The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-09-28

traneous sensations, apart from the usual
yearly average of narrowing accidents,
romantic suicides and heroic rescues from
the time of Sam Patch's leap to the adj
vent of Mons. Blondin on the scene in
1858. 1t is true that in the interim one
Morgan, resident of New York State,
who published a book purporting to un-
vail the secrets of Masonry, is reputed to
have departed the scene of his labors by
the Niagara River route, and his disap-
pearance caused deep and widespread
sensation. But nothing was publicly
known of the time or manner in which
his journey was accomplished.
Blondin's repertory of varied feats to
maintain the interest of the public was
the same as recently performed in San
Francisco. His concluding feat, and by
far the most thrilling Of all, was the
wheeling of a man across the rope in a
whcelbarrow. The vcnturcsome passcn-
ger was his agent, who was also profess
sional gymnast. The two were connected
together by a band attached to their belts,
which safeguard would have enabled them
to jump on opposite sides of the rope and
remain suspended in the event of such a
course being compelled by an ovcrpower-
ing gust of wind or any mishap from what
other cause. Nevertheless, this perform
ancc was witnessed with sensations SINH
lar to those that might be excited by the
spectacle of an execution.
After dispiriting season following
Blondin's departure, from no greater at
traction being offered the good people
than bare view of Niagara itself, the
ravenous crew who have the management
of the falls and their appurtenances sue
ccedcd in engaging another rope-walker,
known as Signor Farina, an Italian artist
of Milesian extraction originally chris
tened with the name of WEIGH. Farina,
so-called, was graduate of the circuses
and we'll up in the funambulstic arts.
His rope was stretched across the river
about midway between the falls and the
railroad suspension bridge. Farina re-
peated Blondin's fcats with equal case
and grace, and added some of his own
specialties; but the season proved CON-
parative failure. At this time, funambu-
lists had multiplied in the land and rope
walking had become the prime attraction
at all the country fairs.
One ambitious fellow, who dubbed
himself Herr Ramos, being supplanted by
Farina in coveted engagement at Mag
ara, opened season below the falls of
lllC OCuCSCC dit l(OCncSlCl. OIlOlGuluJC-
ly he chose for his initiatOry performance
Il repetition of Blondin's famous feat of
trundling man across the rope in a
whcelbarrow. The dare devil who volun.
teered his valuable assistance for this ex-
plot was sailor. 1t proved admirably
successful to point about midway of the
river, when the sailor, by an ilI-advised
effort to shift his position in the wheelbar-
row, disturbed the equilibrium, and the
whole establishment jumped the track
Herr Ramos caught the rope and hung
suspended with his balancing-pole at
tachcd to his belt and the wheelbarrow
slung to his neck but the luckless mariner
descended without impeachment into the
depths below, distance of about ninety
feet, to the surface of the water Provi-
dentially he was too much intoxicated to
suffer injury, and succeeded i'll gaining
the shore, rather benefited than otherwise
by the plunge. Ramos, after disengaging
his membranes, was likewise successful
in shining ashore.
At the close of the war the hosts of Nj
agara were again aroused to speculation
to restore the prestige of that attractive re-
sort and another rope-walking season was
inaugurated in 1866, with Harry Leslie as
the hero" Leslie George Colby was
from Troy, n. Y, a dashing, fearless
young fellow of good family and educa
ton, who had adopted the calling of Il
gymnast and graduated from the circuses
In skill, agility and reckless daring his
feats greatly surpassed those of gymnasts
who preceded him, not excepting the IA
nous Chevalier. Leslie stretched his rope
across the river about 800 feet below the
great suspension bridge, at a point where
the sweeping current gathers itself into
the narrowest gorge OF the river, and
breaks into probably the most terrific rap
id on the face of the earth Such is the
resistless power of the surge that bar of
pig iron dropped from the bridge with a
wire attached, in an attempt to tathom the
stream, Immediately skips out upon the
surface of the water far below. 1t is
hardly possible for an ordinary mortal to
comprehend the quality of nerve required
for the crossing Of this raging torrent on
rope. Yet Leslie performed the most
difficult feats of equipoise midway of the
stream. His particular ecstacy was in the
execution of feats upon the trapeze of a
character which seemed to seal his
fate at every instant, causing la
dies to faint and stern men to turn
pale. The most appalling of all
his performances was leap head
long from the rope, secured by
elastic bands attached to his ankles. A
cry Of horror that was heard above the
roar of the torrent greeted this act and
thousands turned away from the scene, as
sured that all was over with the reckless
fellow. This exquisite act was varied on
occasions by a backws I'd fall from the
rope, as if by accident, while Leslie was
apparently attempting some other feat.
The Leslie season at Niagara was fairly
successful, his weekly exhibitions attract
ing immense crowds which arrived by
excursion trains from all directions in
New York State and Canada. AS the
funambulistic hero of Niagara Leslie GER
tainly won the palm for never having dis
appointed an audience from stress of
weather. While Blondin on one or more
occasions postponed his performances in
consequence OF the freshness of the zeph-
yrs that betimes sweep down the gorge of
Niagara, Leslie did not hesitate to take
the rope when the gusty blasts seemed al
most sufficient to dislodge raccoon from
his perch, and on one occasion he made
his return passage in the midst of a
drenching shower. Leslie met his death
two years subsequent by the breaking of a
LllpCLC, SdSpCuICu AIOIA q dI
Charleston, s. G. He fell from an i'm
mense altitude and was dashed to atoms.
The next season at Niagara opened with
flattering announcement, based on the
supposed abilities and likewise "heroism"
of genius named George Conroy, who
belonged to Buffalo, N. Y. This aspirant
for honors and currency proposed to cross
the rope in the character of the American
eagle, with wings extended to serve the
purpose of balancing pole. The design
embodied very patriotic fancy, and the
attraction would doubtless have drawn
satisfactorily. In his preparatory trials,
however, Mr.. Conroy, was not sufficiently
successful to warrant the necessary con-
tribution for rope, etc., and SO the debut
of the American eagle on tight-rope and
his probable descent into the yeasty tor
rent of Niagara did not occur. But not
discouraged by this discontinue, Mr..
Conroy finally gratified his ambition by
Jumping from the lofty cupola of grain
elevator IN Buffalo in the presence of a
great multitude. In making the descent
Conroy seemed to relax his nerve and
double himself up, but when the Coroner
recovered the body it was stiff enough.
IL =