, 1859-07-04

Blondin's Tight Rope Feat !! 4!

4 ht y NEtSAk Vi OHC AuldEEA MIA u4kF-Q0
iect aboVe the rushing torrent below i
= most fool~larly exploit, this feat has seldo,
been equaled, and as au exhibition of nerve, j
| stands without parallel.
When II. Bloud1n went to N;agora early i,
tue present month to make preparations for hi
late ac!iievement, the persons 10 whom he frs
mentioned his plan Of crossing the river on
rope, rery naturally regarded him rs mad1nan
bIlt they little knew The determined characte
Of the little Frenchman. After number o
days, ttey were convinced that he really iutend
cd to make the attempt he spoke Of, and 1teI
they looked on him with wonder. Having cal
culated the length Of the rope, be ut once or
dcred it from New York, and while awaitip. Il,
coming he set himself abou: lis preparations lii
tirtt intention 10 anchor one end OF his corr
OIL Goat Island, and srttch it thence to the banl
near the Clifton HOUSE, right ucrass through ttt
jaws Of the Horse Shoe Falls. He did not antic
irate anv danger from the mist and spray
which would keep tue rope constantly wet, and
whicl. might partially obscure his vision. lie
thought j. quito easy to preserve his cquanimits
even in the yery mouth Of the caturact, mud had
nm thought that his self-possesslon would be in
tie least disturbed by its terrific soar. His plan
Of building his frail bridge between these tvo
points, was, however. frustrated by the owuera
Of Goat Island, tho Mcssrs. Porter, who refused
him permission TO fix the end Of bis ropc on
tlle Island, on the plea that tl,ev would moi be
assured in the crcnt Of his making The fearful
trial- Thus rcbudcd, II. Dlondin was con,peltc,l
I" Iuok out a new place, for he had nu idea of
giving up lis scheme. lie at last pitched upon
4 spot half way between ttc fa|is aud tic :5us-
pension bridge, being a mile and quarter
below the falls. At this point the bank On the
Canada shore is 40 feet higll, md III the Amer
tancc in straight line from the Two points
where it would be necessary to tx the rope is a
ttide over H. 100 feet. So bcavy rope As would
lie strong enough to sustain its own weight
across 10 wide chusn, would necessarily have
IL wide DETECTION from perfectly straight 1ine
Il. Hlondin estimated that it would " sa:. more
thnn fifty feet III the middle, 50 that 1lsteud Of
having q level road to wall, he would hare down
hill trarel at the commencement Of lis journey,
and, Of course. an Up hill walk rs SOON as lie
PASSED the middle Of the rope"
Several days were passed in getting small
rope. sercn-eigllths Of an inch In diameter,
acrnss the river; it was ut last accomplished ty
putting the end in small boat aLovc the point
it was desired to reach, and paying out the rope
rs two stout rowers urged the boat to the oppo-
site side. Some idea NAV be for1nc.l Of fhc
swiEtness Of the current at this plrce, when il is
statcd that though the boat started halt u milo
above the desired spot, the rowcrs were tnrcly
able by the most strenuous e1ertions to accunl-
rlish the 100 feet before they were swept down
to the proper point This small rope WIS seyc-
ral times broken. but was finally safely stretched
from bank to bank.
The large rope was delayed a week or two be-
y,oaud the appointed time. but finally reached
Niagara Falls village on Wednesday, the sad.
when It was placed On u cart, surrnountcd with
q Eas, and driven in triumph through, the town.
It is three aud quarter inches in diameter,
il 300 feet long, and, with the 2,s6V feet OF
guy-ropes necessary to steady it, cost $3.50. 1t
NH eorffnFH 1.,-
IN oppnrtune sailor wl'o happened TO he ut
the village The DAY after it was spiiccd.
il Was fastened 10 the small rope that wos
already SPINNING the gulf, and lautcd across.
While in the act Of performing this. Nous
1:loutin was beset with some difficulties wl!icl,
lie osercame in the most cool and daring man.
ncr. As before stated, be used the small cable
10 draw the 1aTee ono over. When the large
cable had been drawn to within 200 or 800 feet
II the Canadian bank, the small rope eavc signs
Of breaking unsier the immense weight Of The
large cable, and it was feared it would not be Of
sufficient strength 10 support the large rope to
the reach Of the operators on the bunk. Had
The rope broken, all their previous labor Ind
been III vain. In this cricis II. Blondin rushed
I" tho rescue Of his treasured rope; attaching
cord 10 Ills body, l,o went out on the small
rope till he came to lie large otic, TO which lIe
fastened another md stronger rope, by which
the main cai,lc WIS ut last safely 1auled ashore.
The shore was lined with nstopishcd spectators,
who witnessed this hazardous feat, and who
were then vt once cured Of all their skept;cism
"a to II. lllondtn's nbility to walk across the
river, Or do anything else on i rope that he
might see tit 10 undertake. Everything was
now in readiness. aud the day for the grand cx-
''"riment was fixed for Thursday, the 30ih Of
June.
The time intervening between the fixing of
the main ca'Ilc md the day Of the performance
,xFt -, I t.e
If -rnpcs to the rucks mud to trees, md other
;rn,noyabte points on the sforc from the main
rope, the Object being Of course to 20 steady
lie large rope as 10 render it as firm ns wns con-
sistent with the unstable rature Of tic slender
pathway The kteadfing ropes were fastened
cvcry eighteen feet along the large ono, twcnty-
nine Of them leading to the Canada shore, ard
these, four hcasy ropes. nearly the size OF the
tna'n one. were attached to it at a distance If
two hundred feet from each other. and descend
cd tllencc to huge rocks on the very edge Of
the river fur below Thus, It will bc seen that
II. Hondn having once resolved % undertake
the feat ran No unnecessary risk, but made bis
prrcarious promenade as safe as possible.
When the whole WIS in readiness it was found
that the detection from straight line was in
the middle Of the rope, sixty feet, being some
tcn feet more than had been at first aDticiratcd.
hut it was found impracticable to strain the
rope to greater degree Of tcnseness for fear Of
breaking it. II. BlondIn personally surcrin.
tended ill the arrangements, and every rtepara.
ton, however seemingly uai1nportant, WIS car
ricd On under his immediate supervision. There
was one more disappointment about the time.
Which was fixed for Tuesday. the 18th. hut
Mrs allcward postponed to Thursday. tic Svt1.
today, when. everything being ready, II. D!on-
din announced himself as ready to proceed.
As muv be readily supposed, the whole enun-
try round WIS in state of great excitement,
and many were tho prorhesies that he wo I'D
nescr be able 10 accomplish it; fhat he ncrer
would try; that it was all q swindje: tl1at he
Hut the possibility Of l,is failure and consenucnt
dealt, seemed TO Ge new element Of attractive
ness, Judging from the great crowd assemb]cd.
The morning broke bright and beautiful. a
fer ltaxv clouds we're in the SKI. lust cnnn~l, In
hidc the too urdent rays of liz snn, liz ia
o'clock the i,npatience Of the assemflr lad
reached It's hight, and it was Estimated That nj
this time the crowd amounted 10 twelve thou
and neop]c. They wer. mt hr onr ,,asn.
enually distributed. therc being nhont c;cht
tlioussnd on the Canada side. wli]e but f,ur
thousand .serc concrecatcd on the Amcr;coT, :,
shore.
At precisely lIalf-past four o'clock. II. BIondin
appeared in the pleasure garden. wl.ere the
American end of tue rome was fastened. Therc
was short tight rupe erected l,errin. unon
which the daring Frenchmau mounted md went
through many Of his most graceful and PLEASING
iea,s, to the great admiration of The spcct ta,ors'
lie was dressed in dress similar to tfe one fre.
ouentIy worn by acrnbats md nnbIic nrmnasts
riz: mink tights, buckskin mocrasius. aufi snan.
cicd tupio Of yellow silk: he va. barehrnded
opently worn.
A. * .,,;nutas ,,ssf In e+o,.r.a x,n... 81,