Charles Blondin walked over Niagara gorge on a tightrope, sometimes stopping to cook an omelet, sometimes carrying a man on his back or wearing a monkey suit, but always wowing audiences. <br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Charles Blondin Part 2

In the 19th Century, Niagara Falls became not just a beautiful landmark, but an obstacle crossed, dived into, or ridden down. Sam Patch, the first American daredevil, took his pet bear drinking with him and wowed audiences with his unaided jumps into the river. Charles Blondin cooked an omelet on a tightrope out over the roiling water. Annie Taylor, desperate for money, became the first to go over the falls in a barrel. This well-researched podcast tells the stories of these and other extraordinary daredevils.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.