Engraving of Blondin crossing a tightrope over the Niagara River while piggy-backing his manager. Holley, George (1883). Via Wikimedia Commons.
Charles Blondin is perhaps history’s most celebrated high wire walker. He was known for crossing the Niagara Gorge in 1859—1,200 feet across and 170 off the ground. He later repeated the stunt, upping the ante by walking blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow, cooking a meal midway through the rope, and for carrying a man on his back across the wire. This last stunt, however, nearly cost both men their lives during a show in 1892.
The performance was in Chicago and Blondin found a volunteer brave enough to be carried along the walk. But this daring piggy-backer had a reason for his courageousness, which he revealed to Blondin midway across the wire after beginning to laugh.
“What is it that amuses you?” the stuntman asked curiously.
“Oh, a comic idea has just struck me,” the man said, according to newspaper accounts. “I was thinking what sort of a face you would pull if, during the next half minute, both of us were to fall down upon the audience.”
Blondin assured him no such thing would happen. After all, this was just a typical day’s work to him.
“But I have determined upon this occasion to take my life,” the man explained.
He then made the attempt, trying to shake Blondin from the rope. But Blondin didn’t share the rider’s plans and instead dropped his balance pole and held the man with enough force to keep him still.
The daredevil continued walking until safely reaching the other side, where he slid the suicidal fellow off his shoulders and immediately knocked him unconscious to avoid any further death-wish scuffles.
It was the last time Blondin carried a complete stranger on his back. From that day on, he stuck with carrying his trusted manager.
Stereoview of Blondin cooking on the high wire.
