ANNIE EDSON TAYLOR beginner level THE WOMAN WHO WENT OVER NIAGARA IN A BARREL Facts and photos : http://www.bay-journal.com/bay/1he/people/fp-taylor-annie.html
Annie was born in 1839. She studied to become teacher. She met a man called David Taylor from New York. He was older than Annie who was 17. They got married and had a son, but he died only a few days old. In 1864, Annie suddenly became a widow. David was killed in the Civil War. Annie needed money to live a good life. She traveled all over the country to get a job and earn some money.
One day she read an article in a newspaper about Niagra Falls. She had an idea to make money. She was going to get famous and get a lot of money. Annie made a barrel design. A man help her to build the barrel. Then, she contacted a well known man who helped her plan the trip.
On October 24, 1901 a small group of men and reporters had come to the Niagara falls. They wanted to see her trip over the falls. Most of them thought that she was crazy and that she was going to get killed.
Two men put the barrel over the side of the boat into the water and held it while Annie climbed inside. The trip would take about 18 minutes. Annie sat inside the darkness of her small barrel. She could hear that she came closer to the edge of the Falls. Suddenly the barrel fell to the bottom of the fall. Many thought that Annie was dead and that the barrel in a hundred pieces.
After a little while they could see the barrel. But what about Annie? A boat and some men got hold of the barrel. They quickly opened the lid. "My God, she's alive!" -- shouted a man. Annie said"Nobody should ever to do that again."
Annie was shaken and had some bad bruises. She thought that she was going to get rich but she didn’t. Annie tried selling things from the trip. She spoke in front of groups. But, she didn’t get much money from that. Annie died poor in 1921. Her tripdidn’t make her rich but put her into history books forever.