The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-01
ON THE HIGH WIRE.
The Life Of the lIan Who Walked
Over Niagara's Gorge.
BLONDIN AND HIS FEATS OF
DARING In THE kER.

aow He Crossed at Niagara With Man
on His Back-AccomplisLme nts Which
Put the Circus Performers of Today to
the Blush.
Rope walkers, lions tanners and poets
arc born and not made. Blondn began
to walk along rope when he was only
four years old and at twice that 20 gave
special exhibition before the king of
Italy at Turin. And last Christmas, al
though over seventy years of age, when
performing on the high rope in the Agri-
cultural hall, Islington, he appeared as
nimble and active as ever. He went
through much the same performance as
that which STARTLED the public at the
Crystal palace about thirty years ago.
he ran along the rope; hs did the jour
icy In sack and blind-folded, he stood
Upright In chair, which he had prev1-
,usly balanced in the centre of the rope;
soncluded by carrying his attendant
across.
When performing at the Crystal palace
In 1860, he made e100 day by his exh1-
bitions ESQ when he had two exhi-
bilious. A rope two inches in diameter
and 240 yards long was stretched from
the level of the hand rail Of the highest
gallsry in the transcript right across to
the ether side, and kept from swinging
latarally by fifteen pairs of guy lines.
The rope was made steady, but not rigid.
Mt 40 feet from the ground. There
Blondin disported himself as if the mar
sen rope were as broad and safe as a
London street. He even carried a cook
ing steve, and fastened it on the oentre
Of the rope and cooked an omelette there.
Ones, when he pretended to slip, two
ladies tainted right away. A spectator
has written: "We have seen enough to
set our pulses humping painfully, to
send cold siokening terror crawling
along our veins, to make us very glad to
LOOK anywhere but on the rope, when the
fascination which riveted our gaze upon
it had little died away. When this
happened and we looked around, we be-
held a more curious spectacle than
Blondin will ever present, reflected in
the sea of upturned faces that were
watching him."
If this was so in the Crystal palace,
what must have been the terrible fasci-
nation and tension Of feeling in watch
ing him Cross and re cross Niagara
Blondin is the nom de theater Of Jean
Francois Gravelet, who was born at Hes
din, near Calais, on the 2sth Of Febru-
airy, 1924 His father-whose nickname
tBIondin," from the color Of his hair,
has descended to his son-was a soldier
of the first French empire, who had seen
service under Napoleon at Austerlitz,
Wagram and Moscow, but died when
his son was in his ninth year. The
pluck and strength that young Blopdin
displayed even in his fourth year were
marvellous; and when only a few years
older he was trained by the principal OF
L'Eoole de Gymnase at Lyons in many
gymnastie feats, and after six months
there WAS brought out as "The Little
tight-rope dancing, jumping and somer-
sault throwing. One Of his Jumps YVES
over double rank of soIdioIs with bayo-
nets fixed. The agent of an American
pompany-the Ravels-aWare of his sue
cess in the French provinces, gave him a
two years. engagement for the United
States, which afterward extended to eight
years. He went to America in 1885,
and it must have been about four yenrs
later, when looking ecross Niagara
Falls, that he remarked to Mr.. Ravel
"What splendid place to bridge with
q tight rope.
When, at the end of his contract, al
though called idiot and mailman, he
endeayored to carry this daring project
of crossing the falls on the tight rope
! into execution In the spring of 1859 he
took rooms in the hotel at Niagara Falls
village and began to make arrangements.
There was some difficulty at first in
getting permission from the proprietors
on either side of the river. A Mr.. Ham,
bin was good for the necessary 81. BOO
for the rope to span the 1. 500 feet of roar
ing water below the falls. The bank on
one side was about 100 feet in height, on
the other 40 feet. He crossed for the first
time on the 3Oth of June, in the presence
of what was said to be concourse OF
upward of so. 600 people. On the Fourth
of July he crossed again, his body envel-
opsd in heavy sack of blankets; with
eyes thus blindfolded, his step was as
steady as if he saw. In the middle Of
the month he crossed, wheeling a vince
barrow; and on the 9Th of August, II
crossing, he turned somersaults and per
formed various gymnastic feats on the
rope. He crossed with man Oh hls
back on ths 18th, and on the 9th as
Siberian exile in shackles. On the III
of September he crossed at night, anc
stood on his head amid blaze Of fire.
works.
In the summer of;1e60 he crossed be-
low the Suspension bridge. Blu previous
ly he had great difficulty in adjusting his
one inch rope and nearly lost his life fl