No Safety Net, No Ordinance: A Trapeze Act Falls in Seattle

The fact that there is no city ordinance requiring trapeze performers or those in charge of the performance to stretch a net was brought forth in open relief yesterday afternoon by an accident that occurred at the Madison Street Pavilion. As the thing turned out, one of the performers had an arm or shoulder broken, and the other was well shaken up—a lucky escape from what seemed surely a fatal accident. The trapeze is fifteen or twenty feet above the floor, and in one of the acts one performer holds on the top bar with his hands, while, with one foot under his partner's neck and the other between his legs, he turns him forward and backward. The act is called the "pendulum" by some people. While this work was going on yesterday afternoon the lower bar was hauled back. An eye-witness to the accident says that the lower performer called out for the lower bar to be dropped, but by some misunderstanding it was not, and the performer who had hold of the upper bar let go. Then both performers fell to the floor, and one had his arm broken. A physician in the audience attended him. His partner was able to limp out of the room. The programme gives the names of Dolan and Paul. Their whereabouts could not be learned late last night when the accident was heard of.