Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-29
BLONDIN.

Thrilling Scene on Tight Rope.
An English paper thus details thrilling
affair which occurred during one of
Blondin's recent exhibitions:
After he had crossed in sack, stood
in chair, and had done some of his
minor feats, it was found that the rope,
which was new one, had slackened so
considerably that it would be necessary to
tighten it, in order to allow of his per-
forming his new and extraordinary feat
of crossing it on bicycle, and he was,
therefore, compelled to appeal to the au-
dience for time to tighten the rope. Half
an hour was asked for and cheer
fully granted, but, after the guy
ropes had been lOosened and
the rope frightened up, some difficulty was
found in refxing the pole into which the
guys were attached, in consequences of
the tension of the rope having dragged
them forcibly out of the ground. Quite
three-quarters of an hour elapsed before
this was done, and then Blondin appeared
again, and starting from the west end of
the building carried his assistant over on
lis back 1t was evident, from the low
ering of some ballast bags on the guy
poles, that during this passage across, the
rope slackened great deal, but Blondin
either did not observe this or did not
think it important, for after a short in
terval, during which he changed his
dress, he appeared on his bicycle, and
amid the cheers of the spectators started
on what seemed an awfully peril
Gus journey. He had not gone
far when it became apparent from the
decline of the rope that iii had slackened
very much, and people who under
stood the nature of bicycles and the i'm
possibility of propelling them up hill be-
gan to calculate the probabilities of his
getting up the incline he must inevitably
meet at the other end of the rope, but
BlOundin looked extremely cool and con-
fident, and no fears for his safety seemed
to be entertained till, after stopping cleverly
about midway, he began to traverse the
incline. 1t then became apparent, from
the gradual Stacking of his speed,
that he was doing some hard work, and
muumurs began to rise from the audience.
When about twenty yards from the land
ing stage he came to a dead stop
and appeared to rest, balancing him
self cautiously with a great pole
he carried. He then made an
other effort and got few yards further,
when he stopped again. 1t then became
apparent that he could not get further, as
although to the danger of disturbing his
equilibrium, he tried to jerk the machine
forward, it refused to move. The scene
that then ensued was most exciting PeO-
pie left their seats; ladies, with frightened
faces, made for the doors, and the general
mass of the people at the east end of the
building made rush to the west end,
hundreds jumping into the arena. When
the rush and noise had subsidized mar
vellOus stiffness succeeded. The crowds
on the floor beneath the rope, and the
galleries nearest the spot, seemed to be
hushed in eager expectation of something
unpleasant, gazing some with horror strick-
en- faces on theperfOrmer, who satmOtion-
less as statue on the rope, about sixyard
from the landing place, while the assistant
leaned over the stage and appeared to be
speaking to him, but looked helpless in
the emergency. After the delay of two
OF three minutes, which seemed an age,
the assistant, evidently by Blondn's di-
rectiOns, procured rope, and this he
threw out cautiously. 1t fell on the per-
formers shoulders, and he, with some diff
ficulty, sustained the pole with one hand,
while with the other he tied the rope round
his waist. The assistant then gently
pulled him in. Every move of the wheels
was watched by the audience in silent
horror till the machine ran on the landing
stage, when the suppressed excitement
eliminated in one great shout of joy, sue
ceeded by the widest demonstrations.