Stunts - Barrels, Part 2
Jean Lussier
Jean Lussier's ball on the crest of the Falls.
Lussier with his rubber ball.
Lussier exiting his ball after his stunt.
Jean Lussier's interest in conquering the falls came after hearing about another stunters, Charles Stephens, tragedy in Niagara Falls.
Instead of a barrel, Lussier made his craft out of rubber. The rubber ball was 6' in diameter, lined with 32 inner tubes for shock protection, and had enough oxygen to survive for 40 hours.
Lussier was not sponsored nor was his act advertised. He was forced to elude the police in order to get his craft in the water.
On July 4th, 1928, he and his rubber ball went over Horseshoe Falls.
His stunt did attract a crowd that was interested in seeing if he would survive in a ball of rubber, and afterwards, Lussier sold pieces of the rubber ball to tourists to make a profit.
Even when he ran out rubber, Lussier sold pieces of tire that he bought from a tire store [12].
William "Red" Hill, Jr.
William Hill Jr. standing by "The Thing".
Hill posing inside of "The Thing".
Driving "The Thing" during Hill's funeral a week after his failed stunt.
Bringing "The Thing" up the bank after Hill's death.
Bringing "The Thing" up the bank after Hill's death.
William "Red" Hill, Jr. came from a family of stunters. His father, William "Red" Hill, Sr. successfully rode a barrel over the falls in 1930 to a crowd of thousands.
However, Hill did not have the funds nor support to construct a barrel, so instead built what he referred to as "The Thing".
"The Thing" was 13 heavy duty inner tubes bound together by 3" wide canvas webbing, which was encased in fish netting.
On August 5, 1951, Hill rode over Horseshoe Falls to a crowd of thousands. Since his father was well known, spectators wanted to watch the son.
After going over the falls, "The Thing" got caught in the extreme pressure of the water and was torn apart.
The next day Hill's body was found by the Maid of the Mist dock [13].
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Following William "Red" Hill Junior's death, there was a public outcry over his death and the deaths of countless other stunters.
This outcry resulted in an order to the directors of the Niagara Parks Commission to arrest anyone that was attempting to perfrom a stunts within Niagara Park.
Since 1951, it is illegal to perform stunts within the park [14].
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[12] "Daredevils of Niagara Falls"
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.