The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-27
Blondin, the Rope Walker.

The celebrated t.ght-rope walker, known
| everywhere as Blondin, but whose real
| name was Jean Francois Garvelet, died
yesterday at Ealing, a suburb OF London,
at the age of 70 years. He was born in the
| village of ST. Omer. France, and was the
| son of one OF Napoleon's soldiers, who was
also a gymnast, and sent his son to the
gymnasium at Lyons. where his perform
! ances were so remarkable that he was
| brought before the public before he was
years old as tight-rope walker, leaper and
| somersault thrower. He came to the United
| States at the invitation Of company who
| had heard of his successes abroad and was
here for four years, or until 1883, when he
conceived the idea of crossing the Niagara
river at the falls on tight rope The rope
was stretched above the wide gorge at a
height of about 10 feet from the water.
He crossed for the first time on June 3D.
1853, in the presence of nearly $1,000 per-
sons. He crossed again on the Fourth OF
July of that year with the upper part OF
| his body and head enveloped in several
thicknesses OF blanket that completely shut
out his view of the rope and the water;
then he crossed wheeling wheel-barrow.
Another -ime he threw sonersaults on the
rope and went through several acrobatic
feats. He also crossed with a man on his
back. and finally made the journey at night
amid the blaze OF fireworks, standing on
his head as they were going off. In the
summer of 1850 the Prince of Wales saw
the famous Frenchman cross On a rope be-
low the suspension bridge. He then went
over with a man on his back and set the
man down six times while ne rested. He
also went across on stills.
After his performances at Niagara. Blon-
din crossed the rope in many parts of the
world more than 4,0O0 times, and had many
thrilling escapes. He once advertised that
he would wheel his little girl across the
rope in a wheel-barrow filled with flowers,
which she was to scatter right and left, but
the British home secretary thought this
was a little too strong for the nerves of
the populace. and he interfered. He per-
formed on the rope in London when he was
20 years old, and to the last retained his
marvellous agility and steadiness.
His career has never been equalled or ap-
preached by any other performer on the
rope, and the nerve which saved him from
accident for more than half century was
the subject Of investigation and admira-
ton of more than one medical society. AS
an Illustration of this quality the following
anecdote is quoted from Cassells Maya
zine:
"A feat that Blondin couldn't rehearse
was performed at the Geological Gardens,
Liverpool He had given an afternoon
performance there and was TO perform
again in the evening. During the interval
between the performances some one sug-
gested playfully that it would be fine
thing for him to take lion across. Capital
49, - tilt "a -
the management his readiness to wheel
across any lion they liked to send up to him
The lion chosen was IS months old, and was
known as Tom Sayers' The performance
was in the open air, and it was just getting
dark when the lion was slung up and strap
ped to the barrow. A pretty stiff gale was
blowing. The rope sagged good deal. too.
so that there was steep decline from each
mast. 1t was, therefore, deemed advisable
that some control should be kept over the
barrow and it's strange freight from the
platform, in case Blondin might not be able
to prevent 1t from running away with him
down hill. So line was attached to the
barrow TO keep 1t in check, and the end of
this was retained by an attendant on the
platform at the masthead.
ION walked Blondin, trundling his load
before him, which must have been doubly
difficult owing to his hands being fully en-
gagged steadying himself with his pole,
when, through some stupid bungling on the
Fart of the individual who had charge of
the line, the latter let it slip out of his
hands. An exclamation of horror and sur
prise rang through the assembled masses,
who. on this occasion, were said to number
100000. The excitement now became in
tense and thouse who had taken up posi-
tons imm ediately under the rope or hawser
betook themselves to less dangerous places,
as everyone anticipated that the hero of
this story would be precipitated. together
with his comrade in danger, to Mother
Eearth. The wheel-barrow, deprived of it's
check, hurried onward at terrific pace,
down, down the incline of rope with fright
full rspidity. The line that had been let go
became entangied in the topmost breaches
of some trees, whittier it had fallen. The
worst fears were now entertained, as it
appeared evident that on the line becom-
ing caught Blondin would be either jerked
off the hawser or prevented from reaching
his destination-the opposite masthead. The
excitement at this stage was painful in the
extreme. everyone being as silent as the
grave. the destruction of this daring fellow
being apparent and inevitable. Blondin,
however. remaining motionless for short
time, like statue in the elements, began
to move slowly backwards; cheer after
cheer arose from the vast concourse at this
and a feeling of relief settled
upon all, and gave place to admiration at
the splendid style in which he completed
his extremely difficult backward journey.
After a brief rest Blondln set out again
with Tom Savers and accomplished the
feat ne had undertaken without a hitch"