The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-28
CHAMBER OUTFITS
LA ROCHE'S TRICK.
He Grew Tired of Circus Riding and
Invented a Novelty.

A ball propelled by an unseen force
rolls up an inclined plane every day at
the circus, stands poised for a moment be-
tween heaven and earth, like old Socrates
in his basket, emits fire and thunder and
then slowly descends in the same mys-
terious way. The attendant stoops as If
TO pitch it out of the way, when 1t bursts
asnnder. An acrobat steps from the she'll
and makes his bow before an astonished
public.
Nobody but the supple jointed French
man, Leon La Roche, who makes these
daily excursions in the hollow globe, can
realize what difficult feat 1t Is. The ball
is propelled only by the muscular strength
OF the man inside. Should he suddenly
lose his cunning there is nothing to pre-
vent the sphere from rushing down the
incline, and perhaps fatally injuring the
acrobat. IL is one of the most difficult
fears of the modern circus. This man
who designed ii acquired the necessary
skill In using his muscles and in the
balancing himself, only after three years
Of persistent and patient practice.
The sphere in which MIR. La Roche
imprisons himself is made OF sheet iron.
1T Is 27 inches in diameter, and is just
large enough to permit the performer TO
curl up in 1t, like chicken in an egg.
1t Is perforated, so than he can see wher o
the ball is and can have air.
The gaily painted globe, which doesn Z
Fanny, the trick elephant stands on, and
tumbles around the ring, is carried into
the arena by attendants and placed at
the foot OF the spiral inclined plane. Mr..
In Roche does all the rest.
He is inside, sitting with his knees and
his head touching each other. His arms
are pressed tightly against the inner sur
face of the globe. He keeps himself in a
sidewise position, and from the begin
ming to the end of the performance he
does not move mis- body an inch. By dex-
terously balancing the strength OF his
arms he causes the globe to revolve
around his body. In ascending he presses
from right to left. In descending he re-
verses the pressure.
There ara no -deyice6 In this inclined
plane to aid him. IL he should cease TO
work after he has once started up there Is
no way OF keeping the sphere from whiz-
zing down the runway with ever increas-
ing velocity. The inclined plane Is l2o
feet In length. The muscular strength
and the patience required In propeling
the ball are almost unparalleled. Mr.. La
Roche begins slowly at first, increasing
his speed as he ascsnds. He has the dead
weight of the ball and his own body, and
all the forces of nature against him. At
the top OF the big spiral he poises the
ball. More than half of ii is hsnging
over, So light and airy Is the structure
that the sphere seems to rest on air.
He feela like an explorer who has ex-
piored unknown realms. 1t is no wonder
that he becomes enthusiastic and fires ak
shots from a revolver and sticks an Amer
Jean dag through one OF the breathing
holes and waves ii Jauntily. He then re-
verses the balancing of his hands and
descenus as slowly and cautiously as he
began.
The halves of. this sphere are held to-
gether by patent locks which are snapped
by Mr.. La Roche after he enters his spher-
ical cell. He loosens them when the ball
reaches the bottom, and springs lightly
upon the platform. The fastenings of
the globe arc so arranged that it can be
opened from the outside so that in case
the performer should faint or become Ill
the attendants can release him.
Me. In Roche is a muscular, wiry man.
His palms and elbows are calloused from
pressing them against the sheet iron in
terror. The muscles of the forearm are
tense as steel.
This wonder globe is Mr.. La Roche's
own invention. He is rider in a French
circus. He had often seen slight OF hand
performers cause eggs to move all over
table. When he learned that this trick
was performed by concealing mice or
other small animals inside, he concluded
that IL the egg were made big enough, q
man could take the place OF a mouse.
The rider began course of experiments
He first used large -four barrel placed
on an inclined plank a foot from the
ground. He got smaller barrels and made
the planks sleeper and higher. He con-
structed globe four feet in diameter,
and an he became more skillful he used
smaller globes. The inclined plane which
he uses in his performance is spiraI
around sheet iron pillar and supported
by braces of aluminium. He began hy
practicing few minutes every day, and
finally gave up riding and devoted all his
time to developing his speciality
He has not always found the passage
down the inclined plane smooth and un-
eventful.
81 shall never forget" he told me the
other day, show lost my bearings sew
eral years ago. / was going down the
incline in circus in Tours, France.
when the lights were turned out. / lost
my presence OF mind for an instant. and
did not control the globe. l whirled
around with lightning like swiftness. 4
had brief period of dizziness and sick
ness and then L knew no more. / was
taken from the globe Insensible, and for
days so bruised was by the fall that
conld scarcely walk"
Yet MIR. La Roche says that he prefers
this to circus riding. - New York Herald.
Mrs. WipsIowss Soothinr axrup