The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-04-17
Fearful Fall from n Trapexe,


DAY AFTERNOON, MAKING OLD sHOwMEN
TURN AWAY FROM THE SIGHT SICK AND
sHUDDERISG.
PHILADELPHIA, April 15.-At the afternoon
performance Of the great combination circus
Yesterday, Just after Royal, who is styled IN
show language the human cannon-ball, had
been shot from the mouth OF the great how
itzer, in the Forepaugh ring, twenty feet
IN into the air and into the arms Of Mile.
Zuila, who hung head downward from
trapeze, and while the great audience
were DreathlessIy watching the feats OF
the wonderful Davene family, consisting
OF one man and three women, who
were going through their daring trapeze
acts, above the London ring, Miss Lucy
Davene, who had just launched herself
from q pedestal nearly twenty feet high TO
make swinging leap and be caught in the
arms Of her father, who hung head down.
ward fifty feet away, was seen TO quit her
hold on the bar OF the flying trapeze and
fall with q sickening thud 10 the ground be-
low. Men groaned and women sbrieked
| and hid their faces. For an instant the
poor girl lay stretched out upon the ground
| like one dead, save for a slight tremor OF
her limbs. II was only for an instant, and
then stalwart athlete gathered her in his
arms as he might n baby and ran with her.
all limp and senseless, into the adjoining
tent from which the performers enter the
ring.
"My God, my child, my child! Let me
down." came cry from the lips OF
woman in flashy tights and blonde wig,
| who hung by her feet from high trapeZe,
and who in turn held BY bis feet Dayene,
who was to have caught the girl il the leap
cs,,tl arfA cd
woman forgot that she was a circus per-
former and that ten thousand eyes were
upon her, and only remembered that she
was a mother. Davene dropped to the
ground, and HE wife freed herself in an
incredibly short time and followed him,
and both almost flew after the swift gym
mast, who carried the bleeding girl out
of the sight OF the horrifed audience.
While this was happening, DR.. Frank
Muhlenberg, OF 1909 Chestnut street; DR..
II. Hewson Bradford, Of 1905 Pine street; :;
and DR.. ii. Earnest Goodman, OF 1427 Chest
nut street, prompted by the instincts OF
their noble profession, LETT their places in
the audience and disappeared behlnd the
curtain which hung In the pasSage.way
through which poor Lucy Dayene had been
carried. All this occupied but few Sec
onds, and the audience had scarcely time TO
word came out "she is all right" and in q
minute more Fish and Melville were whrl.
inc around the rings in their lightning
! bareback acts, in friendly rivalry, and the
performance went on as though nothing
had occurred, so far as the audience could
see.
But lust behind the curtain which sepa
. rated the unemployed performers from the
; nublc. on u rude stuffed tick used for tum'
blers 10 alight upon in their prodgiou'
leaps. ay the unconscious girl, presenting
, 4 sight which made old shOwmen turn ava!
, sick and shuddering. Her blonde wig wa
cone and her brown hair, dripping with c'
, water. was brushed back from her face
!, from which every particle OF color had fed
Her eyes were closed and her breath came
i'm short, quick gasps. On her left temple
J a Great blue lump, nearly as big as man.
= fist, had raised up, and to this ose OF tn
: physicians was holding lump OF ice. II
= the back OF her head there was grea
\ cash. from which the blood flowed ireel
= until it was staunched by anotne
physician. Lucy is little, sn9ht thing
and as she lay there in her ring costume
: which was soiled and bloody, she looke(
\ like mere child, broken and dying. In
y mother. sobbing wildly and talking inco
head in ce.water, while Davene was run
ming around like one distracted. Ther
= was no lack OF willing hands and wiliin
feet 10 lend their aid to the RELIEF OF TN
sufferer 1t was strange and touchin
sight TO see the troops OF performers, i
4 their fantastic costumes and borrOr-stricke
d faces. pressing around TO offer their assist
ance. The grotesque painting ON the lace
NJ the clowns even could not hide the look
Of sympathy and kindly solicitude. Ther
were many expressions OF anger ana indlt
nation BY the male members OF the compah
that women should be permitted TO attemf
such dangerous feats.
II was a long time before the cause OF 10
accident was generally understood, even o
the members OF the company. Many sal
that the eltps hands were sweaty ana ma
; slinned. The truth. however, is that as sh
snrany from the pedestal and went 10 thro
her feet over the bar on which she wa
holding by her hands her head struck VIII
- terrific force the pedestal on which her Zee
It had stood moment before. This knocke
her senseless, and, relaxing her boio' 81
y stiffened out and fell, without the power
" make an effort 10 save herself.
y The doctors said that her skull was M
fractured, but that it was Impossible 10 te
= what internal or spinal injuries sue miS
il have sustained. At one time she Shove
: some symptoms Of conclusion OF the spin
2 They said last night that they believed 81
0 would recover, and without sustaining an
II permanent injuries; but DR.. MnhienoeI
said that spinal injuries often did not q
r yelop themselves until some time ai'er 'n'
occurred.
T.. .ho woSt. Point colored. cadet inves
: CATION Thursday. Mr.. Townsenu salu