St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-08
RISK SUDDEN DEATH,
TrapeZe Performers Literally
Take Their Lives in Their
Hands.
Accidents That Have Befallen
Noted Athletes in
Midair.
Circus People Are Conscious
Of the Danger They Are
Constantly In.
Some Of the Mishaps Which
the Original Hanlons Have
Survived.

famous trapeZe performer, by fal
while performing with Forepaugh's cir.
Gus at Clinton, To-, makes it interesting
to recall few of the accidents thai
have occurred on the trapeze, says the
New York Sun. Bill Kennedy, the
champion clown and famous trapeZe
performer. received several serious falls
in his trapeze-swinging days. He is al
old man now, retired from his favorite
sport. but is connected with Tony
Pastors theater. Yesterday he said:
81 began trapeZe performing Ill 1850.
In 1856. while performing in N0rth's
theater, in Chicago, | fell from the
trapeze a distance Of thirty feet. | was
hanging on the bar by the toes. Harry
Beach was performing with me. He
threw the bar and it came wide of me.
/ failed TO get it and fell headlOng on
the curb of the ring. Twas sent to New
York. and was in critical condition for
fourteen weeks, and was not well for
six years. | had to have my back lanced
500 times. l got another bad hurt when
| was with Mabbe'S circus in 1852. This
was the first year the trapeze act was
tried. and [ was one OF the first to perform
it. was on the top pole doing an arm
horizontal. The pole broke and went
to the ground. | fell tWenty-seven
feet. John Conklin, the great cannon
ball thrOWer. was performing with me,
and as we came down we struck each
other. This broke the fall and saved
my life"
do you think it is a dangerous occu-
pation?"
Il do think it is very dangerous, even
with an experienced hand. A man is
risking his life every time he goes on q
trapeZe and turns a sOmersault; but
performers when acting never think of
that"
William Davene and. his wife Lucy
are probably the best-known trapeze
swingers of the present day. Mr.. Da-
vene is an Englishman and his wife is a
Russian. They have been engaged i'll
this profession from childhood. Both
have just returned from a very sue
cessful trip through South America.
Mr.. Davene was we'll acquainted with
Hanlon He does not believe HanlOn's
neck was broken, He has seen several
persons killed OIL the bars.
Death on the CatapuIt.
The first was Lizzie Park, beautiful
girl in her teens. She had been ap-
prenticed to Mr.. Davene for six years
as an acrobatic and gymnastic per-
former She played at Niblo'S Garden,
at the London theater,in the BOwery, in
San Francisco. and III England. While
performing at Barnum'S circus in Lon
don she had got on the catapult and was
about to be sprung Off when 1t was
found that the machinery would not
work. She got off and the machinery
was examined. 1t seemed all right.
When she got on again she was sprung
off. Falling on the net she turned her
self over and struck her chin against
her knee. The force of the collision in
jured her spinal column and she died
two weeks after.
Mr.. Davene, while in Montreal some
wears ago, witnessed another terrible
accident. 1t was at Barnum's circus.
also. David Hall vas famous trapeZe
swinger. For ten Years he had stirred
the blood of thousands by his daring
feats, but he was always cool and self
possessed. This time he was doing a
double SOmerSault, when something
broke and he fell to the ground. His
neck was broken, and death came as
quick as fash.
Il have never got killed, as you see, J"
said Mr.. Davene, "bnt | came so near 1T
that there was no fun in it. had my
knee broken in st. Petersburg in 1872
while performing with Haines' circus.
| was leaping from the trampoline over
the horses when L fell. On ce ripped
up my back, and feel the effects yet.
NV wife knocked her shoulder out of
place" Barring his ARM you see that
scar there. | tore the front muscles
from my elbow down for three inches,
in Toronto, in 49,"
al n
Mrs. DaYenen' the reporter asked.
"Accidents!" she exclaimed, lifting
her eyebrows at the question. "Ye S,
too many to mention. Nine years ago |
was nearly killed by the fall. We hat
just come from Baldwin's theater lin
San Francisco with Cooper q BaileY'S
circus, which Joined with Forepaugh's
in Philadelphia i'll 1880, There had
been heavy rain during the night.
At the opening of the performances
the ropes were shrunken. l fell from a
height of thirty feet.and fractured some
bones in the side of my head"
As soon as her head was we'll she e.
sumed with undaunted spirit her chosen
occupation. Not long after that acct
dent she attempted to perform the
''di7e;' into a net from the height of
ninety feet. She had narrow escape,
from injury.
what precautions do you take?"
ave buy new ropes continually. We
have to be careful i'll choosing them and
all other apparatus. With these pre-
cautions we trust our lives to the ma
terials and to those who put them up
for us to act on. 1t is hard life, may
be, but it has its destinations"
''Do you not fear to lose your life?'
Must Not Know Fear.
''No l feel that if Pm going to get
killed | will. Moreover, ii you begin to
fear you are almost sure to fall. | am
going to Canada in lew days and will
do the dive act at Montreal from a
height of sixty feet. l had also a seri-
Gus accident in Philadelphia. / fell a
distance of twenty feet and was I'M
conscious, and did not regain conscious
ness for a week. | have also had my
ankle sprained and my knee hurt, but
unless we get our backs or neckS half
broke we don't think of these things"
Miss Kate Gilbert, of No. ia East One
Hundred and Twenty-fOurth street, has
had only three months actual expert
ence on the trapeZe, but she is one OF
the crack performers. She knew Mr..
Hanlon very well, and expressed her
sorrow at his death. She complained
that the nets now in use are not wide
enough. Short as has been her expert
ence she has seen two girls, friends of
her own, killed while performing, but
she herself has not met with an acct
dent.
"Five years ago." Miss Gilbert said.
81 was at Lille, in France. Miss Harri-
gan was performing. She was girl Of
fourteen years. The apparatus was
badly fixed. 1t was revolving ma
chine, the same as the Vaidais sisters
use. Miss Harrigan and her sister were
working the double trapeze and were
finishing their act, when the entire APP
paratus went down with crash. Both
girls went with it,but the elder one went
first and struck the net and was not hurt
at all, while the younger sister held
on to the trapeze. She was bruised to
death on the spot. On another occasion
l saw Miss Olga killed. She was div
ing from the ceiling. She had walked
across from the two bars, and forgot to
unlOop one of them. She dived down.
and the bar caught her. throwing her to