The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-30
TINE vETloeIpERE RIDE ACROSS
NIAGARA.
now PROFESSOR JENKINS CROSSED
NIAGARA RIVER ON A yELoCPEDE -
WHAT THE MACHINE WAS no"
THE FEAT WAS REGARDED.
rrnrr sro Bufralo Express, August 20.

riding the Dlcycic OH rope. i'e MO. e,.''
for public attention in this section OF the
country was made in o little hand-blll
announcing that his performances on the
tirht-rope had astonished the world, and
left competitors far behind" and, further
more, that nc would ride a velocipede across
Niagara Falls yesterday afternoon.
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 railroads had brought thou
sands of people, oil anxious to sec the man
ride over the Falls in a velocipcde. But the
show was not at the Falls at all, but below
the Suspension Bridge, on the exact spot
where the genuine Blondin years ago
crossed the river with the man on his back.
The rome. two inches in diameter and 900
feet long. was placed in position last Fri
dav. and made as secure and tight as pos
sible.
THE "vrLoC1PEDE AND THE ROPE.
The machine used by Professor jenkins
Is not in any sense reloclpede. IL is,
however. bicycle, and turned upside down
would resemble in some degree modern
velocipede. The wheels, three inches VIDE,
are made heavy and Of wood, without tires,
but in their places are grooves one ana three
quarter inches deep. The front wheel is
three feet two inches, and the hind wheel
two feet ten inches in diameter. The con-
meeting rods are iron, so also the balance,
pole, which is eight feet long and tipped
with ten-pound balls, and weighs twenty
eirht pounds. The whole thing, with the
man thrown in, weighs two hundred and
lightweight pounds. The propelling power
is pinon cog-wheel made OF brass, about
nine inches in diameter, which, Is made to
gear to cogs which surround the front wheel
ut the bottom of the groove.
1t was supposed, naturally enough, that
n man riding across the Niagara river on
single rome would draw a large crowd Of
people to the Falls but it costs money TO
buy ropes and build fences, and those m
terested solicited subscriptions to detray
EXPENSES. The amount raised on both sides
OF the river was $780, OF which nc Eigin
House rave $50. II was also agreed that
half the receipts at the bridge should go
to the performer. The expenses were about
81 900, the rope alone costing $3.50. .'.
The 900 feet of good two-lnch hemp
rope stretched across the chasm, 200 feet
above the boiling food, was the first object
to be gazed upon by the crowd, but you
could not reach it without paying twenty
five cents, which great mary did, and
were rewarded by close inspection. The
cable was fastened securely and immortality
on the American shore, but on the Canada
shore coiled around MINDLESS to facilitate
tightening, and then twisted and tied
around couple of cedar stumps. The de-
Election of the rope was about thirty feet.
Photographers were early on the ground,
and secured the best locations for their
cameras.
HOW IT WAS DONE.
At 2:30 o'clock the Professor made his ap-
rcarance at the small house on the Canada
side with the pieces of his machine, and at
once proceeded to put them togcthcr--a task
Of no small labor. With the aid Of his
men he first placed the forewheel on the
rome lust at the edge of the prccipice, and
while one man balanced it 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 Sc
curclv fastened with bolts. The braces
or connecting rods extending from the
standard TO the rear shaft in the form OF
the letter 0 made the connection complete
and very strong. The Professor then got
outside of the rope, arranged the plnlon
wheel, and fastened the balance pole across
the Q part of the braces. This done, the
seat Ia strip of leather) was secured to the
rear axle by means of straps. This az
rangement, which it was seen ut once would
throw the entire weight Of the machine
and the rider under the rope, was source
of disappointment, il not of relief, to many
of the spectators, who, not consulting the
inventive genius of the Canadian Blondin,
rather expected to see him mounted on u
Greenwood velocipede, which, of course,
would give good distance for ground and
lofty tumbling. ,-.
MURMURS.
All being in readiness, the bicycle was
fastened by rope to the bank, and Jen-
kins, who had superintended all the opera
tions, started for his hotel to robe. During
his absence the crowd viewed the machine
critically, and murmurs of "humbug,"
sold -! who couldn't" etc, were heard,
but US a general thing the crowd were
pleased with the ingenious method in which
the great danger supposed to 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 convenient To-
calities for observation to the number Of
perhaps 5000. M.
The lion made his second appearance at
$3.50 o'clock, dressed for the performance.
He wore white tights, black velvet knee
brooches, shoulder straps and cross-belts of
the same material, and on his head was
placed crown-shaped hat; and all were
profusely bedecked with tinsel and beads.
His feet were covered with buff moccasins.
Before alighting from the carriage Jenkins
stopped and talked with our reporter; but
there was little nervousness apparent
about his eyes and mouth, which perhaps
was caused by oversmoking or the enor-
NOUS quid of tobacco he was seen to bite
from borrowed plug. f.-
FALSE START.
We gave him a word of encouragement,
and he at once took his position astride the
rope and proceeded to arrange the leather
strap or seat, which, as it was allowed to
touch the rope, seemed more for the pur-
pose of protecting the velvet pants from
damage by attrition than to sit upon. In
fact, he did not sit, but stood up, with his
feet about eighteen inches apart, resting on
the balance pole. In moment he grasped
the handles Of the pinion wheel, and turned
them, moving slowly from the bank, the
crowd preserving death-like stiffness.
After passing out few yards halt was
made, and the photographers were allowed
10 take his picture. .He then returned,
waited FIVE or ten minutes, and resumed his
seat. Three pistol shots were then fired
from the Canadian side, and it was
-rr.. 60. =
The machine moved slowly forward, the
.o,,a ,n ,,nptl., Srnp, c,da 70 e;lo until