The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-30
LA ROCHE A WONDER.
His PerambuIating Ball One of the
Most Novel of Circus Feats.

| Most Novel of Circus EeatS.
| One OF the most wonderful of the feats of
skill and deXterity which Will he eX hibited
| by the artists of the Barnum S Bailey
| Greatest Show on Earth, when It visits
| Washington on Wednesday and Thursday
| OF next week, is performed by Leon La
/ Roche, a FrenChuan. 1t is thus described.
A bah propelled by an unseen force rolls
| up a spiralinclined plane every day at the
| circus, stands poised a moment between
heaven and earth, like old Socrates in his
| basket, emits fire and thunder, and IN
| furls the National emblem, and then slowly
deSCendS in the same mysterious manner.
An attendant stoops as if to pitch it out of
the way when it suddenly bursts asunder.
An acrobat steps from the shell and makes
his bow before the aStOniShed public. No
one but the supple jointed Leon La Roche,
vino makes these daily excursions in the
hollow globe for the delight and myStifl-
cation of patrons of Barnum < Bailey,
can realize what a difficult feat it is.
The BAN is propelled only by the muscular
strength of the man inside. Should he sud-
denly lose his cunning, there is nothing TO
prevent the sphere from rushing down the
incline and perhaps fatally injuring the
acrobat
1t is one of the most difficult feats ofthe
modern circus The man who designed 20
acquired the necessary skill in using his
muscles and in balancing himself only after
three years of persistent and patient prac-
tice. The sphere in which he enCases Linn
self is made of sheet iron aud is only TWEEN
ty-seVen inches in diameter-juSt large
enough for the performer to curl up like a
chicken in an egg. 1t is perforated so that
he can get air and see where he is. The
gaily-painJed globe look not unlike that
on which the trick elephant stands and
trundles herself about the ring. The at
tendants carry it in and place it atthe foot
Of the spiral incline, but Mr.. Leon La
Roche, curled inside. does the rest. There
are no mechanical devices 10 aid him. He
presses tis forearms against the sides of
the sphere, and by muscular action against
them as a fulcrum turns somersaults over
himself, and thus carries the sheet-iron
globe with him on it's devious way up and
down the big corkscrew platform To the
spectator who realizes fully the task that
La Roche has accomplished, it looks as
if such a man could grasp the straps of
his boots and lift himself over u ten-rail
fence.
The halves of the globe are held together
with a patent Iock on the inside, which the
performer snaps after he gets in, but which
can be opened from the outside in case he
should faint, be taken sick or meet with
an accident 4 I'd an accidentnever seems
far away, for the structure is so airy, that
sometimes mol than hal f the globe seems to
be hanging over the edge, with nothing to
support it, and when it rests lightly at
the top, 1T seems just ready TO drop to the
platform, forty feet below Should the
intrepid performer once lose control of
it, it would fly down the incline like u
runaway engine on mountain grade, and
give him terrible smashup at the bottom