The Van Buren press., 1859-09-07
From The BmGalo Courier. Aagust Is.
Blondin Carrying Man Across Nj
agaYa Falls on his Back.

Blondin Carrying Man Across Nj
agara Falls on his Back.
Probably the largest crowd that ever as
scmblcd at Niagara Falls was present there
yesterday to witness Mons. Blondin cross
the Niagara river upon his rope, carrying a
man upon his shoulders.
About half-pst four o'clock NJ. Blondin
entered the enclosure, and proceeded to the
end of the rope on the american side. His
appearance vas the signal Of general
cheering, which was responded to from tho
other side of the river. He was dressed as
on former occasions, in silk tights, bare
headed, and had on his feet rough dressed
buckskin shoes. In a few minutes after his
arrival, he assembled the rope with his bal
ancing pole, AMI started to cross the river
alone. Before leaving he tied pad of pa
pers around his waist. After proceeding
about one hundred feet he stopped. swung
| one loot and then the other, and then walk
ing along fifteen Or tp'eE. y feet. stopped and
stood upon his head-his head resting on
the balancing pole which lay across the
rope, the ends supported on the guy ropes.
He then ran along the rope, stood upon his
head-sat down--turned sommcrsets back
wards and forwards, and proceeded to tho
middle of the river where there are no guys
lie here laid down on the rope on his back
at full length, stood on his head ? laid his
balancing pole across the rope and stood
upon it with one foot, his hands laying by
his side. He then passed along the rope to
where the guys on the Canada side wero
fastened, and laid down his balancing pole
He now returned with his body suspended
beneath the rope, running along with his
hands and feet as an ape to the middle of
the rope, between the guys. He here went
through with all the ieats attempted by
tight rope performers, such as hanging by
one foot then the other, by one hand, then
dropping his body down full length below
the rope anil whirling round, resting his
breast upon the rope and with arms and
legs extended as if in the act of swimming.
He hung by both arms and then passed his
body between his arms and the rope, and in
fact performing all feats ever accomplished
by the most agile tight rope performers
He then returned to where his balancing
pole was, took it up, and crossed to the
Canada bank, stopping several times to turn
sommcrsets, stand upon his head, upon ono
! foot, and to lay down upon the rope. Upon
| his reaching the Canada shore he was re-
ceivcd with tremendous cheers from the
crowd, and the locomotives on the bridge
and on both sides of the river responded
with their whistles.
NJ. Blondin occupied something over half
an hour in crossing, most of the time being
spent in his performances on the rope. lie
remained upon the Canada side to rest and
refresh himself some fifteen or twenty min
utcs, and then again appeared upon the rope.
This time he had his agent, Mr. Henry Col
cord, a man weighing about 136 pounds,
his hack and hic ha1ancin.r ,a1, IN,
his hands. lie proceeded down the rope
very slowly and cautiously, as if feeling ev-
cry step, until he was about one hundred
feet from the Canada side, when Mr. Col
cord dismountcd and stood upon the rope
Immediately behind NJ. Blondin They
here remained to rest probably three or four
minutes, when Mr.. Colcord again mounted,
and NJ. Blondin proceeded, still walking
very slowly, and stopping occasionally to
balance himself. They stopped five times
in crossing, and each time MIR. Colcord di
mounted, and again resumed his position.
He had his arms around NJ. Blondins neck
and his legs rested on the balancing pole
He was in his shirt sleeves, and wore a
straw hat. About Twenty-Five minutes
were occupied in accomplishing the first half
or t..ic rome. and the balance In twenty,
making forty-two minutes from bank to
bank.
For some seconds before the American
shore was reached the crowd gathered around
the end of the rope became very noisy, and
good deal Of excitement prevailed, and
when he reached the staging on this side in
safety the vast crowd shouted with the great
est enthusiasm.
On reaching the landing M. Blondin was
much flushed and appeared very much IA
tigued, while Mr.. Colcord was pale but did
not betray any signs of fear, 1t was about
half past six o'clock when he reached this
side, and the trains which had been detain-
ed and were ready started Immediately for
their several destinations with probably fivo
thousand persons.
The daring feat was most successfully ac-
complished, and we understand NJ. Blondin
will repeat it on Wednesday of next week.
ES- How many thousand stitches are
there in garment! Yet when YOU look at
it, you don't see one-all Won see is the gar
ment; but every one of them was neccsss-
ry So events, are nut separate stitches in
the great garment which God is making
and though now all that we sec is the events