Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-07-09
M. Blondin's Tight-Rope Feat.
NIAeRA FAILS, June 30.

A'iAuuA IALLs; 'uHU i've
This afternoon NJ. Emile Blondin successful
ly accomplished the terrific undertaking o
crossing the Niagara River, on a Tight Rope
at hight of one hundred and flfty-one fee
above the rushing torrent below. As mer,
foolhardy exploit, il has no equal-as ali ex
hibition of nerve it stands without parallel
The most daring performers on the tight rope
have never attempted any thing approaching
this performance in difficulty and danger. Il
is true that dangerous ascensons have beer
frequently made from the ground to the tops
of lofty spires, or masts of vessels, and that
crossings have been successfully attempted
from the top of one high building to another
upon a single rope, but all these exploits sink
into insignificance by the side of tho Niagara
Falls, achievement. The single rope looked
like mere thread spanning the ehasm, which
is ! 100 feet wide and $50 feet deep. Through
the bottom of the abyss the Niagara River at
that place of an unknown and undesirable
DEPTH PUSHES along with furious swiftnes to
the whirlpool below the slightest misstep of
4 the foolhardy adventurer would have hurled
him from his preearious footing, and he would
have disappeared from mortal eyes until his
mangled body should be picked up far below,
probably in Lake Ontario. But this catas-
trophe did not enter into the calculation of NJ.
Blondin; he did not propose to fall he had
stretched his rope across the river to walk up
OH and not to tumble from, and the result
proved that his dependence on his self-pos-
session and sure-footedness was not misplaced.
NJ. Blondin is a Frenchman by BIRTH and
has been for several years familiar to the in
habitants of the principal cities in America as
a public performer, and his marvellous feats
on the rope have been the wonder OF all who
have beheld them.
He pitched upon spot half way between
the Falls and the Suspension Bridge, being a
mile and quarter below the Falls. At this
point the bank on the Canada shore is 40 feet
high, and on the American side is 16G feet
above the water. The distance in straight
line from the two points where it would be
necessary to fix the rope is trife over l. 100
feet. So heavy rope as would be strong
enough to sustain its own weight across so
wide chasm, would necessarily have wide
detection from perfectly straight line NJ.
Blondin estimated that it would "sag more
than fifty feet in the middle, so that instead
of having a level road to walk he would have
down-hill travel at the commencement of his
journey, and, of course, an uphill walk as
soon as he passed the middle of the rope.
Several days were passed in getting a small
rope, seven-eights 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 out
the rope as two stout rowers urged the boat
to the opposite side. Some idea may be form
ed Of the swiftness of the current at this
place; when it is stated that though the boat
started half a mile above the desired spot, the
rowers were barely able by the most strenuo-
us exertions to accomplish the 900 feet be-
fore they were swept down to proper point
This small rope was several times broken, but
was finally safely stretched from bank to bank.
The large rope is three and quarter inches
in diameter, is 1900 feet long, and, with the
2,700 feet of guy-ropes necessary to steady it,
cost $3.50. 1t was made in two sections, and
was spliced by an opportune sailor who hap
pened to be at the village. The day after il
was spliced it was fastened to the small rope
that was already spanning the gulf, and haul
ed across,
When the large cable had been drawn TO
within 200 or 300 feet of the Canadian bank,
the small rope gave signs Of breaking under
the immense weight of the large cable, and il
was feared that it would not be of sufficient
strength to support the large rope to the reach
of the operators on the bank. Had the rome
broken, all their previous labor had been in |
vain. In this crisis Mr.. Blondn rushed to the
rescue of his treasured rope attaching a cord |
to his body, he went out on the small rope |
until he came TO the large one, to which he |
fastened another and stronger rope, by which |
the main cable was at last safely hauled a.
shore, was lined with astonished spectators.
who witnessed this hazardous feat, and who
where then at once cured of all their skep-
ticism as to NJ. Blondn's ability to walk across
the river, or do anything else on rope that
he might see fit to undertake. Eyerything
was now i'll readiness and the day for the
grand experiment was fixed for Thursday, the
Both of June.
The time intervening between the fixing Of
the main cable and the day for the perfor
nance of the feat was occupied in fastening n
number OF guy-ropesto the rocks and to trees.
and other immovable points on the shore from
the main rope, the object being of course to
so steady the large rope as to render it as
irm as was consistent with the unstable ma
turc of the slender pathway The steadyinc
ropes were fastened every eighteen feet along
The large one, twenty-nne of them leading to
he Canadian shore and twenty-five to the
American bank. Besides these, four heavy
ropes, nearly the size Of the main one, were
attached to it at the distance of two hundred
feet from each other; and descended thence
20 huge rocks OH the very edge Of the river
far below. Thus, 1t will be seen that M,
Blondin having once resolved to undertake
he feat run no unnecessary risk, but made
MS precarious prominade as safe as possible.
When the whole was in readiness it was found
hat the detection from straight line was in
he middle OF the rope, sixty feet being some
EN- feet more than had been at first antici-
oated, but it was found impracticablet to strain
he rope to greater degree of tenseness for
ear of breaking it.
At precisely half-past four O'Clock. Mr..
5londin appeared in the pleasure garden,
where the american end of the rope was fas- /,
ened. There was short tight-rope erected {
ierein, upon the daring Frenchman mounted
md went through many of his most graceful '
md pleasing feats, to the great admiration of
he spectators. He was dressed similar to the
me frequently worn by acrobats and public
viz pink tights, buckskin moe
asins, and spangled tunic of yellow silk: he
vas bareheaded, without even the fllet of
white satin that is frequently worn. =
AT 10 minutes past 5 he stepped upon the
arge rope, where he conversed few minutes 9
With his friends in the most cool and uncon-
erned manner, having apparently no more C
oubt OF his successfully accomplishing This d
Undertaking than he had of attempting it.
Is he stood for minute on the rome. before =
topping out, he addressed the crowd Is follows:
Gentlemen, any one what please to cross, t
carry him on my back" /,
No one seemed disposed to accent the kind
fer, and having joked few minutes longer, :,
e at last started on his perilous journey
lie walked rapidly and firmly, as if he had I
cen on bridge, until he chose to stop to in Y
ulge in some gymnatsic evolntions for few
minutes. He balanced himself on one leg.
at down, and laid down on the rope at full u
myth, then, recovering himself, he walked TO r.
ne middle Of the river, where he again stomp
l to accomplish yet another feat not down !.
the bill. Here, standing on the rope, with