This is meant for beginners in English. If it could be read as if you were telling a story to kids that would be great. Thank you
Annie was born in Auburn NY, less than 20 miles from Niagara Fall. Her father died when she was 12 but left enough money for her to finish her studies and become a schoolteacher.When she was studying, She met David Taylor, they got married and had a son who died in infancy. Unfortunately David died in the Civil war.
Annie had very little money and worried about her old age.She decided to take action........ She would be the first person to ride the Niagara Falls in a barrel.
She decided to use a barrel made of wood and iron. It was padded with a mattress and equipped with an anvil to keep it upright. She gave the barrel a trial run before leaving. She put her cat inside, her pet survived. She decided to go!
On her 63rd birthday, Oct 24th 1901, Annie walked to her barrel. Several thousands of people came to see her. After closing the lid, her friends used a bicycle pump to compress the air inside. Annie was taken to the American shore.
The ride took less then 20 minutes. Rescuers reached the barrel. Annie was alive and safe. According to reports on the event, Annie said "I prayed every second I was in the barrel except for a few seconds after the fall when I went unconscious"she added "Nobody ought ever to do that again".
Annie earned money speaking about her experience but she was never rich. Her manager stole her barrel and she spent most of her money hiring detectives to find him. Annie died in 1921 aged 82.
18 people tried to ride Niagara Falls in a barrel after Annie. 4 died, 6 were stopped and 8 succeeded and lived
It is now illigal to try any Niagara Falls stunts. It is punishable with imprisonment and fines
