RISKS RUN FOR FUN.

Shannon News, 1 April 1927, Page 1

RISKS RUN FOR FUN.

-.'■ -'-'■"•< 1 y l '«" —ittr" - -" i'-iJ Mr. Harry Lorraine, one of the daredevils of the film world, recently crashed through, a plate-glass window on a motor-cycle racing at full speed and emerged almost unhurt. This was done quite deliberately, as one of the thrills in a screen play. Mr. Lorraine has performed the same feat on two previous occasions, the only precaution he takes being to close his eyes for the crash. On one occasion, owing to a slight skid when a few yards from the window, he received forty-one cuts. Many people face danger daily order that others may be amused. Tor instance, the professional acrobat. Despite the safeguard of'the wide-spread net, his calling remains a dangerous one, demanding supreme nerve, courage, and well-nigh super-human skill. ' Strangely enough, it is often the least spectacular tricks which are actually the most perilous. That apparently safe and easy trick, the double somersault from the boards of the stage is one of the most difficult of the lot. The jumper has no spring-board, and must gather every nerve'and sinew for one stupendous effort. If he fails he runs the risk of a broken neck.

«Yet this trick is over so quickly that it fails to thrill the onlooker. Very different is that popular stunt of erecting a wobbly table, chair, and latter into a tottering tower up which the acrobat climbs, until finally the whole erection crashes to the ground. This looks very very dangerous. • Yet any acrobat will tell you it is an easy trick. It involves only two things—-the knack of balancing and the trick of falling properly. In this trick the acrobat lands on the stage on his back, and he has a clear twenty feet in which to arrange his fall. But' sometimes the unexpected leads to disaster. On one occasion, w-hCn a well-known acrobat was performing this feat, the lights failed. He fell/and broke three ribs and sustained concussion.

The famous American acrobat, Du Calion, sustained a nasty fall when performing. He was balancing himself on a high ladder when it ixcame entangled in part of his paraphernalia. He lost control and crashed f c. ilie "tage, breaking his nose and two ribs. .... Acrobats, naturally, aim to thrill the audience. None can do this better than the famous tight-rope walker, Jack Delino. He has for years been performing one q£ the greatest speciacular feats'oii record. High above his audience he turns a complete somersault on the slack wire. It looks suicidal; yet so certain is he of his control-that he near ly always pretends to fail the firs! time.

Strangely enough, the mock failure is a trick in itself, one muchmon difficult than the straightforward feat The suspended net, which protects slack-wire and flying trapeze affords protection, but. not complete protection. Acrobats have been hurl by falls into the apparently safe springy net. There is also the chance ■of .the hands of the flying trapeze aero bat becoming moist and missing the grip on the hickory trapeze bar. The muscular jar of a miss is sufficient to dislocate the shoulder-blades, even though the fall be on to the net.