The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-15
A SALT LAKE GIRL
Who Is Wheeling Her Way Into
Fame.
ANNETTE PAULA, NOW WITH
OSCAR ELIASoN'S COMPANY.
Like the Wizard, She Is a Native of
This City and OFF the Stage Is
Paula Smith-A Sister-in-Law of
Paul Hammer.

A recent issue of the New York Jour
nal contains the following concerning
Annette Paula, the bicyclist who is
now travelling with Eliason, the wizard
Like Eliason, she is a native of Salt
Lake City and a sister-in-law of Paul
Hammer, treasurer of the theatre Off
the stage her name is Paula Smith.
The article shows that Manager Brady
understands his business:
A daring bicyclist. who rides head
downward, suspended from the cell
ing, is the latest freak of the magic
ians of wheeling. The management of
a bicycle under the most advantageous
circumstances is feat in itself Suf-
ficient for most people, but when the
natural order of things is reversed. and
the wheelman, or wheelwoman. chooses
a ceiling IS feet above the floor for a
track, and calmly drives her wheel
about, now here, now there, like a
human fly, the performance becomes
marvellous indeed.
Annette Paula is the name of this
wonderful expert. who for a long time
past has been noted as one of the most
skillful trick riders in France. One
day in a circus in Berlin she saw a
young woman who called herself a
human fly" walking about, head
downward on the ceiling. Il will wager
a bicycle on the ceiling
On the night of the exhibition the
circus was crowded with spectators,
who gazed curiously at a huge cir
cular disc which was firmly fixed to
the roof of the building, 70 feet above
the heads of the audience. Almost %
feet above the floor was fixed a stout
net, to catch the rider should she fall.
AS seen from below, the huge disc high
W against the roof appeared to be COW
cred with rubber or some similar sub
stance. Mile. Paula appeared upon the
small platform at the edge of the disc,
dressed in racing costume, while an
attendant carried her machine, an or
binary diamond frame model, with
a steel wire and strap sort of harness
arrangement firmly fixed to the saddle.
This harness was so made that when
the rider took her seat a belt of stout
leather fastened around the waist,
while two steel rods, well padded and
reinforced with leather straps, passed
over the shoulders and were securely
fastened TO the framework of the
wheel.
Set about half an inch apart along
the circumference of both tires were
what appeared to be tiny cups of rub
her Fitted to each side of both wheels
were supplementary wheels of most
peculiar construction. The rims were
l0dQe III SeCllCHSs edCn ABOUT lOuF
inches in length, and joined together on
the inside by hinges. To the outside of
each of these sections were firmly fixed
two of the rubber cups.
When the bicycle was placed in po-
sition with the wheels on the lower
surface of the big disc and the saddle
downward, the purpose of these little
cups was evident. As each cup came
in contact with the rubber flooring Of
"a dist tho o foroad O,rr 0f ne
the suction which resulted held the ma
chine in place and prevented its falling.
At least wo of the sections presented a
fiat surface to the surface of the disk
at the same time. Mile. Paula finally
got herself into the saddle and harness,
head downward, and then started the
machine. riding slowly, but apparently
without effort. After several trips
around the disc she became venture
some and increased her speed. For ten
minutes she scorched in the air, whirl-
ing about like a human ton