Year: 1873

Break-Neck Gymnastics.


From the New York Sun.


The means by which the acrobat Lulu,
at Niblo's Garden, is shot into the air, has
been the subject of much speculation
The prevailing impression is that the
power which sends her alott in so start
ling a way is compressed air An inspec-
ton of the apparatus shows, however,
that the principle on which it is construct
ed is similar to that of the school-boy's
bean-shooter. Under the stage is a
wrought iron frame work, like a gigantic
otiice-stool. The four legs are eight feet
nigh and two inches square. Three sets
of iron cross-bars run from limb to limb
one at the top, one at the middle, and
one near the bottom. At the top and mid
die, also. cross-bars run from each corner
to a point in the centre, where they sup
port small cylinder. Through these two
cylinders one at the top, the other at
the middle of the frame ork-an iron
piston, about seven feet long and two
inches diameter. runs, The upper end of
this piston is covered with rubber, and is
attached to the bottom of the small trap


in the stage on which Lulu stands when
about to be sent aloft. About half way
down the piston it has around it barrel
shaped expansion, about one foot in d.
ameter and a foot long, which is fastened
to it and makes part of it. Round the
top and bottom of this barrel, as it may
be termed, are iron hooks Similar hooks
are fixed to the lower side of the cross
bars at the top, and to the upper part of
the crOss-bars at the bottom of the iron
framework. Five strong rubber straps,
side by side, each an inch square, and let
into an iron socket with a thimble at each
end, next come into use. OF these quin-
tnple rubber straps, which are about
eight inches long, there are about fifty.
The thimble at one cnd is Just slipped
over the hooks attached to the lower side
of the cross-bars at the top OF the frame
work


When every hook has a rubber strap
thus suspended from it, the piston is lifted
by leverage, and the remaining thimble
Of each strap is slipped over the hook
which corresponds TO it on the top of the
barrel. Another set of rubber straps pre-
cisely similar to those already described,
only more powerful are then attached by
one end to the hooks on the bottom of the
barrel The other end is left dangling
until it is time to set the trap. When that
time comes, powerful leverage forces
down the barrel until the straps which
connect it with the cross-bars at the top
OF the framework are distended to their
utmost. Then the lower thimbles of the
rubber straps which dangle from the bot
tom of the barrel are slipped over the
hooks fastened to the cross-bars near the
bottom of the framework.


The trap is then ready for use. One
set of powerful rubbers is hauling up the
piston toward the trap, and another set of
more powerful rubbers is hauling it down
to such purpose as to keep the upper set
Of rubbers at the greatest possible ten
sion. When the time for Lulu to make
the ascent arrives, an electric battery is
used. A wire is so brought to bear on
the thimbles of the lower set OF rubbers
attached to the hook on the bottom cross
bars. that one application of electric force
instantaneously dislodges all the thimbles
The rubber stral at the top OF the band
thereupOn contract with enormous power,
the trap is shot up three feet above the
stage, and Lulu over twenty feet above
that. A number OF rubbers of suitable
strength are attached to the lower end OF
| the piston previous to the discharge OF
| the trap, and when the discharge is
| complete these instantly draw down the
| piston and restore the trap to the level of
| the stage. Lulu wears under her dress
| steel mechanism of novel description
| BY one motion of her shoulders she can
protect every Joint of her limbs, and
make her form perfectly rigid Those
| wv hn atf.h al rba, ba fol ho,
stand on the trap may observe her throw
the mechanism into gear by motion O.


her arms Just before she Is shot into the


air. To enable her to do this at the righ


moment, small plug is removed from s


hole in the stage, through which she cal


see every motion of the men in charge o


the apparatus.


A FAMOUS ARMORER. Andrea de Fer
| rara, was the most famous armorer 0


modern times. He first came into note il


the "Highlands of Scotland" 1t is sale


that he was the only person who coult


forge armor that would resist the Sheffield
arrOWheads, or make swords that Woul(


vie with the best weapons of Toledo ant


Milan. He is supposed to have learned hi


art in the Italian city, whence he wa


called, and, under the patronage of tn


King of Scotland, to have practiced it il


secresy among the Highland hills, AS al


his genuine blades were marked with


crown; and before his time no man il


Great Britain could temper y sword il


such way that the point should touch tn


hilt and spring back uninjured. He


said to have worked in dark cellar, tn


better to enable him to perceive the effeo


of the heat upon the metal, and to watc


the nicely OF the tempering as we'll a
E possibly to serve as serene to his secre
. method of working. Many of his blades
, with new basket hits are to be found i
, the Scottish regiments of the present day


KEILoGG's Echo. A pleasant little ir
cident is related of Miss Clara Louis
T Kellogg, which occurred while visiting tn
, Grindelwald glacier in Switzerland du
y ing her late tour Her party encountered
as other travellers do, Young Italia
Swiss, who earned precarious existenc
- by frantic efforts to rouse an echo fro
the opposite cliffs by means of an awl
! ward horn. After straining everv muse
= :. he brought fourth melancholy toot, wi,
h no great effect upon the opposite crag
. Miss Kellogg watched for some time h
vain endeavors, and then, rising in Il
@ carriage, she gave one of the charmir
n mountain jodels, finishing off with
= specimen of those inimitable trills viii,
4 require no patent to render them una
g proachable. In an instant came ba'
:. four or five beautifully perfect echoe
4 with an impertinently clear trill at t
end. The young Italian doffed his he
> and exclaimed: "Ah, madam, could b
= make an echo like that. nv tortune he