The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-30
THE VELoCIPGDE RIDE ACROSS
NIAGARA. ......
How Professor Jenkins Crossed Nj.
nEaEA RlVer on "VoIoeIpede."
what the IlaenlnO Was



what the MacnIuo Was.
HOw tho Feat was Regarded.
From ne BE6aIO Express, Aug. %.
A new candidate has made his up,
pearanoo before the public for glory,
renoWn and Bhekels. ae 10 called Pro.
lessor Jenkins, or the Canadian Blon.
din, and bis forte ls In riding the bicycle
on rope. His FIRST call for public
attention In this section Of the country
was made In o little hand bill announo.
Ing that bis performances on the tight
rope had astonlshed the world, and left
competitors far behind and further.
more that he would ride q velocIpede
acroS Niagara Falls yesterday after.
noon.
Early In the day the crowd around
the Falls was far from small, and by
noon the excursion trains on the Great
Western and Lake Huron Rallroads
had brought thousands OF people, all
anxious to see the man ride over the
Falls In q veloclpede, But the show
was moi at the Falls At all, but below
Suspension Bridge, on the exact spot
kGhhAu0 44lOuulh lpAEb ukU
crossed the river with the man on bis
back. The rope, two inches In dIame-
ter and 1000 feet long, was placed In
position last Friday, and made as se-
cure and tight as possible.
TIE "vELoorPEDE" AND THE ROPE.
The machine used by Professor
Jenkins Is not in any sense q velocl-
pede, II 10, however, q bicycle, and
turned upBide down would resemble In
some degree a modern vsloclpedo, The
wheels, three inches wide, are made
heavy and OF wood without tires, but 10
their places are grooves one and three
quarter inches deep. The front wheel
10 three feet two inches and the hind
wheel two feet ten Inches in diameter.
The connecting rods are iron, 80 also
the balance pole, which is eight feet
long and tipped with ten.pound balls,
and weighs twenty eight pounds. The
whole thing, with the man thrown 10,
weighs 29S pounds. The propelllnS
power is a pinion oog-Wheel made OF
brass, about nine Inches In diameter,
which 10 made 10 gear 10 cogs which
surround the front wheel nj the bottom
Of the groove.
II was supposed, naturally enough,
that man riding across the Niagara
river on single rope would draw a
large crowd OF people TO the Falls but
It costs money TO buy ropes and build
fences; and those interested solicited
subscriptions TO deiray expenses. The
amount raised on both sides OF the
river was $50, OF which the Elgin
House gave $50. Il was also agreed
that half the receipts al the bridge
should 90 10 the performer. The ex-
penses were about 81 900. the rope alone
costing $3.50.
The LOCO feet OF good two. inch hemp
rope alrelohed across the chasm, 200
feet above the boiling flood, was the
first object to be gazsd upon by the
crowd, but you could not reach II with.
out paying % cents, which Il great
many did, aud were rewarded by a
close inspection. The cable was fast.
ened securely and immovably on the
American shore, but on the Canada
shore coiled around u windlass to ia
cilitate tightening, and then twisted
and tied around couple OF cedar
stumps. The detection OF the rope
WAS about thirty feet. Photographers
we're early on the ground and secured
the best locations for their cameras.
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
Al2:8O o'clock the Professor made
his appearance at the small house on
the Canada side with thepieces OF his
machine, and at once proceeded 10 put
them together, task Of no small la.
Dor. With the aid OF his men he first
placed the fore wheel on the rope Just
ut the edge Of the precipice. and while
one man balanced 1t, another placed on
the standard from the under side, thus
bringing two strong bars Of iron on
either side OF the rope, All the joints
were securely fastened with bolts. The
braces or connecting rods extending
from the standard 10 the rear shaft in
the form OF the letter o made the con.
nection complete and very strong. The
Professor then got outside OF the rope,
arranged the plnion wheel and fasten
ed the balance pole across the y part OF
the braces. This done, the seat, a
strip Of leather, was secured to the rear
axle by means Of straps. This arrange
ment, which 1t was seen at once would
throw the entire weight Of the machine
and tho rider under the rope, was a
source Of disappointment, II not OF re-
lief, to many OF the spectators, not con.
sultlng the inventive genius OF the Ca
madam Blondin, rather expected to see
him mounted on a Greenwood velocl.
pedP, which, Of course, would give q
good chance for ground and Lofty tum.
bling.
MURMURs.
All being In readiness, the bicycle
was fastened by rope 10 the bank,
and Jenkins, who had SuperIntended
all the operations, started for his hotel
10 robe. During his absence the crowd
viewed the machine critically, and
murmurs OF 'humbug,' 'sold,' who
couldn't 60, were heard, but as a
general thing the crowd were pleased
with the Ingenious method In which the
great danger supposed 10 be involved
In the undertaking had been avoided.
By this time the people who had been
pouring In on excursion trains from all
parts OF Canada, had assembled In con-
venIent localities for observation, to the
number Of perhaps 5000.
The lion made his second appearance
at $3.50 o'clock, dressed for the per-
Torrance. He wore white tights, black