The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-05-06
BLONDIN AT NIAGARA,
His Famous Walk on a Slack
Rope Over the Cataract.
NTH A MAN UPON HIS BACK.

Tho sensations of Henry NJ. coleord,
Who Was Perehed on the Aerohat's
Body, as Described by H,msslf-The
sovcred Guy Rope Incident.
Charles Blondin, the French rope
walker though he died in bed at ripe
Old nge in 1897, performed feats that
no other man has ever dared emulate.
There are few things in the way of
daring that some one win not repeat,
hui Biondil was the cleverest as we'll
rs the most venturesome of LIS pro-
frssicn. His feats were tasks too
great for the skill as well as the cour-
age Of his imitators.
Blondin's great trip over Niagara
falls in 1850 was the most startling
sensation Of that tipe. a thing talked
q for generation afterward. 1t was
witnessed b. a crowd of thousands.
The present king of England. then
Prince Of Wales. saw Blondin while
on his tour through the United States.
lie once declared that the sight Of
EIoud.n crossing the falls on a sway
lng rope made greater impression
Uron him than any incident of his
lcmrney.
Though Blondin crossed on the rope
several times. his greatest exploit was
when he carried over on his back an
ether man. To the spectators, unused
TO the acr6bat's feats. 1t seemed i'm
possible for him to keep his swaylng
footing with the burden on his back.
Large sums were laid that he would
fall. Blonlln's own feeling. however,
was one of complete confidence.
But the feelings of the man on his
back! That man had never walked a
slack rope. had never been suspended
In sI'ch dreadful position before, and
Ito had to depend for his safety abso-
lntoly on the movements Of another.
hIany years afterward this man, Hem
r. N. Colcord of Chicago. gave an ac-
count OF his experience to n newspa-
rer.
You ask what It feels like to be
tvHive hundred feet in midair over q
1ging torrent" he said. 81 cannot
describe 1t better than by saying that
The first sensation was an overwhelm-
ing one. in which It 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 shore Blondin gave me
fFf. mIS
mother has given to the boy at her
knee when giving him his first lesson
in life.
Look up. Harry! he said.
MY arms were about his neck, while
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. As
wo cleared the brink the hum ceased.
There was not one person perhaps in
that vast throng who did not feel q
greater strain than was ours.
Unable to resist I stole one glance
down at the black waters. It seemed
for an instant as II / were poised
above the entire universe. There was
a feeling Of immensely such as had
never felt before and have never felt
since. Then looked up.
''Blondln walked on steadily, nausing
for one brief moment at each point
where the guy ropes Joined the main
cable. The line was a tribe steadier
ff those niacae and f-nvp him n chance
to assure himself Of his balance. There
was a wide space in the middle OF the
rope to which 1t had not been possible
to attach guy lines.
at the last resting place before we
reached this slender. swaying span
BIondin said to me:
Harry. you are no longer Colcord:
you are Blpndin Until I clear this
place be a part u me. mind. body and
soul II ] sway. sway with me Do
not attempt to do an balancing your
self. n yOu do. we shall both N down