Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-28
ON RL.ONnIN,s BACK.
"Reminiscences of the Man Carried BY
the Great Tight Rope Walker.
From, the Chicggo Mems.


ran away from home and went to sea.
Before he got through with his adventures
he rode across Niagara falls three times
on the back OF Blondin on tight-rOpe.
He saws he would not do il again, but that
he did not suffer from fear. one can
readily believe him. In his deep gray
eyes there is a suggestion Of self-control,
and in his slight, 1.-THE figure Of strength
and reserve physical force which his
gentle voice his easy, courteous manner
fails to entirely conceal. lie is an artist
rs artists go, paints tolerable pictures,
which, instead Of being col1red out Of the
pigment of his experiences, are studies of
neatness-chOice heads, occasionally a
dash OF landscape which teens with
color and sentiment, and tanciful bits in
which one sees much that IS not cOnYeu-
tlonal. he starts ON the idea that art
cannot refine nature and it is better 20
suggest her than attempt to improve her
by buryiug acres Of loneliness into
22x37 frame. However, he started three
times on a more periiOus errand JhaR art
ethics, and, leaving out the question OF
his success in the latter, he did sue
coed in the former, and here speaks for
himself:
I'm the year 1855 l joined Blondln IN
Boston. He was OF the Francona troupe,
including Martinetti and the famous
Ravels. | was their scenic artist, and
painted scenes with a whitewash brush.
We disbauded in Cincinnati, and there IL
occurred to Bl0ndin 20 cross Niagara on
a tight-r0pe, and / went 10 the falls with
him. We had no end of trouble getting
the necessary permits 70 extend the ropes.
Blondin only spoke little English; that
was one difficulty, but finally we sue
Ceeded in getting them from Porter, VINO
owned the American side, and the rest
was easy. Blondin wanted TO carry the
rope from Terrapin tower and across to
DAVIS hotel, which would have led over
Horseshoe falls, through the mist and the
spray Of the great cataract. They OBJ
jected, because Blondin was sure TO fall
they said. The spray would keep his rope
damp, and /, who had engaged TO 80 on
his back, was very glad OF it. Finally we
stretched the rope from Whites pleasure
ground across TO the Clifton house. Not
Tar away from the place there is now n
suspension bridge. There was 1000 feet
of the rope. Ii was of manila, three
jnches in diameter, made in New York
T0pe-walk, in TWO pieces. BlOndin joined
them with a long splice which, when
the rope extended, was in the centre of
tue span. IL took US nearly five months
to stretch the rope and to get guy lines in
place. To begin with, a small line was
carried across ia a boat, and, although
the current used to sweep 1t away from
us, we at last got it over, and by means OF
a windlass and carefully paying out the
big coil we got the big rope IN position. 1t
was $50 feet above water al its lowest
point, which was fry feet below the
hignest-in other words, there was a
grade of fifty feet in each 1000 feet.
BlOndin then rugged a car TO cross the
a .1s.1 7aT.r Alsaf
There We're 10000 feet of guy line alto
gether. Each OF them was weighted with
q ten-pOund sand bag TO drop them out of
the way Of his balance-pOle, and in put
ting them up BlOndin crossed a score Of
times, At last we were ready TO make
The nrst ascension; that was what we
called it. Before ] went over he made
several public 8sCensions. II was adver-
Used through the papers that was to ride
on his back, and ] was the subject of all
sorts OF attacks and criticisms. People
said to me: You are a sheOl of a fool
and was ready to back out. except BlOn-
dinsbegan TO taunt me, and | got into that
corfief N pride and yainglOriOusness
which i could not escape from. Mean
time Rlondin had coached me as to what |
should DO. | was TO put my weight on
his shoulders by my arms and clasp his
body about with my legs. But ! could
not put my weight on his legs; that would
1ncumber his movement. ] had to keep
all the weight on his shoulders. In July,
1850, we went across. | took my place on
BlOndin's back, and he began the descent
from the Canadian side on the rope. BY
reason of the fact that had TO bear my
weight on his shoulders and had to use
my arms and with main strength to sup
port myself frequent rests were necessary.
i told BlOndin when l wanted 10 rest and
then l dropped down on the rope on one
foot and waited till my arms were re-
lieVed, when / would spring up again,
using only my arms to lift and hold my
self in place. There was a great crowd
there. / did not see them at first. | do
not remember what / thought. From my
place on Blondin's back / could look out
10 the other shore and see below me the
Btunted pines tbrusting their sharp points
up from the edge of the foaming water
ready TO spit US If we fell. ! remember
too, that | WAS anxious TO get over. and
recall, too, that the great rope before
US made swings from side to side. We
afterward knew that the rope swung forty
feet at the centre, and felt the necessity
OF preserving my self-pOssessiOn, and did
1t. There was Il forty feet length between
the guy on one side and those OF the other
that II was impossible TO make steady. II
was the middle span. Below US 300 feet
r0ared the river, and over IL we swung
however. BlOndIn never trembled. When
we had gone about ten feet on this middle
span somebody on the American side
pulled the outer guy-line. We afterward
found out it was done Intentionally, and
the rope stopped IN the swing. BlOndin
stopped, and his pole went from side TO
side in vain effort 10 enable him to Sc
cure his balance. At one time il was up
and down on the right side, at another up
and down on the left, and | recall now
with wonder that / was only curious TO
know whether he would succeed in get
ting control Of himself or not. didn't
feel any fear. Failing OF getting bis bal
ance, he started TO run across the hOrri-
bic span, and we safely reached the point
where the guy-rOpe came out from the
American shore. Then, TO steady him
self BlOndin put his foot on the guy-rope
and tried TO stop, but the guy-line broke,
and with dash Of speed he ran swiftly
twenty-five feet further 10 the next point,
where the guys met the main rope There
he recovered his balance, and whispered
rather than said: 'Desoendez-VOu8' The
preparation stood out on his neck and
shoulders in great beads, and we balanced
ourselves on the swaYing rope. Presently
he said 'AllOns,' and | raised myself TO
his shoulders, and we went on IN safety
and without incident toward the shore.
nf Q