ACROSS NIAGARA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1133, 14 August 1913, Page 4

ACROSS NIAGARA.

MEMORY OF BLONDIN.

FEAT BY AN AUSTRALIAN. Few men would have the pluck to walk across Niagara on a tightrope. Fewer still would have the pluck to mount the shoulders of the tightrope walker and be carried across that way. The one man who not only had the pluck, but went through the experience, was Henry Percival Lyons. He was Blondin’s advance agent and business manager, and he died the other day at his home in Melbourne, says a writer in the Sydney Sun.

Lyons was Australian born, a small, volatile, slightly built man, with enough physical fire and courage, for a dozen average mortals. He commenced his long show career by entering the employment of Mr R. Stewart, father of Miss Nellie Stewart, and announced their coming in most parts of the Empire, Bloudin was

a public wonder in Australia in 1877, and Lyons was greatly attracted by the business possibilities of rope walking. He secured his introduction to Blondin in daring fashion. Blondin had asked from end to end of Australia for volunteers to be carried pick-a-back across his tightrope. Only on rare occasions were people found willing to trust their life and limbs to the daring showman. Lyons came forward one night, and was so easy to carry, so light and steady on Blondin’s back, and so promising in his talk of the money to be made in the business, that he became Blondin’s business manager.

Round and round the world Blondin and Lyons travelled, always increasing in the daring of their performances, until they came to the famous American wager upon the crossing of Niagara Kails. As every schoolboy knows, Blondin got safely across, and Lyons was the man who went over on his back.

“There was a lot of money wagered against Blondin,” Lyons used to say to his friends, “and when wi were half-way over a guide rope snapped on the American side. Afterwards we found it had been cut. The tightrope qnivered and began to swing dangerously. I did not move, but I must have shown slight nervousness, as Blondin said. ‘Don’t move, hold tight.’ He hesitated for a second, and then made a little run forward, hesitated once again, and ran forward a few more steps. The rope steadied slightly, and the rest of the journey was easily accomplished.”

As was said at the time, it was braver to be carried than to carry. The carrier guided his own steps, whereas the carried man was helpless, and ran the risk of being jettisoned.