New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-07-11

NIAGARA RIVER CROSSED ON A raREgIycH
CABLE

Greatest Tight-Rope Feat Of the Age.
NIAGARA RIVER CROSSED ON THRERIscH
CABLE.
The rope on which Mons Blondin danced across
the Niagara river on the Both nit was 1900 feet long
81 inches in diameter and with the 2700 feet Of guy
ropes necessary to steady it, cost $3.50. The N. z.
Tribune sent special reporter to witness the won.
derfal and daring feat, and from his volumnous &C.
count we extract the following:
a. BE a. last pitched upon spot half way between
sua1er Seo sp1 s being mile and
the Canada shore il ITO feet high md on the Amer;
can side 160 feet above the water The distance in
straight line from the two points where Il would be
necessary to fix the rope Is tr1e over HOO feet al
heavy rope as would be strong enough to susain ts
own weight across 30 wide chasm, would neces.a,;,v
have wide DETECTION from perfectly straight iine
n. Bondin estimated that it would /" sag' more Dan
fifty feet in the middle that instead OF having
level road to walk be would have down-hin travel i
the commencement Of bis journey and Of course. ~
uphill walk az soon as he passed the middle OF the
rope.
seveneghths Of inch 10 diameter across the river
it was At last accomplished by putting the end 10 1
small boat above the point it was desired to reach
The time intervening between the fixing Of the
main cable and the day for the performance Of the
feat was occupied in fastening number Of guyropes
to the rocks and to trees and other mmovabe points
on the shore from the main rope, the object being Of
course to 80 steady the large rope as to render It
firm as was consistent with the unstable nature of the
slender pathway. The steadyng ropes were fastened
every eighteen feet along the large one, twentynine
Of them leading to the Canadian shore and twenty
FIVE to the American bank Besides these four heavy
ropes nearly the size Of the main 0ne were attached
to it at the distance Of two hundred feet from each
other, and descended thence to huge rocks, on the
very edge Of the river far below. Thus, it will be
seen that NJ Blondin, having once resolved to under
precarious promenade safe ~ possible. When the
whole was in readiness it found that the dedec-
ton from atraight line was in the middle Of the
rope sixty feet being some ten feet more than had
been At rst anticipated, bot It was found imprsctc
able to strain the rope to greater degree Of enseness
iof lear OF breaking it. N. Blondin personally super
intended all the arrangements and every preparation
| however seemingly unimportant, was carried on
under bis immediate supervision
At precisely halfpaat O'Clock, Mr.. Blondin 40.
peared in the pleasure garden, where the American
end Of the rope was fastened. There was short
| tightrope erected herein, upon which the daring
most graceful and pleasing eats to the great admira,
ton Of the spectators. He was dressed in q dress
similar tothe onefrequenly wornby acrobats and pub
lie gymnasts, viz: pink tights buckskin moccasins,
ed. without even the et Of white satin that is fire..
| quently worn.
At fifteen minutes past s, be stepped upon the
large rope, where he conversed few minutes with
having apparently no more doubt Of his successfully
accomplishing this undertaking than he had of at
tempting it. As he stood for moment on the rope,
before stepping ont, he addressed the crowd az fol
lows: -..
Gentlemen, any one what please to across, I carry
him on my back
No one seemed disposed to accept the kind offer,
| and having joked few minutes longer, he at last
and firmly, fhe had been BRIDGE until be chose
to stop to indulge nsome gymnastic evolutions for
few minutes. He balanced himself on one leg, sat
down. and laid on the rope at full length; then re.
| covering himself, he walked to the middle Of the
river, where he again stopped to accomplish yet
another feat not down in the bill. Here, standing
on the rope, with much indifference as II it was
solid platform, be deliberately lowered small line to
steamed out to that point; to the line attached
bottle Of wine by the captain of the boat, and the
bottle being drawn up by the adventurer, be opened
it, and making comprehensive bow to both crowds
present; then throwing the bottle into the
river, he walked on, stopping no more until
he reached the Canada shore. He was exactly
nineteen minutes crossing the river, including
cheered vociferousy. He waited here about half an
hour when he prepared to return. At 6:42 he step
ped on the rope to commence his return. He rested
but once, lying down on the rope for two minutes,
and accomplishing the return trip in eight minutes
| AS soon as he reached the shore, the cheers and
shouting were almost deafening. NJ Blondin, having
been permitted instant for rereshment was seized
by the enthusiastic crowd and placed their shout
ders and borne about in triumph. He was Their
placed in carriage and escorted through all the
principal streets of the village the crowd throngine
him on all sides, and cheering in the widest manner
He did not appear very much exhausted, and mani
tested no more fear or nervousness than any ungym
nastic novice would at eating his breakfast. He an
nounces his determination to repeat his feat at inter
walls during the summer.
We presume that Blondin carried the balance pole
generally indispensable in tight rope performances
but the Tribune's reporter says nothing about it.