significant injury. Bobby Leach went over the falls in a barrel made of steel just ten years after Annie Taylor and broke both of his knees in the process. Further, Jean Lussier made a successful trip over the falls in a rubber ball, but not without his share of nail biting moments.
Finally, many individuals have died in an attempt to match Annie Taylor's accomplishment. Charles G. Stephens lost his life in his attempt to conquer the deathly waters of Niagara in 1920; George L. Statakis suffocated after making the 175 foot drop in 1930; and Robert Overcracker died in his attempt to Jet Ski over the falls with a parachute that sadly failed him in 1995.
No comments:
Post a Comment