The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-07-13
The Great Tight Rope Feat.

From the New York 7'rbune's special
correspondent at Niagara, we are put in
possession of the details of the late daring
and fool-hardy tight-rope feat of NJ. Blon-
din, the Frenchman. E-.,E-- sa-
NIAGARA FALLS, Thursday, June 80.
This afternoon NJ. Emile Blondin sue
cessfully accomplished the terrific under
taking of crossing the Niagara River on
tight-rope, at height of enc hundred
and 6fty-one feet above the rushing tor
rent below. As mere fool.hardy ex.
plot, this fest has seldom beer equaled, |
and as an exhibition of nerve it stands |
without a parallel. ~ ~ !
M. Blondin is now thirty six years old,
weighs one hundred and forty.two pounds,
and is about five feet eight inches in
height. He is blonde, his hal. and eye
being very light; he wears q tight tuft of
hair on his chin, but no whiskers, his eye
is light gray, very keen and piercing, and
his manner is that man perfectly self
possessed and with the most complete
confidence in himself .....-'
Several days were passed iu getting a
small rope, seven.eighths of an inch in
diameter, across the river, it was at last
accomplished by putting the end in a
small boat above the point it was desired
to reach, and paying ont the rope as two
stout rowers urged the boat to the oppo-
site side. Some idea may be formed of
the swiftness of the current at this place,
when it is stated that though the boat
started half mile above the desired spot,
the rowers we're barely able by the most
strenuous .exertions to accomplish the
l,1OO feet before they were swept down
to the proper point. This small rope was
several times broken, but was finally safe
ly stretched from bank to bank.
The large rope was delayed week or
two beyond the appointed time; but final
ly reached Niagara Falls on Wednesday.
the 22d, when it was placed on q cart.
surmounted with q flag, and driven in
triumph through the town. 1t is three
and quarter inches in diameter, is thir-
teen hundred feet long, and, with the
twenty-seven hundred feet of guy-ropes
necessary to steady it, cost $500. 1t was
, made in two sections, and was spliced by
+ an opportune sailor, who happened to be
, at the village. The day after it was spill.
ced it was fastened to q small rope that
+ was already spanning the gulf, and haul.
ed across. While in the act of doing
this, NJ Blondin was beset with some
|, difficulties, which he overcome in the mos
: cool and daring manner. As before sta
ted, he used the small cable to draw th'
4 larger one over. When the larger CABLE
= had been drawn to within two or thre,
= hundred feet of the Canadian bank, th
h small rope gave signs of breaking unde
!. the immense weight of the large cable
!. and it was feared that it would not be o
!. sufficient strength to support the la.g
~ rope to the reach of the operators on tn
!. bank. Had the rope broken, all thei
~ previous labor had been vain. in thi
crisis, NJ. Blondin rushed to the rescue Q
in his treasured rope; attaching q cord
=. his body, he went out on the small rop
,s until he came to the large one, to whic
"a be fastened another and stronger rope, b
of which the main cable was at last safel
! hauled ashore. The shore was lined wit
70 astonished spectators who witnessed thi
:, hazardous feat and who were then at ono
"A cured of all their skepticism as to n
"a Blondin's ability to walk across the rive
"A or do anything else on rope that
= might see fit>to undertake. Everythir
.. was now in readiness, and the day for Il
70 grand experiment was fixed on Thursda
ls the 3Oth of June. .feaF
no The time intervening between the Fl
,e. ling the main cable aud the day for Il
he performance of the feat, was occupied
ce fastening number of guy-ropes to Il
N. rocks and to trees, and other immoveat
,er points on the shore from the main ro
his the object being. of course, to stea'
,as the large rope SO as to render it as firm
eet was consist ent with the unstable natu
by of the slender pathway. The steadyi
ropes were fastened every eighteen fl
- along the large one, twenty.nine of th'
,h. leading to the Canadian shore and twent
len Eve to the American bank. Besides the
nv. four heavy ropes, nearly the size of
ave udIu OuC, WCIO otGoVuVu w ~ ~ suO
eth tance of two hundred feet from ca
md other, and descended thence to huge rot
,til on the very edge ofthe river far below.
hen Thus, it will be seen that NJ. Biz
nv din, having once resolved to undertake
for feat, ran no unnecessary risk, but mi
wu. his precarious promenade as safe as p
tho sble. While the whole was in readin'
it was found that the detection fror
,me stright line was in the middle of the 70
for sixty feet, being some ten feet more Il
ain. had been at first anticipated, but it '
cad found impractible to strain the rope
. greater degree of tensenessi for fea
breaking it. NJ. Rlondip personally
y -. perintended ell the arrangements,
oms every preparation, however seemingly
ncs important. was carried on under biz
nii. mediate supervision, Thsre was
and more disappointment about the Il
which was fixed for Tuesday, the 9
but was afterward postponed: tih Th
lday, the 3Oth, to-day, whe@ exerytl