Crossing Niagara: The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin

This account follows Jean François Gravelet, known as the Great Blondin, after a visit to Niagara Falls inspires him in 1859. He resolves to walk on a three-inch-wide rope from the American side to the Canadian side, suspended above the Niagara River. Crowds gather to see the crossing and his return trip. During the summers of 1859 and 1860, Blondin repeatedly crosses for growing audiences, adding feats such as walking blindfolded and carrying a man on his back. The story is reconstructed largely from newspaper reports of the time.