Backflip With Chip – Oct 24 1901, Daredevel Anna Edson Taylor First Person To Go Over Niagara Falls In A Wooden Barrel

Oct 24, 1901 - Daredevil Anna Edson Taylor became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. She was 63 years old.  Desiring to secure her later years financially, and avoid the poorhouse, she decided she would be the first person to ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Taylor used a custom-made barrel for her trip, constructed of oak and iron and padded with a mattress. Several delays occurred in the launching of the barrel, particularly because no one wanted to be part of a potential suicide. Two days before Taylor's own attempt, a domestic cat was sent over the Horseshoe Falls in her barrel to test its strength. Contrary to rumors at the time, the cat survived the plunge unharmed and later was posed with Taylor in photographs.  Be a winner with the Classic Rewards Club online, just enter today's keyword barrel.  Good luck and thanks for listening.