People have tried to survive trips over Niagara Falls for centuries. Annie Edson Taylor was the first woman to accomplish this feat. Taylor was not happy throughout her life, despite being a well-known stuntwoman.

Annie Edson Taylor's Decision To Go Over Niagara Falls

Sam Patch, an 1829 man, leapt from a tower into the water that the falls flow into. The man survived his leap which sparked a long tradition of people trying to climb over Niagara Falls in unusual ways.

Taylor, an American widowed schoolteacher, was in serious financial trouble by 1900. Taylor decided that the only way to get enough money to support her family and to restore her life was to cross Niagara Falls in a barrel. Taylor used an oak barrel and iron to transport her over the waterfall. She then covered it with leather and added cushions.

Because no one wanted to be seen as an accomplice in what could have ended as a suicide, her trip was delayed several times. Taylor and her team did a test run with a cat two days before Taylor planned to go. The story claims that Taylor decided to take the plunge after the cat survived. Patrick Sirianni, a Canadian historian, wrote a fascinating piece on Taylor's trip. He pointed out that Taylor was not the first person to mention a cat during any of their multiple trips on the rivers.

She Survived the Trip with Only One Injury

Taylor, who was celebrating her 63rd Birthday on October 24, 1901, travelled to the top to pull off the dangerous stunt. To ensure her safety, she climbed into the barrel using only her lucky heart-shaped pillow. To pressurize the barrel, a friend screwed the lid shut with a bicycle pump.

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Taylor was free to go over Niagara Falls with the barrel. Taylor was almost unharmed, except for a small cut on her forehead, when the barrel was discovered around 20 minutes later. Sirianni discovered that Taylor had more severe head injuries and was showing signs of what could now be called a serious concussion.

The stunt was not a money-maker

Taylor was attempting to raise funds for herself but she didn't find the wealth she was looking for. Taylor made some money speaking out about her trip, and she also wrote a memoir. However, her manager stole her barrel and then disappeared. Taylor reportedly spent all of her savings on private detectives.

Taylor spent her last years photographing tourists at Niagara Falls' stand and also working as a clairvoyant. In 1921 Taylor died, penniless, and in poor health. This was reportedly due to her trauma at Niagara. After emerging from the barrel in 1901, she said to the press, "If it were with my dying breath," and that she would not recommend anyone attempt the feat. I would rather walk up to the mouths of cannons knowing they would blow me to bits than take another trip over the falls.

Taylor's daredevil act was not as lucrative as she expected and may have even cost her her life. We hope her courage and determination will live on in her legacy.

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By: India McCarty
Title: The Heartbreaking Tragedy Behind The First Person To Survive Going Over Niagara Falls
Sourced From: www.suggest.com/heartbreaking-tragedy-behind-first-person-survive-going-over-niagara-falls/2714228/
Published Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +0000

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