River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-01-18
CIRCUS SECRETS.
AC,nrast who Passe for We s as
a Woman.

Willing 10 SPEAK Oh HIS achievements.
As he blew smoke from big cigar
through his bristly mustache he did not
look as though he had ever been wom-
an; but he was woman to all appearance
for several years.
"Is YOUR name Mr.. Luluw asked the
reporter.
mo; just Lulu"
"Been in the show business all your
Gfe?"
'Since | was boy, but my perfor-
nance have always been of a special
character that ofmaking flights through
the air. For years after my first
appearance | was girl Why was u
Because it enhanced the interest of the
performance. A crowd at a circus will
eye a woman with intense curiosity when
they wouldn't think of looking at man
you know. When the spectators saw me
shootup into the air to d heighat OF forty
feet or more, as quick as thought,
without knowing how it was done, they
were filed with wonder and admiration.
They thought that there must be some
thing supernatural about it"
"Were you not suspected of not being
a womanP
my sex was always matter OF spec
ulation, but my appearance was in favor
of the theory that | was woman; and
no one could assert that | was not.
When / was younger my face was of an
essentially feminine type. maintained
my disguise under all circumstances:
even my intimate acquaintance were
deceived. My hair which was very
light was allowed to grow long, and was
put up in curl papers every night; as
regular as the locks of the most financial
maiden. Ny dresses were marvels OF
art, and-if | may say 1.-THE envy of
women. received all sorts of attention
from men. No lavorite eques-
trienne evei received more
notes or flowers. Once | was asked to
act as bridesmaid at wedding, and as |
could not refuse, l went through the
ceremony, blushing when it was proper
and looking demure and sorry just at
the right moments. But the greatest
trial l ever had was fighting a German
baron who wanted to marry me. He at
tended my performances night after
night, sent me flowers and messages,
and made use of every opportunity he
could to express his devotion. He fol-
| lowed me from town to town, and it
was with great difficulty that ! got rid of
| his attentions at last"
"How was your perpendicular leap
made?"
"By means of mechanical device, :"
replied the gymnast, twirling his mus
| tache. cit is necessary to have innoya-
tons in all forms of amusement. The
world grows tired of old tricks. | stood
| in full view of the spectators on an iron
plate about foot in diameter, which
was attached to a spindle running down
through frame work. The spindle was
thrown UP distance of seven feet above
the stage bv means of rubber springs,
carrying the plate with it. The springs
were powerful enough to send my BODY
through the air like shot. Another
set of rubber springs ierked the spindle
back as quickly as it shot out, so that the
motion both ways was too quick for
sight. On reaching my distance caught
hold of ropes
ais this performance dangerous?"
every. 1t was necessary to pose my
body so that it would be exactly in line
with the median line in the spindle.
Otherwise | would receive a severe
shock, be thrown in the wrong direction
and miss the ropes. The least delay in
releasing the spring after the signal is
given increases the danger"
"Did Won ever meet with any serious
accident when making this fight?"
cone night at Dublin the machine wa.
imperfect and the spring became re-
leased before | was ready, throwing me
on my head and shoulders in the or
chestra circle. When they carried me
out they thought l was dead. This per-
Torrance is so dangerous, in fact, that no
other gymnast has ever undertaken it."
"What sensations do YOU experience"
II feel as if the earth had suddenly fall
on from under me. But there is really no
time for thought. 1 am at the ropes in
an instant"
"IIow are you able to grasp the
hBy instinct. l Gun see nothing
"What indJced you to give up this
performance"
was almost telescoped by the shock. |
then set to work to devise a machine
that would enable me to distribute the
force over my whole body. The result
was the catapult, after several months
spent in making experiments. This
machine is very simple IN its construct
ion. Aniron plane about fifteen feet long
is 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 perpendicular This
movement throws my body which is ly
ing at full length at the upper end of
the plane, so that / describe an arc and
alight in a net about sixty feet from the
machine. My first performance on the
catapult was given at Blackpool, Eng
land"
9IWere YOU successful at first?'
81 was nearly killed two or three
times, although had experimental for
months with weights and stuffed figures.
| could not tell how far. the machine
would throw me or in what position |
would alight. The first time l was
thrown / lost all sense of What | was do
ing or where / was going. was utterly
helpless and came down into the net on
NV head and face. My head was so cut
and bruised that my hair came out In
punches"
"What is the principle of the cannon
from which gymnasts are sometime
hurled?"
"The same principle is involved in
this machine as that used in making per
pendicular flight, the only difference
being that the body is sent in an oblique
line upward instead of perpendicular
into the air. As the performer can get
in a position with perfect safety, this feat
is not attended with much danger"
Chow is the spring released IN TINS
instrument
''By means of a trigger set off by the
explosion of powder
"How many turns do you make IN
describing the arcf"
Formerly | made three; but triple
somersault is dangerous. You lose COM
mand of yourself after completing t he
second turn"
els your course through the air the
same every time"
"No different ejaculation has to be
made for each flight. | am rot able to
tell how far | am. going until half the
force of the impulse is spent. Then the
turns are made 70 that may come down
on my shoulders into the net"
"Have you ever used any other me-
chanical device?"
an London / made the experiment
of using machine much the same as a
catapuit, but suspended in mid-air.
The springs were so adjusted that the
iron beam on which l lay, when released,
described almost a semiclrcle, so that
when !. body left it / was underneath
instead of on the top of it.
"What sort of a line did your body
describe in passing through the air."
"This machine threw me distance OF
200 feet in almost a straight line. My
movement was so straight and so swift
that it was almost impossible for me TO
turn my body even once. In fact, did
not recover my consciousness until my
e.,.oo .,-aS nearly srant Resides the