"Leaping the Chasm."

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8146, 21 November 1905, Page 2

"Leaping the Chasm."

The feat of " leaping the cliasm," at Prince's Court, culminated a few nights ago, says the Melbourne Argus, in an accident of a most sensational character to the performer, Dastro. Fortunately it. had no serious ending, but not one of those who witnessed the feat expected to hear that the daring cyclist had escaped death. The feat consists in riding a bicycle down an inclined plane 80ft long and 50ft high at one end. Then, with the impetus thus gained, the machine and rider rise to a curve 30ft or 40ft long, clash through a sheet of petrol name, land on another inclined staging, and run on to a track laid with sawdust, which quickly stops the bicycle. Until the clay before the accident the curve traversed in the leap through space was 30ft lone, but Dastro that day had the height of the first platform, raised, the inclined track made steeper, and the leap increased to 41ft. He performed the feat successfully in the afternoon, but at night he started badly, and his machine wobbled in a thrilling fashion as he commenced .the downward descent. The leap, however, was accomplished in apparent safety, but the back wheel of the bicycle struck below the edge of the second staging. Bicycle and man were thrown high in the air, turned a complete somersault, and fell in a tangled heap 36ft along the tan track. There was a large crowd watching the feat, during the performance of which all the lights, except those which lino the track down which Dastro rides, are switched off. Women and children screamed, and several fainted at the alarming conclusion of the feat. Dastro was removed in an unconscious condition to the oilice of Prince's Court. There Dr. Gould attended him, and after a quarter of au hour succeeded in restoring him to consciousness. Dastro got up, and declared tnat he was all right. " That's notning," he said, " I had far worse spills training in America."