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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1260, 27 January 1883, Page 2

A sensational scene is thus reported by the Sydney Morning Herald : — “ On December 23 Mr H. L’Estrange, called the Australian Blondin, essayed to perform the feat of crossing Middle Harbour, Sydney, on a tight rope. The rope was of great length—about 120 fathoms—but was not more than thirty feet above the water. It was drawn taught by means of a winch, and in order to keep from swaying a number of guys were carried out to boats on each side. I The crews of the boats on one side kept pulling against those on the other side, and by that means it was thought the rope would be kept steady. A few minutes after six o’clock L’Estrange mounted the bicyle, took his balancing-pole, and made a start, moving slowly and cautiously. After going about 30 feet, he made a momentary halt, then started again, and moved slowly until he had traversed a distance of something like 50 or 60 feet. He then made another halt, and balanced himself with difficulty, while the rope commenced to sway a little. To an on-looker it appeared as though some of the boats’ crews, instead of steadying the rope, were really pulling so unequally against each other that the rope swayed more than it would have done if there had been no guy attached to it. L’Estrange, however, managed to keep his balance, and had proceeded a distance of something like 100 feet from the start, when he had to stop again. The swaying of the rope, although not great, was easily notice-

able to people ou eben, end wm quit* sufficient to make the performer Unetaaay BS the bicycle. He tried vainly for scveml seconds to balance himself, and finding he wm falling, made a kind of half-spring, and fell feet first into the water. Fortunately; the fall wm not a high one, and he wm able to awim the few yards necessary to enable him to reach a boat, which promptly came to his assistance. This is not the first misfortune L’Estrange has met with in his attempt to perform feats of daring. A little mon than three years ago he made a balloon aa> cent from the Agricultural Society’s Grouttns, near Melbourne, and when at a considerable height the balloon burst, and fell near the < Yarra. He wm nearly suffocated in the wreck of the balloon, but prompt ateistanoo saved him from serious injury. Subsequently he made a balloon Mcent in Sydney, with the result that the balloon fell in w oolloomooloo, setting fire to the roof of a house, and nearly killing L’Estrange. A St. Louis editor accidentally received in Ins morning mail, proof sheets intended for the employes of a religious publication-house. After glancing over them he rushed tp the sub-editor, yelling, “ Why in the world did’nt you get a report of that big flood ? Keen that slow old religious paper across the way is ahead of you, Send out your force for full particulars—only one family saved. Interview the old man. His name is Noah 11