. The falls of Niagara . , light-haired Frenchman made his appearanceat the Falls, and expressed a wish to put a tight-ropeacross the chasm below them, for the purpose of crossing onthe rope and exhibiting athletic feats. He received littleencouragement, but, having a Napoleonic faith in his star,he persevered, and finally obtained the necessary author-ity to place his rope just below the Railway SuspensionBridge. It was a well and evenly twisted rope, abouttwo inches in diameter ; and after stretching it as taught asit could be drawn, it hung in a moderate catenary at the sho
. The falls of Niagara . , light-haired Frenchman made his appearanceat the Falls, and expressed a wish to put a tight-ropeacross the chasm below them, for the purpose of crossing onthe rope and exhibiting athletic feats. He received littleencouragement, but, having a Napoleonic faith in his star,he persevered, and finally obtained the necessary author-ity to place his rope just below the Railway SuspensionBridge. It was a well and evenly twisted rope, abouttwo inches in diameter ; and after stretching it as taught asit could be drawn, it hung in a moderate catenary at the shore ends he secured stays of smallrope to the large one, placing them about eight feet were made fast to the shore in such a manner thatall the stays on one side of the main rope were parallelto each other from the center outward to the ends. Theywere made tight somewhat in the manner that tent-cordsarc tightened, and when the structure was complete itlooked like the opposite sections of a gigantic Blondiii ii(i>Miiy the Niagaia. (l))I)Osite page 145. LOCAL HISTORY AND INCIDENTS. I45 At each end was a spacious inclosure, formed by arough board fence, for the use of spectators. M. Blon-din — for this was the name of the new aspirant for acro-batic honors—also made an arrangement with the super-intendent of the railway bridge for its occupation duringwhat, with a shade of irony, he called his who went within the inclosures and upon thebridge paid a certain sum. A contribution was asked ofall outsiders. He selected Saturday as the day for fort-nightly ascensions, and advertised his intentions veryliberally. The speculation was successful and gavegreat satisfaction to the spectators. He exhibited avariety of rope-walking feats, balancing on the cable,hanging from it by his hands and feet, standing on hishead, and lowering himself down to the surface of thewater. He also carried a man across on his back,trundled over a loaded wheelbarr
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