Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-05-05
TER HATkR QUEEN.
A Wilmington Girl who Stays Under
Water Three Minutes and Forty.
i've 6ecOuds.

Water Three Minutes and Forty.
i've Seconds.
The Philadelphia Evening Telegraph on
Saturday printed an interview with "Ths
Water Queen" lately and probably still
exhibiting with Barnum, Bailey & Hutch
inson's troupe. The lady interviewed il
understood to be Mrs. Hutchinson, for
merly Miss Maggie W, who spent her
early childhood in this city. Her father
was house painter who, 20 years ago.
lived in Lombard street between Second
and Third. He had two daughters by
his first wife, Maggie and Ssllie, who are
remembered by some people still living
here as pretty and interesting little girls.
Some is years ago Miss Magges
mother died. Her father shortly after
removed from Wilmington and subse-
quently remarked. He died several
years after this second marriage, his
second wife having died short time
previous. He had accumulated no
property, and thus his eldest daughter
was left 10 provide for her sister and two
baby step-sisters as best she could. This
occurred some eight years ago and they
Were living then in New York city.
Bravely Miss Maggie took up the re-
sponsibility. She had just graduated
with high honors at one OF the best
schools in the city, but the only avenue
for making livelihood that She found
opened to her was to go upon the stage.
She did so and worked so faithfully and
earnestly that her salary was soon in
creased, but it required the closest
economy to keep the little family together
and exc out living from her earnings.
This led her to look tor more lucrative
position and the interview tells the rest
OF the story. In the role Of "fhe Water
Queen" she earned the money TO support
and educate her younger sister and step
sisters, until the elder two of the three
We're able to make their own living. The
youngest OF the step sisters was adopted
some two years ago by an uncle living in
Virginia, and is still with him.
Miss Maggie exhibited once in this city,
when travelling with the Great Western
Circus, in the summer OF 1879. Since
then she has visited Europe and shown
the people there what Wilmington girl
can do. BY long practice she has learned
to stay under water for the remarkable
time OF 3 minutes and As seconds. In
February last she became the wife of MIR.
Hutchinson, one of Barnums present
| combination.
The interview is as follows:
"a few years ago." said the Water
| Queen the other day, there was
| young girl going into a tank at the
| Aquarium in New York. Her example
! inspired many others, among them my
self, and the proprietors allowed us to 60
into the tank to practice. Captain Beach
was also performing there. He thought
displayed peculiar aptitude for the
business, and gave me special lessons, so
| that i'll a very short time | was able to
| give an exhibition, but it was fully three
years before obtained perfect command
| OF myself under water, for it is water into
| which | go, and not, as many people
think, an empty tank enclosed iii double
walls OF glass, about three inches apart,
the intervening space only being filled
with water. Mr.. Beach tank, in which
We both exhibit, is Z feet long, 4 high
and 2. wide. The temperature OF the
water, which is changed every other
night, is 75S. This business is not un-
pleasant in summer, when We perform at
watering places and amusement gardens,
but i'll winter it is very disagreeable and
always dangerous.
SIN what does the danger consist y
Too frequent iuulelslous are III them
selves injurious to health. They weaken
the strength and wear the iie-b away.
Of the few performers under water, there
is not ileshy person to he found, but all
are prone to leanness. We give many
performances during the day and night
at the museum, and are Obliged to alter
nate daily. We tried AT first To relieve
each other by going in alternate weeks,
but found even that too wearing, aud
now We change and change about every
day and evening. The only one idea tht
public have of danger connected with
water is by drowning, and they suppost
that could not possibly occur where
assistance could be instantly obtained
The principal danger is that of bursting Q
blood vessel when holding the breath ),
long under water. The strain is terrible
"Another risk run is that 0f havnl
my hair catch fire from the great Jets o
gas which protruie ont like great tongue'
+ Of flame, over the middle of the tank, :,
| as 10 light up the water
why do you wear your hair loose
| when by putting it mp you might avoi'
this danger p =--.
81 wear my hair flowing down IN,
, back 50 that it will float, and therefor.
show our skeptiUal public that I really
am in water. used TO plat it, ltt
j plated lair soon becomes water.logged
\ and will not tloat. Continued victim.
rots the hair, and the continued damp
ness--ior | 60 in too often TO get it en-
$ tirely dry-superinduces neuralgia Of TIL
head, and from this disease and rheu
t. matislu human fish suffer torture.
= I've are obliged to run from the tank
n to the dressing room III heavy, wet suits
This gives cold, and, repeated SO iry
{. quently, brings on a nunbness Of III
entire frame, and generally ends il
PARALYSIS. There is no wav If nyu;Iin
this. Paralysis usually attacks the t,a
first, as they are poorly protected.
u what sort oil shoes do human ifs
wear in the water,n
'r SONY a canvas gaiter; ANYTHING Ell,
i would be too wpighty. The suit OF a
x aquanaut is now invariably mad. Of this.
e worated, covered with spangles. A sni
% OF this sort for man weighs when We
Is pounds, and hs must have sew raj ,
: them for drying purposes, as to 90 in i
e wet suit would coon disable hin
s. Much experimenting has been dom, /
this direction. India rubber tights hay
been tried, but they were cold. cluua ia
lie closely TO the figure, and could not 1
n ornamented. And, by.the.by. of "a
It ladies' in show life water queens must a