The great blondin biography of rory davis

On June 30, , at 5 pm, Blondin made his first journey across the Falls. He wore a dark wig, a vest of purple plush and a pair of white Turkish pantaloons. He began his first walk from the American side and completed his crossing in 20 minutes.

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Blondin used a thirty-foot long balancing pole that weighed 40 pounds. He stepped onto the tightrope and started his long descent down the cable, which, at midpoint, was fifty feet lower over the gorge. There he stopped, dropped a bottle tied a piece of twine into the Maid of the Mist tourist boat below, hauled up some Niagara River water, drank it, and resumed his journey, uphill this time.

He arrived on the far bank triumphant, though bathed in sweat. He rested briefly, accepted a glass of champagne, performed a little dance on the rope, and walked back across in just eight minutes. For two summers, Blondin performed above the Niagara. During his subsequent performances, he crossed the Falls on a bicycle, on stilts, and at night.

He swung by one arm, turned somersaults, and stood on his head on a chair. Once he pushed a stove in a wheelbarrow and cooked an omelet. On one occasion, he crossed blindfold in a heavy sack made of blankets. But his greatest feat was to carry a man across on his back. During his fifth exhibition, he persuaded his manager, Harry Colcord, to climb on his back and to hazard the long trip across the gorge.