The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-01


rope with a man on his back the time
| occupied was forty-tye minutes' be sa'
the man down while he rested six times
| on the rope Fancy tbs man thus climb
| ing again to his should ers and inserting
his legs in the hooks attached to the
hips of the gymnast for his support.
| The Prime of Wales sent special
check to Blondin after his great feat
another of his gifts WAS a cluster diamond
ring. AMI the inhabitants of the village
gave him gold medal as q tributs OF
admiration with this inscription: "Pre-
sented to Mons. j. Z. Blondin by the
citizens of Niagara Falls in appreciation
of a feat never before attempted by ma n.
but by himself successfully performed on
| the 18th of August, 1859, that Of carrying
man upon his back over the falls OF
Niagara on tight rope
Since his tFiumphs at Niagara, Blond
in has made more than 1000 ascents in
all parts of the world without the slight.
est accident. He used his Niagara rope
for the first performance at the Crys
tai palace; in one of these performances
the man who had charge of the fireworks
sent him off his balance and he narrowly
missed falling 1870 feet by catching hold
of the rope. He dropped his balancing
pole, however. His only other misad-
ventures were while wheeling a lioness
down the sag Of the rope; 1T became
entangled with the line regulating his
descent and he hal to return walking
backward. At Birmingham reservoir,
the sag of the rope caused him to cross
knee-deep in water at one part. The rid
ing along the rope on a special bicycle
seems difficult feat, and the finish up,
surrounded by blaze Of fireworks was
very effective.
Apparently. Blondin does not know
what nervousness means, and his secret
has bsen described as confiden CO in him.
self, obtained by long habit in rope
walking. There Is no doubt some Of
the victims he has carried across his rope
have suffered. He would talk to then
ON the most Indifferent subject; tell them
to sit perfectly still, and avoid clutch
ing him round the neck,or looking down.
ward when in midair. He has frequently
detected gasp Of relief from the man
on his back, when the end of the rope
was safely reached. What he considers
one of his greatest feats was walking on
rope from the maiumast to the mizzan
on board the Peninsula and Oriental
steamer Poonah, on her way to Australia
between Alden and Gale in 1874. He
hnd to sit down five times while the
ship.
His baggage, when on tour, consists Of
main rope of 800 feet; circumference,
81 inches; weight. 800 pounds; IS
straining ropes, 80 guide ropes, so tying
bars-the average weight. not including
poles, being 81 tons. The freight of his
fxings-iucluding, we suppose huge
travelling tent which can encompass
| 1, 1000 people-amounteed to 1000 pounds
| between Southampton and Melbourne
About three days are consum ed in max
| ing his preparations, by the aid of a
dozen assistants. The due adjustment of
his ropo is his principal care. and he su.
perintends every detail
| In fragment of autobiography writ
| ten some years ago, Bloudin tells us that
| the rope he generally used was formed
with flexible core of steel wire covered
with the best MANILA hemp about an
inch or three-quarters, in diameter.
several hundred yards in length and cost
| ing about e100. A large windl ass at
either end of the rope served to make il
taut, while it was supported by two high
poles. His balancing poles, of ash wood,
vary in length, and are in three sections
and weigh from thirty seven to forty
seven pounds He is Indifferent as to
the height at which he is to perform.
| Blondin has never confessed to any
nervousness on tho rope, and, while
walking be generally looks eighteen or
twenty feet ahead and whistles or huns
some sna tch of song. The time kept
| by musical band has frequently aided
| him in preserving his balance. Blondin
| is something of both carpenter and black
NTH, and la able to make MS own mod
els and lit up his own apparatus.
AtNiax ara house. South Easying, he
is quite country gentleman. surround
ed by his pet black and tan terriers and
poultry, and recreates himself and does
| stroke of honest work in his workshop
| with its lathe and forge. He is no smok-
er, takes little or no wine. and is a good
billiard player. This blue-eyed, fair-com-
nlexioned, rudy old man seems to have
the secret of per ,gtual you b. he displays
IA lrofusi0na gf diamond sUdds and rings;
and, besides his gifts from the Prince OF
Wales. has had many honors from
crowned heads He is the proud posses
sor of one of the two gold medals of the
Crystal palace in 1854. The Queen has
the other. He has, besides tho cross
from Queen Isabella of Spain, which en-,
titles him to the title OF cheyaIler, while
tho Australians bestowed handsome
CROSS of Australian gold upon him. - .ss,. 4
Did You Ever