The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-22
ON BLONDIN'S BACK.
IT WAS THUS HENRY cOLcORD
CROSSED NIAGARA FALLS.
The Wonderful and Blood Chilling Feat
of the Great Rope waiker-How He
Lost His Balance When Man Who Bet
He Would Fail Pulled "a Guy Rope.


do in the Auditorium tower. He has a
for high places Colcord Is the
man whom Blondin carried upon his back
on slender MANILA rope across niagara
falls This Chicago artist knows what 10 Is
to look downward ESQ feet and 10 feel the
peculiar sensation incident to such haZ.
ardous feat
II crossed with Blondin three times"
said Mr.. Colcord, "but now not IA deed to
the whole city Of Chicago could tempt me
to go out "a foot over that fearful gulf
Why did it in my youth cannot explain,
save through implicit confidence in Blond
In or utter failure TO realize the attending
danger.
'Blondin and / were with the Ravell
pantomime troop for a long while AIT
erward they were succeeded by the Marti-
netti troop We played at Niblo's every
winter and travelled the rest of the year.
When we were Mt Cincinnati, the thought
Of crossing Niagara falls on tight rope
came to Blondin. He asked me TO go with /
him, and consented. The rope was made /
I'm New York and was 9, 500 feet long The |
actual walking distance across the river |
was 2, 100 feet, and the height above the |
water was 260 feet.
"The rope was stretched in the summer
of 1858 and was left out all winter with
out injury. Blondin made his first cross
ing In the summer of 1859, and subsequent
ly went over blindfolded. His crowning
piece of daring was walking on stills. How
he did it is something that i have never
been able to explain, and / doubt If Blond
In himself could give satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION. 1t required a masterful nerve.
zone day he said to me, Il want to carry
you across on my back / thought he was
Joking and turned off the subject. He
urged and / finally consented. There were
300 900 people present on the afternoon
that I nut my arms around Blondin's neck
and placed my legs in two barrel hoop iron
hooks which he attached on either side OF
his belt will not attempt to tell all
felt as we went out over that abyss. can
not tell it. l know that l kept my eyes
open and looked down without feeling dir
zy. 1t was supreme moment, and perhaps
the situation gave me the nerve that car
ried me through the ordeal. looked TO
the farther shore and could see the tense
| forms of the multitude. They stood silent
and fearful. do not believe one person In
| that throng enjoyed the perilous scene
"In order that Blondin's limbs might
| not be hampered in action all my weight
| was thrown upon his shoulders, my legs
|
| reason my arms became so tired that be-
fore we got out 40 feet 1 was compelled to
| dismount three times TO rest myself. The
| first time did this heard hoarse muir
| muir from the crowd. When / dismounted,
! I placed my hands lightly on Blondin S
| shoulders and stood with my right foot ON
| the rope, the left leg pointing outward ana
| downward TO he used as n balancing medi-
| um Reaching the last guy rope on the
| Canadian side, from which we had started,
| there were ahead of us 40 feet OF line UNI
protected by lines. With his foot resting
| on the last guy rope Blondin said to me:
Harry, whatever you do as we cross this
unsupported place, do not attempt TO bal
ance yourself. BE perfectly passive, as
though you were IA part of my own BODY
If | lean, lean with me. On you depends
the safety of our passage Then he step
ped out toward the swaying center. In a
moment he had lost his equilibrium. lie
leaned away over to the right 10 me II
seemed our bodies were parallel with the
earth. nerved myself, however In mo
ment he regained his equilibrium and then
leaned as far to the left. Blondin could
not regain his balance readily.
Ills movements were not unlike those
of a boy who attempts to walk OH rali Of
a track He started and ran, his object be-
ING to reach the first guy rope on the OPP
posite side, where he knew that he coulo
secure q steady foothold and regain his
noise. He reached the place. At that in
slant felt something shake beneath me-
There was momentary but violent oscii
lation of the rope and Blondin had start
! ed to run again. He made the knot oil Inc
next guy line, and there secured Urn
footing.
"'Get off, he said. dismounted ant
stood as 1 had done before. This Tune II
, was he who was exhausted. He stood there
like n statue Beads of sweat were on OIL
. face. His veins stood out like cords
, s'We reached land in safety. Asw drew
near the American shore every man, WON
an and child within 100 feet of the line
end had arms outstretched to receive us
Their lips were parted and their eyes ha.
something of almost agony in them'
have believed to this day that there wer
people in that crowd undergoing create
] nervous strain than either Blondin or my
+ self.
'There had been an enormous amour
of betting on the result OF tDe crossihs'
Many did not believe that the fcat woui'
be accomplished. 1t was one oil these VINO
seeing success probable, had gone 10 u,
D shore end OF one of the guy lines ana pun
4 ed il hard enough To break it at the man
= cable just as Blondin had placed his 100
!, upon the knot Nothing but the magniil
|, cent nerve of the rope walker saved mn
! and me from being hurled to our death J.
the river below.
e sat the time of our first crossing &c
= gether the Washington Grays, New for
j. military organization, were present.
woman had seen the man who attempte
TO break the guy rope The Washingto
Grays sent out description OF him an
It offered 81 900 reward for his capture, pu
e he was never found. Chicago Times
IS Herald.
70 A National Song Written Under Hot Fir