BLONDIN IN A STRAIT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 378, 1 August 1874, Page 4

BLONDIN IN A STRAIT.

Written for the " Brndigo Advertiser " by John Greenw6od. The following episode in the career of the arch of gymnasts, who is now on a professional visit to Australia, occured during an engagement at one of the provincial towns of Britain in the year 1861, and was of such a nature as not to be forgotten either by the gymnast or the ,-jnany thousands of spectators who witnessed the thrilling stra't into which the man of nerve, presence of mind, and muscular power found himself unknowingly plunged. Bt>in<* an eye- witness, I can all the more fully depict the following incident in the life of this really clever athlete : — Blondin was announcer! to walk a rop» • of great lengh and iviraual height at the grounds of the Liverpool Zoological Gardens Company on a Saturday afternoon of one of the summer- months of the year 1861. the most sensational part of the performance being to wheel a barrow containing a lion, from one extreme end of the stretch rope to the oth°r the distance being about six hundred yards. The day being a delightful one, I visited the grounds early, and witnessed the king of the rope-walker's arrive in hi 3 carriage, drawn" by a pair of greys, as you must know that Blondin was at that time the lion of the day, $3 well as being one of the best paid performers of the class then ex+ant, his fee being one hundred guineas for each ascent, or for each performance goaae through by him. In appearance he is rather prepossing, fair complexion, well built, below the medium height, remarkable muscular, and in weight about 10 or 11 stone. Before proceeding with the sensational part of this narrative, ifc would be as well to describe the means and appliances by which the rope, or, correctly speaking, the hawser, was stretched, the better to enable our readers to form as accurate a co-iception as possible of the awkward dilemma that the hero of this story found himself placed in. Two lowermasts and topmasts of a ship of large tonnage having been secured and firmly embedded in the ground, steadied ■with the usual shrouds, *fays and guys, and placed on end exactly as a ship's masts would be, with this exception, that the tops occupied the place of thecrosstrees the better to enable the performer and his accomplices to adjust themselves preparatory to going through (and as a starting and resting point) the many evolutions characteristic of tight-rope walking. The hawser was stretched from one masthead to the other, and set up on the ground behind by a 'tremendous purchase, but owing to the great span between the masts, it hung in the form of a semi-circle ; rather a stiff decline and incline for a gymnast having loaded wheelbarrow to trundle before him. The timo for the performance having arrived, Blondin was seen beino; hauled to one of the mastheads sitting in a boatswain's chair, an arricle of furniture that certainly would not be classed as portion of a drawing-room suite, but although rude, and simple m tts make, it has been found to perform many kind offices, both on sea and laud, as all naulical men can testify. Everything ready, a band of well trained musicians struck up a favorite marching air, the hero of Niagara at the same time footing ihe rope in a slow, steady, and cautiou# manner ; but gradually increasing his walk, or dance, into a gallop, keeping admirable time with his feet on the rope, and before the centre was reached the performer had attained the velocity of a pedestraiu in a race contending for a trophy. The centre gained a rest was indulged in, the alhlete sitting down on the rope on his balancing pole, which in itself was no mean item for a man to carry, being thirty feet in length antl sixty pounds in weight. After a short rest the spectators were amused" at the performer going through several ; evolutions, such as standing on his head, turning summersaults, hanging by hig toes, and lying at full length on the rope. In due ftourse a move was again made, and the opposite masthead reached, where everything was being prepared for the great feat of the day. It was now observed that the men in attendance were busying themselves securing the lion in the 1 banvw, and lashing ifc to the sides of the performer ; this over, Blondin reappeared again to the fore with hia load - lashed to him, hia ever trusty balancing pole in hi 3 hands, lie appeared now in his grandest position, and although I had witnessed many daring and startling performances, this" outvied them all. There stood Blondin, a phenomenon of skill aud daring, with his ponderous load in front, everything depending on his nerve and strength, as to whether the long lino of hemp before him was to be passed over in safety or not It was a thrilling and exciting spoctacle, the lion being so placed that his head lay o,ver the fore part of the barrow, his eyes peering down on tho assembled multitudes below, as if challenging them to mount and follow him — the king of the forest — and his compeer — the king of the g3 r mnasts. The band "being again called into requisition, a start was made ; and, as I have said before, the rope hanging as it did in a semi-circuhr form, the decline from each masthead was somewhat precipitous ; go, to preveat the wheel-

barrow obtaining too much impetuß in its descent a small line was attached to keep it in check, attended to by a person on the platform, or top, at the masthead. On walked Bloudin, trundling hi 3 load before him, which must have been doubly difficult, owing to his hands being fully engaged steadying himself with his pole, when, through, some stupid bungling on the part of the individual who had charge of Uie line, he let ib slip out of his hands, an exclamation of horror and surprise rang through, the assembled masses, who on this occasion were said to number one hundred thousand spectators, at this unforseen, circumstance. The excitement now became intense, and tho^e who had taken up positiona immediately under the rope, or hawser, betook themselves to less dangerou3 places, as everyone anticipated that the hero of this story would be precipitated, together wiih his comrade in danger^ to mother earth. The wheelbarrow, deprived of its check, hurried onwards at a teriffic pace ; down, down the decline of rope with frightful rapidity. It was now seen that Blondin was a perfect master of the art of rope-walking as he manceuvered and steadied himself in really gallant style. The line that had been let go became entangled in the topmast branch?? of some trees, whiftier it had fallen. The worst fears were now entertained for the safety of the performer, as it appeared evident that on the line becoming taut he would be either jerkeiiFoff the hawser or prevented from reaching his destination — the opposite masthead. The excitement at this stage was painful in the extreme, everyone being as silent as the grave ; and I almost began to reproach myself for being present to witness the apparent aiid inevitable destruction destruction of this daring fellow. But not so. Blondin being equal to any and every emergency, he was seen to lean over in the direction of the entangled line, his equilibrium being splendidly maintained by the dexterous use of the balancing pole. Two dangers had now. been averted — the one to have been pulled off fche rope by the barrow in its descent, the other to have been jerked off on the check line becoming taut, What was now to be done seemed to strike everyone ? However, after remaining motionless i'or a short t'me, like a statue in the elements, a backward movement was made. Cheer actor cheer arose from tho vast concourse of specfaiors at this movement, and the majority seemed relieved of an amount of uneasiness and anxiety — concomitants of a season of peril, Blondin completed his extremely difficult backward journey in admirable sijle, but he was immensely exhausted on reaching the platform. After an interval of rest -nothing daunted — another attempt was made, and the tremendous stretch of hemp was, without a hitch, passed over iv really gallant style, being a feat of daring skill of strength seldom or cv >r' witnessed.

Victoria. — " A Victorian in London." writing to the ''Balhinifc Star," says :—: — ''Victoria is rather an unfortunate name for our colony. Among the shippiug people it is neavly unknown. They are all familiar with Port Phillip, Melbourne, and even Gt^long, but when Victoria is spoken of they axe apt to suppose you allude to Viclovia, the capital of Vancouver's Island, or Yiciovu'iu China." Taking it Easy. — On Wednesday last, says the "Si. Arnaud IVlerem-y," ab Archdale station, a well-bred young bull, three years old, was found at lunch time lying on a Brussels carpet with his chin resting on (he fender before a very snug i lire, in the besb room of the establish- i ment, where it is surmised he had been for some time enjoying his cud. There were no men about the place at the time, and the servant, who discovered the intruder, quickly made it known to her fallow servant, who after a consulation, armed themselves with sticks, and came in front of his reiyning rbujesly from an adjoining room, and after doing battle in ' a mild form, Mi*. Bull retired through the door into the hall, where he stopped and took a good survey, and then walked into the yard without soiling the carpet. One of the girls, however, got a nasty kick on the leg for getting too near tile animal. An Excuse. — Not long since a gentleman found in his hennery a simple-minded soul of the vicinity, who lived without any visible means of support. " What are you doing here, you rascal — stealing my chickens?" "No, sir; I thought of doing nothing of the sort " It unfortunately happened that that the simpleminded individual wore a high straw hat of the dimensions, of a bee-hive, and the crown thereof was dilapidated to a serious" extent. Just as he had put in hi 3 denial, the head of a half-crown jjullefc was seen to protrude froiv the aperture. "See here," said the gentleman ; how did that chicken get into your hat?" "Well," exclaimed the simple-minded individual, T.'ith au air of honest surprise and embarrassment, " that- is the strangest thing that ever happened to me. I suppose the darned critter must have crawled up my tro users leg." Shocking Railway Accident. — The ''Argus" reports ihat a shocking and fatal accident occurred at Richmond, at Swan-street crossing of the Melbourne and Ho.sons Bay Railway. The train for Hawthorn which leaves Melbourne at three minutes past seven o'clock, had pussed over the crossing, and the train from Windsor was just coming into the Richmond Station, when a boy suddenly ran out from the gates in front 'of the train. The engine-driver saw him, and i at once sounded the whistle and put the breaks .down. The train was, however, so close that it caught the boy on the shoulder and knocked him down on the line, the train passing completely over him, and of course causing instantaneous death. When picked up the body presented a frightful appearance, being horribly mutilated and past all recognition, The head was severed from the body, and the lower jaw was gone. The wheel of the engine had also passed across the abdomen, exposing the whole of the viscera, j One of the hands was abo partly severed i from the arm. The Gallogly family appear to be an unlucky one. The father of the hoy is a cousin of Ivlr. Gallogly, who was landlord of the Civil Service Club Hotel, in Collins-street, respecting the sudden death of whose wife there were some strange rumors afloat at the time. Mr. Gallogly of Richmond, has also been unfortunate, for he has recently buried his wife, and the elder brother of the boy now killed was not long ago sent to the lunatic asylum. The Melbourne and Hobaou's Bay Railway Company have been for some weeks past engaged in fixing gates at this crossing which are worked .by Saxby's patent, and in a few days they will be in full operation. By this patent the whole of the gates will be locked meckanic'ally by the signalman on duty in the towei', and it will be-im-poasible for any person to pass until the gates are again unlocked.