Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-07-08
Great Feat--Tne Niagara River
Crossed On 4 Tiehf-Rene,

= IA "a 40 G-ASS Z
SHr the. Both at. II. Blondin, a Frenefrra1p
performed tie eStfsforT7is nary feat of crossing tbs
Niagara river. The cable on which he crossed
is stretched over the gorge nearly midway be.
tween the Falls and the Suspension Bridge, al
a point where the baa14sss OBJ both sides int ont
Boldly, considerably lcsseTnfg ther Escadth a
the furious current below. The rope; rflich is
about two inches in diamatcr, is made fast To
large trees on each side. The Canadian bank
is $50 feet alO@c Tie water; the -SmcrisaIr teG
feet. Tie rope is DETECTED over the gorge to
tie amount of full onc-third, and is secured by
ffty-seyen guys on each side, including large
guys running from near the center, downwards
stGs fastened 20 tic s5t}7s oa either side. The
| gus are all fastened to Trees on the ffces Sank
and reach from the center of the stream to a
distance of three or four hundred feet on each
side Of the point of Termination. The distance
across is about I $50 feet. an4 tse lc,eth of the
main rope is 100 feet. Vic Labor and peril
in preparing the rope for" the feat was great
Some four or five days were spent in getting
the iGGrst line across. Blondin attached all the
guy ropes himself. Some six or seven t~1ousasd
persons witnessed the daring of Mons. Blondin
on the 30th III, thus described by the Buffalo
Courier
AT 5 O'Clock the daricg Frcnchman appear
ed at the head of the cable, ana rave the signal
to fire the gum He DOTTED his pas 'c vest, cap
wig, and trousers, and appeared barehC;eded in
fcsh-colorcd shirt, tights and. hose. Monsieur
waved his hand TO the band, which struck up
I'D IEsliriEsg straiD, and Monsieur boldly started
down the rope Towards the yawning chasm at a
slow but steady pace, while every man. woman
aEk1 elsi,sl held their breath BEolnlin himself
WAS proPabiy the eezae5 and most indifferent
person in sight of the two nations The sun
about 20 degrees above the horizon, hot and
brassy, dartedhf fierce rays full in his face,
@ut he calmly and quietly pursued his way,
usifg hfs bsslaree pole, which was of enormous
lergsfs, hit very slender. On reaching tie
fourth guy, about 100 fep fro4a tive bank, he
paslsd-sat down-thel laie' e7gEn caT1plv on
his EEek, at which the whole of the immense
throseg were visibly affected with palpitation of
she heart and "cven the boldest held his breath
After & moments interval, Monsieur again
arose and walked ninbly, stopping only once
more until he reached nearly the center of the
gorge, where he balanced himself on one foot.
again laid down to rest, and finally sat up, beck
oning to the Maid of the Mist, which was be-
low with a large number of people on board to
appfoash kirl At TIE. same time he dropped
Il liae to which, when the steafseB taasn p11. was;
attached a bottle of wine, which he hoisted up
and emptied. The conclusion of this feat was
greeted with loud applause, from the assembled
throng TN both sides of the river. From this
print the ErscIleliSan made his way without
stoBEdrg, AID at rapid pace uah he reached
the opposite end s1GEs the long Fcnt- zEg, anxiety
u Tic cEDN3 foEVIR HnFat III oft repeated cheers.
a. he appr0sset 8tl the Canadian side an excel
lent brass band greeted him with "Get out of
the Wilderness" The whole time occupied in
crossing the chasre, inelmding the stoppaGeB,
wsss I7.fzz minutes &Re@ rhn- thi4g. was ac-
complished everybody knew that it woaEd be,
with scarcely an exception, each had predicted
the result All soE6sesed, hOweKeT- thsrt III vas
the most astonishing eyhi5itiorp of nerve and
daring which it had ever been their lot to wit
nrss-
On arriving at the f'anadfdrr side, ". Blon-
din gave a performance on the tight rope SINH
lar to that given previous, to the grand feat
A subscription was set on; foot for the benefit
of Mons Blondin, aad, quite il respectable susa
eollGststA-
At 6:I0 pRsisaIF. q shout fromn tue. Canadian
side recalled the spectators Tor what there was
left Of them to tue river bank, from which
Wolis- Aondin was beheld setting out OF his
return This time the passage was madp much
tElic'Eer as the daring artist only paused once,
i'll the ssidtie sf the uimar t&. rest himself, max
ing the passage III. exaetly +eYsaa minutes. He
was received on landing with shouts of applause.
the band playing Yankee Doodle, accompanied
by the shrill whistle If several locomotives.
ahtch. we're dsawn us, gA each bank in waiting.
Efe was also seized by the hac,l 10y numerous
enthusiastic believers, who warmly congratulate
ed hiap GA tbs successful teuninatiopl OF his
perilops feat
Mons Blondin received these marks of APP
probatlom With the characteristic politeness and
suavity oil % Frenchman, and when seized by
eager hands and borne in triumph on the shout
ders, OF men to- his carriage. he in no degree re-
laxed from the graceful bon hsmmter fer which
he is so utbfh distinguished LHe Appeared to
be but little fatigued or excited and said that
the only anxiety he lelt was onaceount of his
friends the spectators.
We Learn that Monsieur B1ssuAdin will give
another performance of a similar kind on the
Fourth of July, Qtonday) when the probability
is that theEe will he a largely increased atten-
dance. We should not be surprised to see him
wheeling "a borrow across the gerge in hess than
ten days with q man in it. Yhe fact is that
with a man of NJ. Blondin's nerve and ability.
there Is scarcely the shadow Of danger in the
undertaking..