Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-20

NEw RopE WAIVER AT NfAaARA.--A rival
to Blopdin has arisen at the Falls. Sig
Farini made his FIRST ascension on Wednesday,
and was quite successful. His rope hangs,
with a reflection Of from sixty to seventy feet,
at safe distance therefrOm; below the town
on the American side, and perhaps a third
Of mile down the river from the Clifton
House on the Canada side tits 1900 feet
long three-stranded, of MANILA, two inches
thick, and weighing $500 lbs It is secured
bya hundred and forty guys Of iive-eights
rope, in the construction ofwhich $4,000 feet
ofrope were employed. The Courier says;
At the point chosen, the gorge is nearly at
its widest. The river rolls beneath at depth
Of about 10 or $50 feet massy and smooth,
but with great Aecks Of foam marking the
mighty eddies in which its ponderous waters
are whirled.
The band struck up and Farini started down;
very slowly and doubtfully at first for he had
not gone ten feet when difficulty appeared
which threatened to be fatal His pole was
long and timber, and became entangled in
the guys at every step. Poised above the
awful gulf he had to stand and in the most
painful and laborious manner, e1tricate it from
its ENHANCEMENT The odds seemed to be
terribly against him at this moment There
was an outcry that be never would cross, and
for few moments OF sickening suspense, in
which he struggled with his pole, we believe
balf the crowd expected TO see him fall. But
the Signor has pluck and nerve. Undaunted
be held on his way, and after working for
some time as we have described, he sat down.
He stood up, first on his feet and then on his
head, and looked wlthal so cool about it, that
confidence was asrestored. Slowly he proceeded,
making frequent stops and repeating his
gymnastie. He hung by bis heels, by his
elbow, by his hands, lay down on his back,
| and finally stood on one foot without his bal
ancing pole. In about half an hour he had
wrought his way up to the Canada shore,
where he was enthusiastically received, a
band on that side playing Hail Columbia the
while.
After having gone up to the Clifton House
for refrsshment he returned, and at twenty
minutes past Eve was again on the rope. In
the center he stopped, and the Maid of the
Mist, which had been lying of and on, with a
AaABo A0AApoA VI pts9sSukOAs aooaiN5 SaAlO
directly beneath him. He dropped cord.
which was caught on board, and thus be drew
up e rope, passing the end over his cable, and
securing adouble line for his perilous descent.
In less than half minute be had slid, not
"head foremost" but hand over hand, down
the eighty or a hundred feet to the deck Of
the boat. In few minutes he addressed him
self for the ascent which was tougher busi-
ness. He drew himselfup, however, and after
some more gymnastics was nearly on the
| American side again. To show that he was
not used upby his appalling hours work, he
gave pas seaI keeping time to the music Of
/ the band as be came ashore.
The universal sentiment was, that he had
| displayed, under the circumstances, a nerve
| fully equal to that of Blondin. He does not
/ appear, as yet, so much at home on the rope
/ as the Frenchman. The transit with him
seems fraught with far more imminent peril.
But the fact that this IS his first great feat,
that the rope is much larger than Blondin's,
| vibrating also very much more; and that he
wrought at such disadvantage with his pole
and guys, entitled him beyond question tc
the dubious fame which he covets. Hence
forth there are two Blondins. ...