Niagara Falls- Don’t Look Down

1) At Niagara Falls, on the border between the USA and Canada, the river Niagara falls more than fifty meters. Every hour, 2.5 million litres go over the waterfalls. Niagara Falls is popular with tourists and in the past it was also popular with daredevils. Three of the most famous were The Great Blondin, Signor Farini and Annie Taylor.

 

2) In 1859, Blondin walked across Niagara Falls eight times. Once, he stopped on the tightrope and cooked eggs on it. Another time he nearly fell into the river because there was a man on his back and he carried him on the tightrope. That day, a man called William Hunt was at Niagara Falls with his girlfriend. The watched Blondin and decided to invent stunts which were better and more dangerous than Blondin’s. He changed his name to Signor Farini and started to practice.

 

3) In 1860, a crowd was at Niagara Falls and watched Farini. He started walked along his tightrope, then he stopped and climbed down to a thirty-meter rope to a boat. He drank a cup coffee, then climbed up the rope again and continued walking. He was the new king of the falls. 

 

4) There were many heroes of Niagara and also some heroines. In 1901, Annie Taylor became the first woman to go over the falls in a barrel. People waited for forty minutes before Annie’s helpers opened the barrel. People didn’t expect to see Annie alive, but she survived.

 

5) Many others survived the stunts at the falls in the barrels, balls or simply a bathing suit, but a lot of people died. These days, daredevil acts are prohibited there and there is a maximum fine of $10.000.