The Portland daily press., 1895-05-23

AACI SiSh w as DfOh0l IN Three 1I6CcS-
She Was Precipitated to the Ground
from an Insecurely Fastened Tight
Wire.
"The most horrible accident I ever
witnessed and at the same time one that
resulted in what is probably the most
remarkable recovery IN the annals of
surgery said an oldtime circus per-
former the other day, "was the accident
that befell Mrs. George 0. Starr, better
known to the public by the name of
Zazel.
You will remember ZaZel as the
woman who created SO much comment
by leaping from some of the highest
buildings IN New York into net held
by the fremen in order to practically
illustrate the use of nets as means of
escaping from burning buildings. She,
too, was the first person to be shot from
cannon into suspended net, and this
startling performance at the Westminster
aquarium, London, literally hurled her
from the jaws of death into the arms of
fame. After that Barnum got hold of
her and brought her to this country. but
not before George o. Starr, who was
Fthen his agent, had made the daring
English girl his wife.
"The accident l refer to happened in
the fall of '9l, while she was performing
with Forepaugh out in New Mexico. We
were exhibiting at Las Vegas, and doing
bowling business. Besides doing the
OF yu., nr, fnr hi uit.a
performance. The wire on which she
did her turn was about forty feet above
the ground, running from the side of the
tent to two poles braced together IN an
inverted shape in the center. On the
top of these poles was a platform and
they were fastened together with a steel
band. On this occasion by some mistake
the steel band had been left off.
ut was an evening performances and
every thing went smoothly until Zazel
got well out on the wire and started to
put up her Japanese UNI brella, when the
men below saw her signal them. They
thought the wire as too slack and COM
menced to tighten it. Then came the
disaster. The unfastened poles pulled
apart and the woman was thrown into
the air. She shot to the ground with a
velocity more terrible than had ever
borne her from the mouth of cannon.
She struck the ground on her hands and
knees and then in an instant after one
of the huge poles crashed down on her
back and fairly crushed her into the
ground. think it WAS one of the most
terrible sights | ever witnessed and
have seen good many accidents in my
day. The tent was crowded with specta-
tors and for a few minutes pandemonium
reigned. Men were bowling and women
and children were shrieking and falling
over in dead faints.
"When the poles were lifted from her
and she WAS picked up her body was
bent almost double. 1t was impossible
to bend her straight, SO one of the men
took hold of her by the shoulders, while
the other grabbed her legs until they
finally pulled her into the normal condi-
tion as far as appearances went. When
we attempted to pick her up to carry her
to the dreSsing-rOom she shrieked in
agony and begged US to get a stretcher
and put under her back. l remem Der as
she lay there, distraught with pain, she
said TO Bob Hanlon, who was standing
over her: Pm done for. but break it
gently to George George was her hus-
band and he was in Europe at the time.
Then she begged him to shoot her and
end her agony. 1t was the most pitiful
scene I ever beheld and there wasn't a
man or woman in the room with dry
eye.
"A local tiOCLOE Was Uub u6
was big, ungainly hulk who knew
more about horses and cattle than he did
about the human anatomy and of course
was unable to DO anything. The next
day they took her to Santa Fe and placed
her in hospitala After that I never saw
her again until l met her last month in
New York, as strong and healthy look
ing woman as you see at country per-
formenoe She told me that at the nos
mir oil of SQna EQ thaV her eiy hnnrc
to make her peace with God, but after
nine weeks of agony she was removed to
New York, suffering the most excruciat-
ing pains from the jolting of the cars
during the whole journey.
"In New York she was placed in the
care of DR.. Gibney. He found that her
back was broken in three places and she
shoulders to hips. When the time came
Tor changing the old plaster f-paris cast
for new one, which was about every
three months, she had to be suspended
from the ceiling in sings passing under
her chin and chest, her arms being held
straight out above her head. Tnen a
tight-knitted jacket was pulled over her
OF paris was put on the broken portions
of her back and the whole wrapped
round with cotton strips. This was re-
moved by cutting it down the front and
it was taken to the oven to bake. In
the meantime the old jacket was put on.
"To-day, Except for a scarcely percep-
ii BE limp, She is as strong and healthy
as ever. and New York doctors consider
it one Of the most wonderful reCoveries
on record. Despite all she has gone
through Mrs. Starr is one of the bright
est and most companionabe women that
ever met and her only grief is that she
is Hfofced to give up the old circus life
with it's fascinating associations"