The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-10-17
COOL AND DARING.
CiiRord calverley's Walk on Cable
Across Niagara Gorge.

clifford Calverley's Walk on Cable
Across Niagara Gorge.
NIAGARA FALLS, Oct. 17.-Clifford
Calverley, the plucky young Canadian,
has broken the record in crossing the
Niagara gorge on cable. Shortly after
three O'Clock Saturday afternoon he
emerged from the Elgin house on the
Canadian side of the river, directly
across the street from where the great
cable, weighing about ton, was securely
fastened to the bank. He was clad in
becoming suit of tights with mack
intosh thrown around his shoulders, and
proceeded Immediately to where he was
to start on his perilous journey. He is
fine-looking fellow with dark hair and
moustache, and although only % years
of age few grey hairs were to be seen
below the cap which was set jauntily
upon his head.
AS in times past, great crowd of
people had assembled to witness feat
which might result in the loss of human
life, and they were located at every avail
able point where view of the cable
could be secured. The south side of the
railway suspension bridge was black
with people, and all space was taken.
A large number of railroad men had also
been allowed to congregate on the ex-
treme top of the bridge, and there
were some on the cantilever bridge. On
the American side the roofs of all the
buildings studding the banks between
the bridges were black with myriads of
small boys, and on the Canadian side, in
the open space near the end of the cable,
several hundred people had gathered.
AS Calverley took his place ready to
start, his manager, A. B. Ormsby, of
Toronto, addressed the crowd and briefly
stated among other things that his feat
had never before been attempted by one
SO young or of so little experience He
said that three months ago tomorrow
Calverley gave his first public exhibition
| of high wire walking, and now he would
| attempt to eclipse all past records in
! walking across Niagara river. Mr.:
| Ormsby said that the performance of the
feat so late in the season might occasion
some surprise, but Calverlev was
anxious to establish reputation. I'D if
he succeeded he would next yea give
several exhibitions here, while the large
crowds were going to and from the
Chicago fair.
At 3:12 O'Clock Calverley removed his
macintosh, took his balancing pole,
which was pine one 20 feet in length
with flags of the two nations on either
| end, and started to either death or fame.
He seemed very cheerful, and showed
| not the least trace OF nervousness.
Asked how quickly he would make the
trip, he good naturedly inquired: 'How
would nine minutes strike your" Then,
while the crowd held their breath, he
nimbly proceeded. It was at once ap-
parent that he was more of an adept on
the wire than Dixon, and that, barring
accidents, he would easily break that
gentleman's record. The cable, which is
910 feet long, sagged about 25 feet in the
center, SO that when he reached that
point and proceeded toward the Ameri-
can shore he must climb quite a steep
incline. Here he showed his great skill,
for he made the ascent at double-quick
gait, and landed on the rock in the rear
of the Rapids mill in just six minutes
and eight seconds from the time of start
ing. Dixon's time in crossing at this
point was IA minutes and 80 seconds.
A mighty shout went up as the daring
young acrobat stepped upon the rock,
after waiting only two or three minutes,
he again took up his position upon the
wire, and proceeding out short dis
tance executed several difficult and dan
gerous tricks. Returning, he crossed
the bridge and went out for the third
time on the wire from the Canada side,
and repeated his performance there.
Among other things he lay upon his
back upon the cable, hung suspended
from it first by his hands and then by
his toes, and stepped over his bar. He
went through this exhibition for the
second time here to enable George Bar
ker to take photographs of him in his
various positions. A conservative esti-
mate of the number OF people who wit
messed the feat is 5000. Some of these
were excursionists.
A Wealthy Floridan Missing.