The record-union., 1897-01-24
COLCORD'S RISKY TRIP.
How He Crossed Niagara Falls on
BlOndin'S Back.

How He Crossed Niagara Falls on
Blondin's Back.
Henry NJ. Colcord, the artist, has a
studio in the Auditorium tower. He has
| a weakness 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 it is to look downward 200
feet and to feel the peculiar sensation
incident to such a hazardous feat.
Il crossed with Blondin three times
said Mr.. Colcord but now not a deed
to the whole city of Chicago could tempt
me to go out foot over that fearful
gulf. Why l did it in my youth can
not explain, save through implicit conf
dence in Blondin or utter failure to real
ize the attending danger
"Blondin and l were with the Ravell
pantomime troupe for a long while.
Afterward they We're succeeded by the
Martinetti troupe. We played at Niblo's
every winter and travelled the rest of the
year. That was the famous pantomime
troupe, and older people will remember
the great popularity of such produc-
tons as 'Raoul; or the Magic Star
Whs we were at Cincinnati the
thought of crossing Niagara Falls on
tightrope came to Blondin. He asked
me to go with him, and 1 consented. On
reaching Niagara Blondin talked of
crossing the river on a tightrope, and he
was declared to be insane-no one would
listen to him. man named Porter
owned Goat Island and it's approaches,
as Well as the Cataract House. He posi-
lively refused to let us put one end of
the rope on his property. The first idea
was to go straight over the verge of the
falls, but Porter's opposition and the
current belief that we were insane pre-
vented the carrying out of our inten-
ton Finally we got hold of a man
named White, who owned some picnic
grounds between the falls and the
bridge. The place was called Point
Prospect. From White We obtained per-
mission to stretch the rope from his
property to the Canadian shore. The
rope was made in New York, and was
900 feet long. The actual walking dis
lance across the river was 200 feet. We
drilled holes in rock, and into them
slipped some railroad car aXles. They
We're put in slanting, and about them
the rope was wound. You may get
some idea of the weight of that manila
line when tell you that after all our eff
forts to pull it taut there was still a sway
of fifty feet. Guy lines were stretched
from both shores at intervals of twenty
feet. There was, however, a space of
forty feet in the middle where the rope
was not supported.
,n1 n ha
mer of 1853 and was left out all winter
without injury. Blondin made his first
crossing in the summer of 1859, and
subsequently went over blindfolded. His
crowning piece of daring was walking
on stills. How he did it is something
that l have never been able to explain,
and l doubt if Blondin himself could
give a satisfactory explanation. 1t re-
quired a masterful nerve.
Zone day he said to me: I want to
carry you across on my back
thought he was joking, and turned off
the subject. He urged, and 1 finally
consented There were 100000 people
present on the afternoon that 1 put 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. l will not attempt to tell all l
felt as we went out over that abyss. 1
cannot tell it. I know that l kept my
ewes open and looked down without
feeling dizzy. 1t was supreme mo-
nlent. and perhaps the situation gave
me the nerve that carried me through
the ordeal. 1 looked to the further
shore and could see the tense forms of
the multitude They stood silent and
fearful. l do not believe one person
i'm that throng enjoyed the perilous
scene.
I'm order that Blondin's limbs might
not be hampered in action, all my
weight was thrown upon his shoulders
nv legs resting very lightly in the
hooks. For this reason my arms be-
came so tired that before we got out
forty feet I was compelled to dismount
three times to rest myself. The first
time I did this I heard a hoarse muir
muir from the crowd. When I dis
mounted I placed my hands lightly on
Blondin's shoulders and stood with my
right foot ON the rope, the left leg
pointing outward and downward to be
used as balancing medium. Reach
ing the last guy rope on the Canadian
side. from which we had started, there
were ahead of us forty feet of line un-
protected by lines. With his foot rest
ing on the last guy rope, Blondin said
to me: Harry, whatever you do, as
we cross this unsupported place, do not
attempt to balance yourself. Be per-
fectly passive, as though you were a
part of my own body. If 1 lean, lean
with me. On you depends the safety
of our passage Then he stepped out
toward the swaying center. In mo-
ment he had lost his equilibrium. He
leaned away over to the right; to me it
seemed our bodies were parallel with
the earth. I nerved myself. however
In moment he regained his equilib-
rum and then leaned as far to the
left. Blondin could not regain his bal
ance readily. His movements were not