THRILLS AT NIAGARA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20073, 9 October 1920, Page 2 (Supplement)

THRILLS AT NIAGARA.

DARING FEATS,

This sad fate of Mr diaries G. phons m attempting to shoot Niagara balls m a barrel, will recall to many peopb the exploits of previous seeTtei : .) after Niagara fame (says a Tendon paper).

The craze.began ninety'years ago, when Sam Pate!- erected a ladder on one of the banks of the Falls and elverised that on a certain day ha would leap irom the top rung of th* ladder into the, river, a dive 0 f ninatv-sevon feet. Ho accomplrihed the exploit twice overhand then, after having become a hero in the ores of a. continent, assayed another big dive, and lost bis life. When, half a century ago, Bi’ondinj woolanucd that he would walk over the Balls on a wire rone, be was looked pn as being n madman. But, in spite of tins, people could not resist the tempjv'tion of seeing him throw away hri life, and the crowd was the largest ever semi at Niagara , The wire-walker’s teat was an astounding one. Ha crossed and recrossed thu 1 river; lowered a cord to a boat below! n/iid drew up a bottle, from which- h* I took & drink. Then, after performing! some balancing tricks which made ' everyone in the crowd gasp with aston- i Ishment, ho came ashore, and for.many, j days after the world rang with the news' | of the achievement.

Two months later Blondin carried his manager across the Fall, with him o« uis buck, fl-ftor which ho crossed this-time withi his liando, and feet‘in chains. On the return journey he canned a cooking stove, with the aid of which ho made an omelet afterwards lowering the delicacy to the deck of a, small steamer on the river. 1 - On another occasion he crossed with a bushel basket on each foot; and once with n lady on bis back. And here it may bo noted that Blondin, after performing these and manv other hairraisine: feats, died peacefully in his bed at Ealing.

, Following him there came a succession of Niagara, notoriety seekers. A man named Stephen Peree crossed sev» oral times on a rope, until, one day, ho lost his life as n result of diving iVnin one of the bridges that span tho falls.

Another man named Leon essayed to cross on the same wire that Peree had used, shortly after the latter’s death, but. on nearing the middle, he suddenly lost his nerve and shakily made his way back to the shore.

Shooting the. rapids in a barrel, too, has been tried on several occasions. A man named Graham accomplished tho trip in safetywhile at least one woman, Miss Sudio Potts, has done it.