The boat, which he had named the _Fool-Killer_, was twenty feet long,
four feet wide, and four feet deep. The deck was slightly raised in the
centre, gently sloping to the gunwales. In the centre of the deck a
cockpit four feet long and twenty inches wide extended down to the keel,
a distance of four feet. The side-planking of the cockpit was carried
above the deck, forming a combing six inches in height; six water-tight
compartments were built in the boat, two at each end and one on each
side of the cockpit; three hundred pounds of cork were also used, so
that the boat was unsinkable. The main feature of the boat was the keel.
This was a shaft of round iron, four inches in diameter and twenty feet
long, hanging two feet below the bottom of the boat, and held in
position by five one-inch iron bars.
Our record of sensationalism at Niagara would be lacking in fulness, at
least, if mention were not made of the many gruesome suicides that have
occurred here, but we forbear. A story of what a dog endured, however,
is quite in place:
A large dog lately survived the passage over Niagara Falls and
through the rapids to the whirlpool. He was first noticed while
he was within the influence of the upper rapids. As he was
whirled rapidly down over the Falls, every one imagined that
that was the last of him. Shortly afterwards, however, he was
discovered in the gorge below the Falls vainly endeavouring to
clamber up upon some of the debris from the remains of the great
ice bridge which recently covered the water at this point, but
which had nearly all gone down the river. The news spread
rapidly through the village, and a large crowd gathered at the
shore. Strenuous efforts were made to get the struggling animal
on shore, for an animal which had gone safely over the Falls
would be a prize worth having, but without success. Finally the
dog succeeded in getting upon a large cake of ice, and floated
off upon it down towards Suspension Bridge and the terrible
Whirlpool Rapids. Information of the dog's coming was telephoned
to Suspension Bridge village, and a large crowd collected on the
bridge to watch for the coming wonder. In due time the poor
fellow appeared upon his ice-cake, howling dismally the while,
as if he appreciated the terrors of his situation. An
express-train crossing the bridge at the time stopped in order
to let the passengers witness the unusual spectacle. Round and
round whirled the cake, in a dizzy way, and louder and more
prolonged grew the howls of the poor dog. As the influence of
the Whirlpool Rapids began to be felt, the cake increased in
speed, whirled suddenly into the air, broke in two, and the dog
disappeared from view. No one thought that he could possibly
survive the wild rush through the rapids. When, therefore, word
was received that the dog was in the whirlpool, still living,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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