The first major adrenalin junkie extreme sport?

[ozzy72]

On this day in 1889 Mr Carlisle Graham became the first man to go over Niagra Falls in a barrel and live! Although his recovery crew thought him dead rather than just knocked insensible!
The cooper (barrel maker) constructed his craft from oak and home made metal hoops. He had just two handles to hold onto inside the barrel.
He went over the falls 3 times in total and let Martha Wagenfuhrer borrow it so she could become the first women to do this slightly daft stunt!
All the papers of the day criticised him for his antics... boring people journalists