The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-10-01
ACROSS NIAGARA.
An Artists Ride on tho Back of Rope
Walker BlOndin.


Before he got through with his adven-
lures he rode across Niagara Falls three
times on the back of Blondin on tight
rope. He says he would not do it again,
but that he did not suffer from fear.
One can readily believe him. In his
deep gray eye there is suggestion of
self.control, and in his slight, 1.-the figure
of strength and reserve physical force
which his gentle voice and his easy,
courteous manner fails to entirely con.
ceal. He is an artist as artists 60, aud
paints tolerable pictures. Toa represen-
tative of the Chicago Meys he said:
In the year 1858 I joined Blondin in
Boston. He was of the Francona troupe,
including Martinetti and the famous
Ravels. We disbanded in Cincinnati,
and there it occurred to Blondin to cross
Niagara on tight rope, and 1 went to
the falls with him. We had no end of
trouble getting the necessary permits to
extend the ropes. Blondin wanted to
carry the rope from Terrapin tower and
across to Davis's hotel, which would have
led over to Horseshoe Falls, through the
mist and spray of the great cataract.
They objected because Blondin was sure
to fall, they said. The spray would
keep the rope damp, and, I, who had en-.
gagged to 60 on his back, was very glad
of it. Finally, we stretched the rope
from Whites pleasure ground across to
the Clifton house. Not far away from
the place there is now suspension
bridge. There was 1000 feet of the
rope. It was of Mantle, three inches in
diameter, made in New York ropewalk,
in two pieces. 1t took US nearly five
months to stretch the rope and to get the
guy lines in place.
'.It was 250 feet above water at it's
lowest point, which was fifty feet below
the highest-iu other words, there was a
grade of fifty feet in each 1000 feet
There we're $4,000 feet of guy line alto:
gether. Each of them was weighted
with ten. pound sand bag to drop them
out of the way of his balance pole. At
last we were ready to make the first
ascension; that was what we c1lled it.
Before went over he made several pub.
lie asceusions. 1t was advertised through b
the papers that was to ride on his back,
and I was the subject of all kinds of
attacks aud criticisms. l was ready to
back out, but Blondin began to taunt ME,
and I got into that corner of pride and
vaingloriousness which nothing could
escape from. Meantime Blondin had
coached me as to what I should do. 1
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 encum:
ber his movements. had to keep all
the weight on his shoulders. In July,
1860, we went across. I 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 support myself, frequent
rests were necessary. | told Blondin
when I wanted to rest, and then 1
dropped down on the rope on one foot
and waited till my arms were relieved,
when l would spring up again, using
only my arms to lift and hold myself in
place. There was great crowd there.
I did not see them at first. do not re-.
member what 1 thought. From my
place on Blondin's back I could look out
to the other shore and see below me the
stunted pines thrustiug their sharp points
up from the edge of the foaming water,
ready to split US if we fell. / remember,
too. that was anxious to get over, and l
recall, too, that the great rope before us
made swings from side to side. We
afterwards knew that the rope swung
forty feet at the center, and l felt the
necessity ofpreserving my self-possession,
and lid it.
"There was a forty feet length between
the guy on one side and those of the
other that it was impossible to make
steady. 1t was the middle span. Below
us $50 feet roared the river, and over it
we swung from side to side. Still NOV
ing on steadily, however, Blondin never
trembled. When he bad gone about ten
feet on the middle span somebody on the
American side pulled the other guy line.
We afterwards found out it was done in.
tentionally, and the rope was stopped
in its swing. Blondin stopped and his
pole went from side to side in the vain
effort to enable him to secure his balance.
At one time it was up and down on the
right side, at another up and down on
the left, and I recall now with wonder
that was only curious to know whether
he would succeed in getting control of
himself or not. 1 didn't feel any fear.
Failing in getting his balance, he started
to run across the horrible span, and we
safely reached the point where the guy
rope came from the American shore.
Then to steady himself 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 to the rope. There he recovered
his balance and whispered loud; DE:
scendezveus.' The perspiration stoo d
out on his neck and shoulders in great
beads and we balanced ourselves on the
swaying ropo. Presently he said 'Allop,
and l raised myself to his shoulders and
we went on in safety and without accl
dent toward the shore.
"It was not until we landed that / ap-
preciated what had been done. Then it
occurred to me that the man who pulled
the guy line was one of those who bet
that the feat could never be accomplished
and my indignation mastered any
reactionary feeling of fear. You see,
many thousand dollars were bet upon the
ability of Blondin to carry man over,
and human cupidity stops at no sacrifice:
Then there we're the congratulations and
the praises of pluck and the rest of it, SO
that in my foolish boyish elation forgot
everything else. do remember, as We
approached the shore, the wonderful
tableau of the 100000 people who stood
gazing at us. Thousands of them turned
their faces away, or, half turning, cast
glances over their shoulders at us. re.
member their white faces, their strained
positions of anxiety-women who stared,
white and motionless, and men who
wept, and as we drew near the bank the
crowd surged toward us and Blondin
stopped, fearing they would push each
other over the precipice. Then the
crowd was still again, and with a quick
run we came to the shore and sprang to
the ground. l remember one man seiz.
ing me in his arms and lifting me high
in the air, saying, Thank God, this
thing is over!" From the other side
tboro wos q cheer and then we we're