The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-05-15

no other man has ever dared emulate
There are few things in the way of
daring that some one viii not repeat,
but Blondin was the cieverest as well
as the most venturesome Of his pro.
fession. His feats were tasks too
great for the skill a. well as the cour.
age OF his imitators.
Blondin's great trip over Niagara
falls In 1859 was the most startling
sensation of that time, thing talked
OF for q generation afterward. 1t was
Witnessed by a crowd Of thousands.
The present king Of England, then
Prince OF Wales, saw Blondln while
on his tour through the United States.
He once declared that the sight Of
Blondin crossing the fails on n sway
Ing rope made greater impression
upon him than any incident of his
journey.
Though Blondin crossed on the rope
several times his greatest exploit was
when he carried over on his back an
other man. To the spectators. unused
to the acrobat's feats, II seemed Inn
possible for him TO leep his swaying
footing with the burden on his back.
Large sums were laid that he would
fall. Blondin's Jwt feeling. however,
was one Of compiete confidence.
But the feelings % the man on his
backl That man had never walked a
slack rope, had never been suspended
In such a dreadful position before. and
he had to depend for his safety abso-
lutely on the movements of another.
Many years afterward this man. Hen
~ M. Colcord OF Chicago. gave an Rc-
count OF his experience to a newspa-
per.
"YOu ask what 1t feels like to be
twelve hundred feet in mldair over a
raging torrent" no said. 81 cannot
describe II better than by saying that
the flrst sensation was an overwhelm-
inR one, in which II was hard to sepa-
rate awe from fear Then there came
what may best be termed an absolute
cessation OF all feeling, Before start.
ing from the shorn Blondin gave mo
that injunction which almost every
mother has given to the boy at her
knee when giving him his FIRST lesson
IN life.
"'Look up, Harryr he said
"My arms were about his neck. whilo
my legs were slung in hooks at his
waist Out we went over that horrible
gulf. I heard the roar OF the water
below and the hum which ran through
the crowd Of 100000 spectators, Az
we cleared tho brink the hum ceased.
There was not one person perhaps In
that vast throng who did not feel
greater strain than was ours.
''unable to resist ! stole one glance
down at the black waters II seemed
for an instant as II were poised
above the entire universe. There was
q feeling Of immensely such as I had
never felt before and have never felt
since. Then looked up.
'Blondln walked on steadily. pausing
for ono brief moment at each point
where tho guy ropes Joined the main
cable. The line was a tribe steadier
at those places and gave him chance
10 assure himself Of his balance, There
was q wide space In the middle OF the
rope to which It had not been possible
10 attach guy lines.
AT the last resting place before we
reached this Hlender. svaying span
Rlendln said 60 me;
"TIarEy. you are no longer Colcord;
you are Rlondin. Until l clear this
place be a part OF me. mind. body and
soul II sway. sway with me- DO
not attempt 20 do any balancing your
SELF II you 90. we shall both go down
% our death
II had dlamounta1 while he was
taking b me and stood with one foot
on the line aud both hands on his
shoulders. ] climbed back into my
perch. sud Plondin started across the
unstable part OF the line. I had clear
Cd my nind Of all feeling save one,
tried n think that instead of being
poised IN m,dalr. with nothing but n
manila rope between me aud destruc~
ton. was shut Rp with Blondin IN a
eOnnn@d space where the thought of a
fan was farvleal.
''Blcndfn swung 10 the right ana
then 10 the left Each time | went
with aim a. thoagh we were nodded
into enc piece With immoyahle parts.
II knew afteFward that the line be-
meath his feet was swaying horribly
and chat TO the people on the shore II
seemed that tirna and again our bodies
were parallel b the rushing Niagara
Fapiaa below. Rlondin's marvellous
skin. however. and the precision with
which be manipulated his pole brought
rs each time % the upright
'srhe unprotected center was passed.
al bat a few feet Blondin was now
running Just as 4 boy runs IN order
the bettsr 10 keep his balance when
walking = railroad track. We were
nearing the point where the Joining
place OF the flrst guy line from the
opposite shore offered es 4 moments
breathing space. Blondin's foot was
planted on the knot which Joined the
lines.
My breath came naturally again.