THE LAPSE OF TIME

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1579, 8 June 1887, Page 2

THE LAPSE OF TIME

The firing of a woman from a cannon, which has beoome a principal feature m several shows, is of ton attended with great humiliation to the (management. It Is well known that a spring In the breech of the cannon is the motive power that sends the woman out ; but tbe delusion that she is blown out by gunpowder is formed by tonohlng off a small oannon or pistol that is secreted inside of the large one, and so arranged that the smoke will pour out and mislead the audience. When the spring and small cannon are touohed of! simultaneously the effect is very plenlng, but about half the time the explosion is hoard and dies away m the distance before the woman bursts upon the gaze of the spectators j or elae the woman will eooot out of the cannon, catoh tb<» trapeza, pull herself op on the oroas-bar, and then torn round and motion to tbe Idiot that is running the oannon to huny up and touch it oft In the course of a few minutes' the explosion will be heard, and the mademoiselle on the trapeze will kiss her hand to the audiem. 3 and bow, as though she had out a dog m two, and the audience will applaud to the eoho. An audience that would not applaud under such olroumetanocs would be oruel. On the other hand, tho explosion will sometimes be hord the smoke will toll oat of the oaDuon, a panne will ensue, and tbe young men will rise to go, out and take a drink at the nearest saloon, when all at once a soli tary woman will be seen to ecud across the horizon, so to ep3ak, and tbe people will soratoh their heads and try to call to mind tho explosion that occurred some time before. No one can imagine the chagrin of the woman, when she is m the cannon, and hears the explosion take plaoe, and finds that she i« obliged tq wait and wait,, enveloped as the la m a aloud of gunpowder smoke, with a ailk handkerchief tied round. her ?ips. It is very embarraßsiog. What is wanted '^ some arrangement that will cause tho spring and the gunpowder md the woman to all go of together