Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-17
THE GIRL ATHLETES FALL.
Details Of the Accidcmt-The Scene
in the Circus side Tent After.

TIE GIRL ATHLETES FALL.
i'm the Circus side Tent After.
ward
philadelphia Times.I
At the afternoon performance OF the great
compinalon circus yesterday. Just after Royai,
VINO Is styled In show language the human can
non Dali, had been shot from the mouth OF the
great howitzer. In the Forepaugh ring. twenty
Lulla, VINO hung head downward from ira
peZe, and While the great audience were breath
lsssly watching the feats OF the wonderful Da-
vehe family. consisting of one man and three
women, who were going through their dartny
trapeze acts above the London ring Miss Iucy
Dayene, who had just launched herself from
peGeStal nearly 20 feet high 10 make a swinging
leap and be caught In the arms OF her father,
who hung head downward fifty feet away. was
seen 10 guilt her hold on the bar OF the flying
Irapeze ana lail with sickening thud TO the
ground below. Men groaned and women
shrfeked and hid their faces For an instant
the poor girl lay stretched out upon the ground
IKE one dead. save for slight tremor OF her
limbs IL was only for an instant and then A
stalwart athlete gathered her In his arms as he
might baby and ran with her all linn and
senseless into the adjoining tent, from which
the performers enter the ring. my God, nv
child, my child Let me down. came a cry
from the lips OF a woman in fiashy tights and
blonde wig who hung by her feet from high
trapeze, and who La turn held by his feet Davene,
VINO was TO have caught the girl II the leap had
been successfully performed The woman tor
got mat she was circus performer and
That ten thousand eyes were upon her.
ard only remembered that she was a
mother. Daveae dropped TO the ground.
and his wife freed herself In an incred,
IDLY short time and followed him and both al
most flew after the swift gymnast, who carried
the bleeding girl out OF the sight of the horriied
audience. While this was happening, DIR. Frank
Muh,enoerg, OF 1909 Chestnut street, DIR. t.
Hewson Bradford, OF ?a5 Pine street and DR.
Ii. Earnest Goodman, OF l,42I Chestnut street.
left their places In the audience and disappeared
behind the curtain which hung In the passage
way through which poor Lucy Davene had been
carried. All this occupied but a few seconds
and the audience had scarcely time to compre-
bend what had occurred before Word came out
''She Is all right" and in minute more Fish
and Melville were whiriing around the rings in
their lightning bareback acts, in friendly rivalry
and the performance went on as though MOTH
ing had occurred, so far as the audience could
see.
But just behind the curtain which separated
the unemployed performers from the public on
a rude stuffed tick. used for tumbierS TO anght
upon In their prodfgtous leaps, lay the uncon-
ScouS grl, presenting sight which made old
shoWmen turn away Sick and shuddering. Her
blonde wig was gone and her brown hair, drip
ping with Ice water, was brushed back from her
lace, from which every particle or color had fled
Her eyes were closed. and her breath came in
short, quick gaSpS. on her left temple a treat
olGe Jump, nearly as big as mans fist, had
raised up, and TO this one OF the physicians was
holding lump OF ice. In the back or her head
there was great cash. from which the blood
lowed freely until 1t was stanched by another
physician. Lucy is little, slight thing, and as
she lay there in her ring costume which was
sofled and bloody, she looked like mere child
broken and dying. The mother, sobbing wildly
and talking 1ncoherently. bent over the girl
bathing her head In ice water, while Dayene
was running around like one distracted There
was no lack OF willing hands and willing feet
10 lend their aid to the relief OF the sufferer It
was strange and touching sight to see the
troops OF performers, in their fantastic cos.
tunes and norror-stricken faces, pressing
around TO offer their assistance. The gro
tesque painting on the faces or the clowns even
could not hide the looks of sympathy and
kindly solicitude. There were many expressions
OF anger and indignation by the male members
or The company that women should be permit
ted TO attempt such dangerous featS. by ="
said one OF the Crowns, this whole flying ira
peze business should be abolished; some one is
always getting crippled or killed by it. can
not look at it. have known so many accidents
that the thought Of it makes me sick. The only
merit OF flying trapeze act is frs danger it
should be forbidden by law" Many singular
expressions were heard from other athletes and
gymnaSts, who were standing about. Ii was
long time before the cause OF the accident was
generally understood, even by the members or
were sweaty and had slipped. The truth. how
ever, Is that as she SpraDg from the pedestal
and went to throw her feet over the bar on
which she was holding by her hands, her head
STRUCK with terrible force, the PEDESTAL on which
her feet had stood a moment before This
knocked her senseIeSs, and, relaxing her hold
she StlTeneQ out and Tell, without the power 10
make an effort to save herself.
After the first efforts at restoration had been
made, and the flow OF blood had been stopped
The mattress on which the girl lay was picked
up and carried into the ladies' dressing room
where for half an hour longer the physicians
kept up their efforts to nyiye the injured girl,
but without success. Many believed that She
was dying, and the word went around that the
physicians said she could not live. This was an
eXaggeration. though at one time they said that
her symptoms We're very unfavOrable and that
her pulse was very weak and uncertain. In half
an hour six strong men again took up the
mattress, and passing out under the edge OF
the canvas bore Lucy. accompanied by the
physicians, to her boarding house. on the
opposite side OF Broad street. on the way
she vom1ted freely. throwing up considerable
hGOd. After she had been placed fn bed
the ply SlciaEs renewed their efforts in her
behalf, ard her symptoms improved grad
Tally. although she only partly re-
gained consciousness, and her face looked like
the lace Of the dead. The doctors said that her
skull was not fractured, but that it was impoS-
sible TO tell what internal or spinal injuries she
might have sustained. At one time she showed
some symptoms OF conclusion OF the spine
They said last night that they believed she
would recover and without sustaining any per
nanent Injuries, but DR.. Muhlenberg said that
spinal injuries often did not develop themselves
until some time after they occurred.