The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-10
HIS LIFE WAS AT STAKE.
q. M. ooLooRD CROSSED NIAGARA
ON BLONDIN's BACK.

Tells the Story OF His Perilous and
Thrilling Ride Over the Falls on a
Tight Rope.
From the Chicago Post
Harry III. Coloord, the man who was
thrice carried by Blondin on his back across
Niagara falls on tight rope, is now resi-
dent of Chicago. He has Teen a portrait
painter here for ten years past, and is now
gray, Of slender but athletic build, full of
nervous energy and has the look of q man
Of discrimination in his face. This man
was brought up an athlete, and for some
time prior to this event great 10 tbs sport
ing world, be had played the part of "Har-
lequine" in pantomimes
At the time when Blondin performed his
great feat both Blondin and Colcord were
members Of the old Ravell company. Col
cord was 26 years of age and weighed 1875
pounds. When the troupe disbanded In Gin
cinnasi, in 1859, the two had nothing in
| prospect for the immediate future. Blondin,
who was already widely known by reason
OF his tight rope performances, proposed to
| Colcord that he should cap all bis previous
feats by going to the falls and making the
| ascension-that is what the profession
| called the long rope walk Colcord accepted
the proposal, and the two lost no time in ar
ranging the preliminaries.
Mr.. CoLCoRD's STORY.
But let one of the heroes of the occasion
| tell the story in his own words:
"Blondln's ambition was" said Mr.. Col
cord, "to 60 across the falls and not across
the river. His idea was to anchor one end
of the rope at Goat Island, with the old Ter
rapin Tower long since removed, as the sup
| port on the American side, and then to ex-
| tend the rope across the Horseshoe Falls
through the mist to Table Rock, where it
would be securely anchored on the Canadian
side. MIR. Porter was the owner of the
land and he would not give his consent. He
thought the performance entirely too fool
hardy. We worked a whole year to get the
| rope fixed In that way, but failed in the
end. Perhaps it was wise that our efforts
resulted fruitlessly, for the mist would have
been sure to affect the rope to our jeopardy.
| Finally we put the rope about half way be-
tween the old bridge aud Niagara Falls.
across Whites pleasure grounds There it
| was that we made our first ascension and
took my first perilous ride on Blondin's
| back.
AN UNFORESEEN DANGER.
"By the way. there was a little incident
| connected with that great event In my life
| of which those who saw it and read about
| il know nothing. The guy ropes were not
| The people had access to them, and as there
were large sums of money staked ON the
| outcome the temptation to pull these ropes
| by those betting against BlOndin was very
| great. In the middle OF the rope there was
a space Of 40 feet not supported by guy
| lines. had to dismount three times from
| BlondinS shoulders and stand on the rope
| with my hands touching on his shoulders
before we reached this spot. This rope was
| strung 976 feet over the river and was 900
| feet In length and neither of US knew the &C
Aon OF that forty feet without the guy
| lines. 6londin had crossed the river be-
| fore, but not with any weight. 1t was the
great import. Blondin said to me: Harry,
| whatever do IN crossing that forty feet,
don't you do anything. Sit perfectly pas
| sive on my back. Just be dead. Don't try
to balance while ] am walking on that
| space
when Blondin had walked over ten feet
of that forty with me on his back he sud-
denly lost his balance. he could not re-
cover It. He started TO run on one side Of
the rope clear TO the first guy line, distance
| OF thirty feet. No sooner did his foot touch
the guy line than IL broke aud he had to
| run to the next one-snothsr twenty feet.
When he got there he caught his balance
mounted and stood there quietly with my
hands lightly touching bis shoulders until
he got ready to 60 on.
SOME ONE PuLLED TEE GUY ROPE.
"Now here's the meaning of Blondin's
| hurry: He had not got half way across the
rope before he was aware that somebody
was pulling the guy line. He didn't say one
| word 60 me about ID. fog IL he had, as sure
as am alive to-day. ! should have been
GOODNESS. He expected that every guy line
| he would pass would be pulled la this way,
and that he would lose his balance every
time he reached one Of these lines. never
dreamed thaeunder the circumstancessany.
man could be guilty Of such dastardty act
as that. Before we reached the shore l dis
| mounted seven times and u took us IS min
ures 70 get across. There must have been
fully 20o, 200 spectators along the banks,
| and they were actually lost In admiration
| Of the feat. Not'a muscle twttohed on any
of their faces. never saw lot'ot human
beings so intently absorbed in one mans
act. There was large risk 10 landing, but
when we got SO near we could be reached
by George, they literally snatched us bald
headed"
And Mr.. Colcord INDUCED In a mental
retrospect, aud his flushed face plainly
showed that he was once more going across
the falls on a rope in his imagination.
NOT MUCH MONEY AT FIRST.
ibid Blondin and yourself make much
money by these exhibitionsf"
The first season Blondin did not get
much. He depended largely on contribu~
tons But then afterward he took my ad-
| vice, and the last two seasons be made $780,
900. / advised him to enter into an arr
rangement with the Grand Trunk road so
that by the erection of high fence aud the
hanging Of a canvas under the bridge the
view could be completely shut out. We
provided q seating capacity for 100000 peo-
Pile. Mike Mcdonald Of this city was one
of the doorkeepers. We charged 81 a ticket,
and the demand for tickets was 80 great
that we could have got $50 single ticket If
we could have provided good seats Blondin
was afraid to spend money. and If he had
begun in the proper manner he could have
made at least 81, 900, 900. The interest In
| his feats was wonderful"
BLoNDIN WAS JEALOUS.
"And is Blondin yet alive7"
10, yes. He lives In Paris part of the
time and in London the remainder. He has
fms residence in each city. He Is IS years
old-five years older than l em-and 10 we'll
| of. Blondin subsequently became jealous
| of me. the newspapers made more of a
1 a nj