Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-06-09
PERILS OF GYMNASTS
TNe RISKS THEY RUN WHILE GOING
THROUGH THEIR ACTS,
4 Fail Even ,nio the >,t hieh IL
spread IirIcaih ihem n Liable 4.
Resuit ~ se,i"us inJg,, Nerve
sud C0andsace Neces.Rr,,

| s"V wv" sh'b Wv Wv " "e" "
spread IieEeaih Them u Liable ~
Resait ~ se,i"u. iHIufS Nerve
sud Coahdeaee Necessary,
II doubtless app'ags Ia the on,ookeI
~ the circus that the miuir gyninusls
r-'acrialisls" IN lie vocabulary ~ The
arena-arp quite safe from Injury nj
long as lhry have the broad, soft net
spread beneath them, They may swing
from bar 10 bar, ~ high ~ III" roof NJ
tho tent viii permit or toss u child
from hand 10 hand through long, peril
Gus distances, and all the while the
blasc spectator observes with the mere
suggestion Of u thrill, assuming in his
ineNIcrlpnce that there II no real dan,
ger IN what II called with greater truth
than color this marvellous feat OF dnl,
Ing" As u matter OF fact, however.
tho aerialis's arc IN Imminent danger
Of broken nrcks through every work,
lug moment Ut their turn" which bc,
comes evident indeed when II n said
that the nerve strain cannot possibly
be borne through two seasons without
long period of rest between for what
may be called nerve rccupcration,
\ famous gymnast who Is the head
Of u family of performers said that the
mldalr gymnnst branch of circus work,
which appears 10 easy AMI safe OF ne
complislinrni. was 80 full of danger as
10 he fought shy Of by faint hearted
people, who preferred ground work"
and smaller salaries 10 It's risk. Safety
Hes wholly IN self possession, attention
nnd nice, practlccd calculation Of dis
ianccS through which to leap or turn or
/ throw, There are four IN this family.
aud the safety OF each depends. not on.
/ ~ upon the individual, but upon the
nerve aud skill Of the others. When
/ the family II In action. II becomes NJ
once u machine, aud each member
moves aud turns aud even smiles with
mechanical accuracy, II one part
should fall, the whole would for the
moment he In danger of destruction.
"Now," said the gymnast. 1--WE are
merely human. We can't all bc perfect
IN action all the time. so from time to
time the machine goes To pieces. but
We are 80 wei! schoolcd that we soon
put II togcthc: again, When there hap.
pens TO be- fall-ns there does fire.
quently-thrcc hearts pretty nearly
stop beating upon our bars until the
fourth Of the family rises from the net.
II wouldn't be possible to continue our
act II every one of us didn't know how
TO fall That's the secret of It. and the
danger Hes IN the loss of nerve when |
the fail takes place. Men in our branch !
seldom break legs. They break their !
nccks or backs and quit the business |
once and for all. You've seen a fall,
no doubt. Wen. did you notice how the
boy doubled his legs up and got his
face as close to his breast as he could?
II he failed to do that, he would never
survive the fall. He'd break his leg or
his back sure. It's terrible time for
me rs the head of the family every
time there's a fall"
The gymnast has high fall to dread.
The acrobat, on the other hand, has to
guard against q fall through but two or
three feet.
"rherc's as much danger I'm our work
as IN any circus" said certain star,
one of the best acrobats In the business
ard Il good and trustworthy man out
of 1t. I'm the tumblng particularly
man Is liable to break his back any
minute or dislocate his ankle in landing
badly. My family (of six, two Of
whom are boys) il so we'll trained that
1t works perfectly. SO just now have
an easy mind. Last season, though,
had two bad accidents and had to dis.
charge q man. He didn't catch my
apprentice one time with the result
that the poor boy dislocated his Shout
der. The fellow looked ut the audience
for an instant, and then the trouble
came, so | lost confidence In him and
let him go. In our business, you know,
every one has to have confidence in ev.
cry one else-perfcct confidence. If .
you can't get that condition, you can't
work. that's all. You can't keep your ,
nerve. Our accidents are nasty ones
too. 1t may be n fall Of three feet and
n broken back come from it. You can't J.
tell when accidents are going to hap
pen either They come so unexpected =
ly that they knock you out. The head
Of the family has to bear the worry,
though. He's responsible for his ap
prenticcs. and the - I've taught have
brought me gray hairs pretty early IN =
life"
This man Is thoroughly conscientious
II the training Of his boys morally rs
we'll as in their work. He regards his
care of them as n high duty. and he
watches them in the circus ring as
as Il mother might. Hence
hey are saved from many an accident.
lie always brcnthes easier. too, when
he days work Is over. Watch as care
'ully as one may, he said. the business
S such that accidents are bound to
Happen.
"I1Ow can you accept an apprentice
With an easy conscience, then" he was
lsked
"Well." he replied. there's danger
wherever you go. No matter what !
our business may be. If you are care
ess the chances are that you will get
Iurt. train my boys and men in at I
ention and accuracy. That's the best
afeguard they can have. It's like this
f n man throws a baseball ut my head, I
will strike and hurt me If ! don't
top it. I've got to take care, and it's
he same in every walk of life. 1t is r,
cry dangerous work, the acrObat's,
ut them The acrobat shrugged his
houlders to complete the sentence.