Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-07-08
BIondin on the Tight Rope.
.rosnondence N. Y. Tribune.

c,rrespOndenCe N. 7. Tribune.
OV'''~r NIAGARA FALLS, June 30 1859.
This afternoon NJ Emile Blondin successfully accom-
,pd the terrific undertaking of crossing the Niagara
B!or on a tight rope at height of one hundred and
a ear.one feet above the rushing torrent below As
w. oohardy exploit this feat has seldom been equall
IN and IS an exhibition of nerve it stands without
ooIp This single rope is three and quarter inches
5oueter is 1900 feet long, and with the 200 feet of
ropes necessary to steady it, cost $780, and looked
Eo mere thread spanning the chasm, which is eleven
red feet wide and one hundred and fifty feet Deep
IIncb the bottom of the abyss the Niagara River at
F Mace of an unknown and unreasonable depth rush
along with furious swftnesS to the whirlpool below
G slightest miStep of the foolhardy adventurer would
Evo hurled him from his precarious footing and he
rarH have disappeared from mortal eyes until his man
We'd body should be picked up far below, probably in
Ito Ontario x X The~mOrning broke bright
dn3 beauul few hazy clouds were in the sky, lust
enough to hide the too ardent rays of the there was
most refreshing breeze, and the day was such that
1ter could not have been desired. At an early hour
tn crowd began to collect. Every train that arrived
from every direction, brought its proportion of eager
oratOr and every sort of vehicle that Indigenous
Yankee land seemed to be pressed into the service to
convey their quota Of people who to compose the
immense (fOr our provincial town. crowd OF people who
oagrcgaed here to witness this most daring of all the
i,obarlv fcatS of modern times. AT noon the crowd
ronned to more than 5000 persons, exclusive of the
usually quiet of this village who are generally not rous
1 from their customary quieSCence by anything less e
citing than the moral peril OF some unhappy who
las becn enrapped into the upper rapids and is about
to be hurried over the Falls The noon trains brought
GREAT augmentation of the already large gathering and
from that time till p NJ constant additions were made
+, the crowd Rv 5 o'clock the Impotence of the as
nbv had reached its height and it was estimated that
this time the crowd amounted to twelve thousand peo-
r'r which, the population of this village falls some
what short Of two thousand, is doing pretty we'll They
were not by any eqaly distributed, there being
riOht thousand m Canada side while fOTr
thousand or Whereabouts cOngregaed the Ameri-
can shore. This IS partially accounted for by the fact
that the American end OF the rope is anchored in plea
,1rcgrOund the admtance to which charged at twenty
five cents while Canadian ntighbOrs have the advau-
gc Ofee admission to the inspection of the rope and
gthocuntO apperaining The crowd, though large, was
avery quiet One and no fighting ieeling of any sort
married the general good temper OF the occasion very
large proportion OF the persons present ladies, who
were delighted with the days entertainment.
At precisely haEpast four O'clock NJ Blondin appear
in the pleasure garden, where the American end of
the rope was fastened There was a short tight-rOpe
ERECTED herein, upon which the daring Frenchman noun
ted and went through many Of his most graceful and
pleasing eats to the great admiration of the spectators
He dressed in dress similar to the one frequently
worn by acraboats and public gymnasts, viz: pink
tights bucksn moccasons and spangled tunc of yellow
six: be was bareheaded without even the llet of white
,.tlu that is frequently worn.
At Is minutes past he stepped upon the large rope,
where he COnversed few minutes with his friends in the
most cool and concerned manner having apparently no
doubt Of his successfully accomplishing this under
taking than he had of attempting it. AS he stood for
minute on the rope, before stepping out he addressed
the crowd as follows
Gentlemen, any one what please to across, carry
Linn On my back"
No one seemed disposed to accept the kind offer and
having oked few minutes longer, he at last started on
bis puOus journey. He walked rapidly and firmly, as
he had been bridge, until he chose to stop to in
duge in gymnastic evolutiOns for few minutes
He balanced himself leg, sat down. and laid down
the rope at full length then recovering himself be
walked to the middle OF the river where he again stop
ped to accomplish yet another feat now down in the bill
Here, standing the rope, with much indifference
if it a solid platform, he deliberately lowered a
small line to the little steamboat the ''Mad of the Mist
that had steamed out to that point to the line was at,
ached bottle of wine by the captain Of the boat and
the bottle being drawn up by the adventurer he opened
it, and making a comprehensive bow to both crowds on
the sides of the river he drank the health of all present
then throwing the bottle into the river he walked stop
PING no more until he reached the Canada shore. He
exactly nineteen minutes crossing the river, nclud
ing stops. On his arrival on the Canada shore he was
clcered vOCiferOuSy. He waited here about half an
hour when he prepared to return. At GAP he stepped
the rope to his return passage He rested
but once lying down on the rope for two minutes, and
accomplishing the return trip in eight minutes.
As he reached the shore the cheers and shout
Ing were almost deafening Nj. Bloudin having been
permitted an instant for refreshment was seized by
enthusiastic crowd and placed their shoulders
and borne about in triumph. He then
placed in a carriage and escorted through all the
principal streets Of the village, the crowd thrOngng hin
all sides, and cheering in the widest He
did not appear very mich exhausted and manifested nc
more tear nervousness than any ungymnastic novice
would at eating his breakfast He announces to repeat
his feat at intervals during the Summer.
Thus was successfully accomplished one of the mos
ap1lI fnatc that bace
Witnessed.