The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-12 00:00:00

SI;CURI2I 2 0 GYMNASTS.

In our impression of 13th January, we re-
corded an accident to a performer on the trapeze
named 'Gulnare, at the Town Hall, Bristol. This
gymnast had finished and was in the act of descend-
ing when the rope broke, and he was precipitated
a distance of 25 feet, alighting head foremost on the
empty benches beneath. Again, in our columns of
this day, will be found the account of a similar acci.
dent which occurred to one of the Brothers Bolena,
at the Music Hall, Dundee. In both cases, serious
injuries were received, and the escape with life was
all but miraculous. It must not, however, be
assumed that, through these examples, there is a
special providence attendant on such active and
daring exhibitors, for the death of the female
Blondin in the summer of 1862 will testify to the
contrary. Such accidents, however, soon pass from
the memory and are disregarded, unless the press
keep them constantly before the public, which it is
their duty to do with the object of their suppres-
sion.

We believe that accidents of a fatal, or even of a
serious, nature can be prevented in such exhibitions,
if the public would insist upon the suspension of
netting beneath the performers ; for it is not a fall
of 20 feet or double or treble that distance which
constitutes the danger, but the contact of the body,
on its descent, with some hard substance—as the
floor, heavy wooden benches, or even a stool. The
artistes are naturally adverse to all protection on
the score of their being injurious to the attraction
of their performances ; nor are they entirely wrong
in this calculation. Whether they be proficient on
the trapeze, the tight or slack rope, their exhibitions
are those of agility and intrepidity. To place au
intercepting net beneath, either suspended or
stretched at an el evation, would be almost tan-
tamount to a reduction of altitude, and in the ab-
sence of danger, the latter quality, that of courage,
would vanish from the perform ante. Most of us
would refuse to walk upon a narrow plank raised
some 100 feet from the ground, when if it were but
a few inche3 high we should run over it with impu-
nity, but in doing so we should have no cause to
boast of our audacity. Hence, if the public are
really bent on the prevention of similar accidents to
those we have recorded, they must be content to
witness feats of agility alone ; for to suppress
such exhibitions entirely would be to throw too
many out of employ—too many w'ao from rigorous
training from early infancy are fit for no other
pursuit.
It must be a lmittel that accidea is are rare—ex-
ceedingly rare—in proportion to the number of suc-
cessful, or rather we should say the number of
happy, performances, and consequently the spec-
tators of unto ward events are few in number. The
public generally have never witnessed them. They
have no sickening recollection of lamentable
scenes. They may have frequently beheld the
same performance and, with entire confidence,
in the cool calculation, the nerve, and courage
of the actor, may enjoy, without apprehension, the
display of-his activity. In the broad question, how-
ever, we must eschew all consideration of the pro-
portion between the unfortunate an 1 fortunate re-
presentations, and remember alone that it is against
the spirit of the times to make. the hazard of life and
limb a subject of public display. This must no
longer continue, and we do but our duty, as part of
the press, in this endeavour to rouse the public from
their apathy. Security, henceforth, must be ever
attendant on such performances, and spectators
content to witness them, devoid of the sensational
attraction of danger.—Racing Times and Amateur
Dramatic Chronicle.