r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Electrical-Aspect-13 • 20h ago

Image 12 of July 1876, Tightrope walker Maria Spelterini crossed over the Niagara falls wearing peach baskets on her feet and using only a pole. 7 days later she did it blindfolded.

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854 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

115

u/Ashamed-Teaching6837 19h ago

This was before safety was invented.

21

u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp 19h ago

Now everybody's like Monk.

4

u/DLancy 13h ago

This made me lol really hard
Grazie

2

u/EmperorUmi 8h ago

>This made me really hard

Fixed that for you

1

u/BookieeWookiee 7h ago

You'll thank them later

30

u/No_Development7388 19h ago

Was she getting a lot of grief because wearing peach baskets made it somehow easy?

31

u/giant_bones 12h ago edited 11h ago

No, just like wearing onions on your belt, wearing peach baskets on your feet was the style at the time.

2

u/Pielacine 12h ago

I mean that how basketball was invented!

28

u/Ok_Organization_6620 18h ago

Okay but what has she done lately?

22

u/GarysCrispLettuce 18h ago

on July 22 she crossed with her ankles and wrists manacled

you didn't even mention the best part

8

u/uwillnotgotospace 16h ago

That sounds like a great Friday night

18

u/The_Kielbasa_Kid 14h ago

WTF did the peach baskets do?

16

u/Writeloves 13h ago

Probably made it harder to balance by creating a hard, inflexible barrier between her feet and the rope

7

u/saur0013 13h ago

Fruit snack on the way

5

u/GringoSwann 11h ago

She was sponsored by United Peaches Conglomerate...  Publicity Stunts were weird back in the day...

1

u/MyKonaGirl27 8h ago

They were actually filled with grapes that she was crushing to make wine. She was quite the multitasker.

0

u/ohdearitsrichardiii 7h ago

Turned the challenge up to 11

7

u/StoryAndAHalf 16h ago edited 16h ago

I'm guessing that's the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge in the background?

e: Actually appears to be the predecessor of the whirlpool rapids bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls_Suspension_Bridge

5

u/Redfish680 13h ago

Meh. I did one of those Maid of the Mist cruises without a raincoat.

4

u/MyKonaGirl27 8h ago

Yeah well I’ve ridden a bike AND a skateboard with no hands before.

1

u/Redfish680 1h ago

Some sort of industrial accident?

6

u/CitizenHuman 18h ago

This sounds like those random stats that sports announcers spit out. "He's the first left-hander over 5' 11" with blue eyes born after 1935 to throw an inning like that..."

2

u/RicooC 18h ago

😟

2

u/JeremyHerzig11 13h ago

What do you mean with only a pole? The pole makes it much easier

1

u/UNEXPECTED_PREQUEL 4h ago

Times where tough back then

1

u/Azkahn616 10h ago

All future stunts should include peach baskets.

0

u/Affectionate-Fan9250 20h ago

Type shit I have to go through to reach my mates house

0

u/Lalamedic 13h ago

American or Canadian falls?

0

u/Away-Activity-469 9h ago

This is why they invented basketball.