The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-25
81 7 II r. | l. l. IN G
THE CIRCUS ACROBAT

constant practice. I'd appreciate some
! applause for that. You would want
some recognition, too. for something
! you had put four years daily wor,
! into, wouldn z YOU! Well, | don't al.
! ways get it: and vet I'd get volumes
! OF applause if I simply strapped myself
in an automobile and dashed down an
incline.
Oh, well, = he laughed. ''it's all in
the game, and there s n fine side to the
life, j II tell you about that later, -
The automobile act. variously stvled
! "Thc Dip of Death LA Bolidc. -
! etc. IN which the ear burls itself down
2 sharp incline, up Il short one and then
turns double somersault IN midair is
the most thrilling circus Offering OF late
years.
The Girl in the Car.
If the car alone went down the event
would get scant attention. But the fact
that a girl, girl in brilliant red
dress and with q brilliant smile painted
over her white face-thc fact that she
is in the car and darcs death with every
plunge holds tho great audience in rapt
and wondering suspense. Civilization
hasn t changed 50 greatly since the
days Of Rome.
Two girls have been killed already in
this act, But last year at Concy Island
when they advertised for a girl to take
the place thcre were cighty-four eager
responses. These arc the performers
who don Z think.
Those who prefer moi To think are ex.
perenced, hardened acrobats about 10
try new and very dangerous trick.
Some years ago Robert Stickney. an
old and famous acrobat still active in
the ring, decided 10 make record.
breaking "lcaper,' namely. a double
somcrsault over ten elephants of
spring board five blocks high. This
was with Forepaugh s circus, at the old
Fourteenth street grounds in New York.
The elder Forcpaugh threw up hls
hands Its too dangerous. Bob, '
said he
.'Don I say that said Stickncv.
Don't. - He smiled confidently.
''Therc = no danger at all. -
- was feeling fine that day said
StIcbney, "ready for anything took
but one precaution-to have the head
keeper standing beside the last elephant
aud ready TO swing him if l fell short.
But | knew j wouldn t, and / didn't
l hit the board just right. sailed high,
turned twice and. though i had no idea
Just where or how I was going, ] landed
so far ahead of the last elephant that
could just rs well have cleared
clcvcn.'i
Stickney did Tins same feat over
twenty-four horses. Moutrosc, a cole
brated Venetian acrobat now III this
somcrSaultod over twelve !
horses and seven meu pyramlded. Both !
of these performances arc remarkable, !
and there have been some others, but I
the ''lcaper' is now barred from the I
circus arena 1t is too dangerous; it |
has killed more men than any other act, /
and manned many more.
The triple somcrsanlt is also dan.
gcrous trick of the past. Montrose |
claims to have done il regularly with |
the Reutl circus in Europe. and few I
Americans have accomplished il here, |
taking the prccantiou, how
ever, Of landing in blanket. Tho dan
ger is due 10 the fact that on the third
turn the brain is rccbnp so that the
performer Is utterly unable 10 gauge
his position or control his tense mus
clos
That is had. An acrobat must know
how 10 land right, and must land right.
times a fall that would Kill green
hand has simply scut the acrobat
bouncing Mp on his feet safe and smil-
ing. But triple somersauIt or dou
bic twister gives him little show.
Some Amazing Leaps,
Mon,rosc is a living illustration of
l"'b Wv ANdHfi VIII no W iDc
best of acrobats. He walks in a ierky.
awkward fashion and his legs are bowed
and gnarlcd. - Muscles all brokcn,o
he explained $50 tho biccps on my
right arm.
This latter muscle is round as n ball,
not oval, as IL should be. Undoubtedly
it has been partly torn from the tendon,
as are also the irregular, bulging mus
;lcs of his lower legs. Imagine the
strain and Jar that must "breakn n
muscle, imagine muscle strong enough
10 "break'' itself,
As proof Of the Ieapcr's utter be-
in even the double somer-
,ault, MontTosc says that once in Bcr-
in he came down feet first upon the
back of the last elephant, aud. thinking
lmselt on the ground, stood there bow.