The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-21
Big CROWDS SAW
The Big CIRCUS
Diavolo's Looping the Loop on a
Bicycle the Most Daring Feat
Ever Seen Here.

The Forepaugh-Sells circus, that STU
pendously satisfying spectacle, combin-
ing among it's many features graceful
gymnasts, comical clowns, wonderful
| ire-walkers, beautiful bareback rid
ers,artistic aerialists, agile acrobats
and clever cyclists, provoked pro-
longed and pronounced plaudits from
two big audiences yesterday.
The performance given contained a
number of new and novel acts and a
number of the old. inevitable standbys,
but it was on a par with any circus
performance given in this city in re-
cent years. The great big feature, Of
course, was Diavalo's "dare-devil and
death-defying" ride around the loop on
bicycle. This was held until the end
of the show at the afternoon perform
ance, and the people We're thus kept off
the track during the hippodrome races.
The big loop around which Diavalo
rides ran half the length of the big
tent. A track about five feet wide,
starting at the top of the tent, ran
down to the floor on a rather sharp in
cline and thence around in a perfect
circle some fifteen or more feet high.
Diavalo, after being introduced by
marvel Of the new century," walked up
the incline and took the bicycle held
for him by a waiting super After a
moments hesitation he raised his hands
as a signal and then. grasping the
handlebars firmly. started down the in
cline. The wheel came down at fear
full rate of speed, but when it reached
the loop 1t slowed up perceptibly but
at a ir1y ta
Women gave little screams as the rider
was head downward, but an instant
later he was off his wheel and bowling
to the audience. 1t takes him just six
seconds from the time of his start to
the moment he alights from his wheel.
Another sensational feature was the
performance given by five bicycle riders
on the new inclined bicycle track. This
Is circular track made of wooden
Stats set an inch apart at an angle OF
about seventy-five degrees. 1t was only
twenty feet across, and when rider
got his wheel going on it both himself
and the machine We're in an almost
horizontal position, requiring him to
attain a high rate of speed to main
tain his equilibrium. Yet five riders
rode on this small track at once, each
each apparently just about to fall off.
This act provoked more applause than
any other.
What is unquestionably the best
aerial act ever witnessed in this city is
given by the Peerless Potters. ten in
number, who work on four trapezes
and who do a series Of double back
somersaults from hand to hand that
sets peoples nerves tingling.
Mintingi who was seen here two years
ago at the Elks street fair repeated
his well-known act of riding up and
down spiral track on a single wheel.
lie repeated also his old trick of fall
ing down just as he nears the top and
making his audience imagine that he
had terribly narrow escape from in
jury. The thing is SO deliberately
planned and SO cleverly worked out
that 1t fools the majority of the people,
At the evening performance there
was another immense throng. All but
a few of the unreserved seats We're
occupied. Every reserved seat includ-
ing those I'm the aisle were disposed of,
The daring loop-the-loop bicycle act
was chcered as possibly no circus act
ever before was cheered In Scranton.
Miss Artiessi, one of the lady jock
eys in the hippodrome races, met with
an accident that sent a thrill of horror
through the thousands of onlookers.
AS she was about to turn into the
dressing room after her race. her horse
collided with Il donkey cart that was
about to be started in the succeeding
race. Her horse SHE'D and threw her,
but her foot caught in the stirrup and
she was carried down the track with
her flowing hair trailing the ground.
Some of the circus hands quickly cap
tured the horse and released the rider
from her perilous position. She was in
a faint when carried to the dressing
room, but revived shortly, and was all
right in an hour.
The circus performs in Allentown,
1lS miles distant, today. At O'Clock
this morning its trains started. At 10
o'clock the prade will be starting
through the streets of Allentown.