New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-25

|
| speak of his achievements. As he blew smoke from
| n big cigar through his bTstly mOustache he did
not look if he had ever been woman but he
was O. woman-to all appearances-for several
years. =, ,,,
| "NO; Just Lulu"
" Been in the show business all your 'ep
| =" Since was boy, but my per 0imances nave
| flights through the air. For years after my first
! appearance | was n girl. Why was / 7 Because i
| enhanced the interest of tho performance Acrowd
at a circus will eve woman with intense curiosity
| when thcv wouldn't think of looking at man. You
| know. When the spectators saw me shoot ND INTO
the air to height of forty feet or more as quick as
thought, without knowing how II was done. they
were filled with wonder and admiration. ihry
thought that there must be something supernatural
'Wcre you not suspected of not being woman
" Ny sex was ALWAYS matter OF speculation, but
my appearance was infavor Of the theory that
was a woman and no one could assert that was
not. When was younger NV face was OF an essen
italy feminine type. maintained my disguise un-
der all circumstances even nv intimate acquaint-
| ances were deceived. Nv hair, which was very
haht. was allowed 20 grow long, and was put no IN
curl papers every night as regularly aS me looks OF
! the most inical maiden. My dresses were maryels
| of art and-if / may say 1.-THE envy of
wemcn. received all sorts of attentionsfTom men.
No faV9rite eoucstrIenue ever received more notes
| or flowers. Once | asked to act n brides
| maid at wedding and as conld not refuse,
| went through the ceremony, blushing when IT was
| proper and looking demure and sorry just at the
| right moments. But the greatest trial ever bad
| was in fighting Oft a German baron who wanted to
marry me. lie attended my performances night
after night, sent me flowers and messages and made
u.c of every opportunity he could 10 express his
| devotion. he followed me from town to town aud
it was with great difficulty that got rid of his at
| tentions n last"
" How was your perpendicular leap madei"
by means Of mechanical device"
Tepsd the ymn necessary 1| t have ' nPo 1Sf
tons in all forms of amusement. The world
grows tired of old tricks. stO"d In full view Of
the spectators on an iron plate abont foot IN
| diameter which was attached to a spindle running
down through framework: This spindle was
thrown up distance OF seven feet above the stage
! by means of rubber Springs carrying the plate with
| it, The springs powerful enough to send my
body through the air like a shot. Another set OF
rubber bands eTked the spindle back as quickly as
| il shot out, that the motion both wavs was 100
quick for sight. On reaching my distance caught
| hold of ropes" m
."yeIy. i was necessary to pose my body so
that It would be exae L IN line with the medlan
we're shock, be thrown IN the wrong direc ion and
miss the ropes. The least delay In releasing the
spring after the signal Is given increases the dan
Ibid you ever meet with any serious accident
WHOM making this flight I"
One pIqht at Dubia the machine was imperfect
and the spring became released before was ready,
throwing me on my head and shoulders i'll the or
house. When they carried me out they thought |
was deal This performance is so dangerous, in
fact hat no other Gymnast has eyer Undertaken It,"
what sensations do you exp"r1enceP
81 feel as if the earth bad suddenly fallen from
under me. But there Is really no time for thought
| am mt the ropes in an instant"
= How are you able to CRISP III. rSpesT
by instinct. | can see nothing"
What induced you to give up this perform
Il grew too stout. One day my body was almost
tclescoped by the shock. then set 10 work to de-
vie a machine that would enable me to dis
The result was the catapult after
several months spent in making, ex-
pcriments This machine IL very simple in its
A n about
suspended on an axle at slight angle. Rubber
springs are made to act so as to throw the plane
forward suddenly into a position nearly perpcndic-
ular. This movement throws my body, which IS
lying at full lcngh az the upper end Of the pl lane,
sixty ieet FROM the machine My first perform
ance on the catapult was gwen three years ago
at Blackpool, England"
" We're you successful at firstT
times, ""s althoSsh I had experimental 10 for
not tell how tar the machine would throw me or in
what position | would allght. The first time was
thrown lost all sense of what was doing or
where / was gong. / utterly helpless aud
came down into the net my head and face Ny
read was 50 cut and bruised that my hair came
out in punches"
"How many turns do you make in describing the
Formerly made three, but triple somer- >.
saut is dangerous. You lose command of yourself !
after completing the second turn"
as your course through the air the same every
No; different calculation has to be made for
each ight. am not able to tell how far am
going unIl half the force of the impulse is spent
Then the turns made so that may come down |
on nv shoulders into the net"
al Have you ever used any other mechanical de- |
vice 7"
" la London l made the experiment of using |
machine much the same as the catapult, but Bus- |
pended i'll mid air. The springs were adjusted |
that the iron beam on which lay, when released |
described almost 4 seml-clrcle, so that when my |
body lett 1t was underneath instead Of on top of |
it.n
"What sort of line did your body describe in |
passing thrOu Oh the arr"
This machine threw me a distance OF 200 feet in |
almost n straight line. My movement was so |
straight and swift that il was almost impossible
for 10 turn my body, oven once. In fact did |
not recover consciousness until my force nearly
spent. BeSid -, the impulse Of the machine gave |
such q severe shock that the feat attended |
with very great danger. On this account l was |
forced to abandon tins performance after several |
trials"
What is the principle of the cannon from which |
gymnasts are sometimes hured7"
" he sumo principle Is involved in this machine |
as that used IN making the perpendicular flight the
only difference being that the 0ody is sent in an |
o Ss nne IPT63 e S Gssaa Of
with perfect safety this feat Is not ATTENDED with
much danger"
How Is the spring released IN this Instrument |
powder"
Tins device is the Same in principle as the |
others. with, of course difference The arrange
mems OIL Tue springs ana the addition Oi WIRE ana |
pulleys, which enable the body TO ascend and |
descend slowly. If he sprngs were allowed TO be |
released sudd enly, the dancer would he thrown into
the air with great force. THIS is prevented by l
means of a brake managed by man behind the /
scenes. As the entire machinery 10 concealed from
view, the illusion Is almost complete"
q" What Is the secret of the performance made by |
the young woman VINO slides from the top of the /
canvas 10 the ground by her back HAIR ~
Ihe gyInnas smiled.
" There Is a trick about that" he said, which /
yeu tnInk the spectators would easily perceive, but
In A ffaE. a mi att.
frame which energies IRON her costume at the back
OF her neck A small leather loop ia fastened TO p !