The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini-Hunt - Sky Walking (Part Three)

After entering the enclosure on the American side of the Falls, he picked up his balance pole. It was now time to take his first steps over the Falls! The walk was not without problems, but he was able to overcome all of them and eventually made it to the other side. Here is Shane’s account … “An American reporter on the scene feared for Farini’s life. “The odds seemed terribly against him at this moment. There was an outcry that he never would cross and for a few moments of sickening suspense, in which he struggled with his pole, we believe half the crowd expected to see him fall.” Farini fought for his life with every once of his strength and kept his mind fixed on what had to be done. Sweat spread on his back and beads ran down his forehead and into his eyes. Then he reached inside himself and found what he needed. Locking his hips and holding his lower body rigid he tilted his upper torso sideways and slowly lifted the right side of the pole over the right guy and then carefully did the same with the left one before straightening himself and stepping forward to the next pair. He treated each set of guys similarly and slowly edged out over the gorge, steadfastly performing a strenuous and deadly feat. This part of his act was afterwards described by many onlookers as painful to watch.” Along the way he was able to perform many of the “tricks” he had promised he would do.

NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.

(To Be Continued)

The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini Hunt - Sky Walking (Part Two)

Here is how Shane describes the events before Farini’s first Niagara walk… “When he arrived and mounted the platform the people in the enclosure strained to see him. What would Signor Farini look like? They saw a young man, dark and handsome, almost Spanish in appearance. When they looked closely at his features many noticed the eyes first: the incongruity of their bright blue colour with the darkness sparks in his face. Farini had a shining mop of thick black hair slicked back on the sides, a moustache, and young whiskers that nearly touched at the chin. He was olive-skinned, oval-eyed and square-faced. The only blemish in his looks was a long, straight nose that turned up a little too much at the tip. Farini was noticeably bigger than Blondin, standing about five-feet-ten inches and weighing close to 170 pounds. Though he had just an average-sized frame, belied any thought that he was a man of average strength. Ladies were unaccustomed to seeing the outline of a man’s chest, so the ones nearest the platform looked closely at this well-developed specimen on display in the sun before them.”

NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.

(To Be Continued)

The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini Hunt - Sky Walking (Part One)

The high-wire was up and set. There was almost no wind. The sky was clear and the sun was shinning. It was a great day for a duel! The duel, of course, was between Farini and Blondin and the weapons were high in the sky with death waiting below! Peacock describes Farini the morning of the event … “He (Farini) always claimed to have nerves of steel and actually characterized himself as nonchalant and almost cavalier as his hour approached. A number of eyewitnesses agreed. One man who saw him that day recalled that he appeared “quite cool and smiled complacently” as he ascended the wooden platform next to his cable, and a reporter from the Daily Globe said that even at the last moment he still looked “like a person who possess a very determined spirit.” But as he rose that morning, his well-rehearsed bravado was undoubtedly fading. Someone else who saw him that day said that when he looked into Signor Farini’s eyes, “it was very evident that he was …nervous.” It must have been a nerve racking day, both for Farini and those who were waiting to watch him walk. Many thought they were going to watch him fall to his death!

NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.

(To Be Continued)

The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini Hunt - "Champion of Niagara"

Farini confronted Blondin and publicly challenged him, “but the great man (Blondin) … pretender seeking publicity,” Farini was not deterred, and within a single day he had secured financial backing. With this in place he set to work and made arrangements to have "an enormous rope shipped to him at the Falls". This began Farini’s journey to challenge and best the “Hero of Niagara”! Farini chose a spot to start his rope. His high-wire would be over 1800 feet long, much longer than Blondin’s. The large cable was eventually strung across the gorge after much work and difficulty. At one point Farini had to walk out on one of the guy wirer in order to attach more guy wires. He needed to stabilize the cable. While all this activity was happening, Farini’s soon to be rival was unaware of what was happening as he was out-of-town performing. Here is Shane’s description of Blondin’s return, … “When Blondin returned to Niagara from Ohio on the 13th he must have been more than a little surprised to see the Ferry Grove completely enclosed and a huge cable drooping over the gorge. The papers wer saying that the young man who had been challenging him two weeks before, so unknown but so full of fire, was going to cross it the day after tomorrow... This Farini fellow was for real.”

NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.

The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini Hunt - Freedom (Part Three)

Eventually Hunt decided to leave the Dan Rice Circus and head north to Hope Township for reconciliation with his parents. According to Peacock, “he apparently worked the farm” but “later claimed he took up residence in his native Lockport.” Where ever he was, in April, Blondin returned to Niagara and his high-wire. This stirred Farini Hunt into action! Here is what Peacock writes, “His pride bursting within him, he decided to act at any cost. Suddenly it didn’t matter that Blondin was the greatest rope-walker in the world and he was a ten-month beginner, or that no other professional would dare attempt this staggering feat. He wasn’t Bill Hunt any more, condemned and held down. Farini could do what he wanted to do: he would prove himself … finally. … He quit his job the same evening and announced his intention to walk the Niagara gorge on a high wire. His friends thought him insane and his fiancée vociferously agreed, prompting him to cut off their engagement and head for the Falls alone the very next day. There he asked hotel proprietors and railway people to sponsor his walks.” With Blondin now well established as the “Hero of Niagara”, Farini decided to publicly challenge Blondin. He placed a “public notice” in the July 26th issue of the Niagara Falls Gazette. It was now time to get to work!

NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.
(To Be Continued)