WIRTH BROS.' GREAT ALLIED SHOWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13205, 11 February 1905, Page 8

WIRTH BROS.' GREAT ALLIED SHOWS.

Messrs .Wirth .Bros, will, open their allied J shows, oomprising a circus and a zoo of wild 1 minidls, at the Southern Oval on Thursday •' next. The combination is claimed to be ono < Df tie largest in the. world. The' public wiH liave an opportunity of witnessing, the sensational .acts—Leaping the chasm*' and looping "Kilpatrick's "Death-trap loop"—by ' the danger-deriding iCliefalo. The first of ! lihese feats is "leaping the chasm." On a : stage raised to a height of 40ft Chefalo mounts i bicycle, and rides down an inclino at a ! ternblo. pace until lie reaches an uprise curve in the framework. Then quick rs a flash ho is thrown into the air and across tho "chasm," a distanoo of 42ft, lauding on 1 n. second incline, which shoots him into tlio j vicinity of tho dressing tent. The "deathtrap loop" is an ingenious structure, built j like the orinary loop. From a small stage, ■ built at an 'elevation of 50ft, Chefalo, who is j an athletic-looking young Italian, rides a bicycle down an incline which connects with n loop about 25ft high. Tlio bottom of the Btructuro lis arranged so as to work on a pivot, aud tho ends are curved so as to fit into the other part of tho framework. As Chefalo reaches the end of tho shutter on his perilous journey, and the front wheel of his machine shoots on to the loop fixture, a spring releases the shutter, which, falling at this end, throws tho other end into position ' so as to meet him ori his way out. "Tho act is trifly the most dangerous ever seen. Tom Colquet, tlio champion jumper, will perform some remarkable tricks. Ho jumps over some chairs on to a man's facc and off again, into a basket of eggs and out again without breaking an egg, and several other tricks. He is »Jso champion athletic jumper of the world. Amongst the. other artists are Mr P. Wirth, v.'itli his'eplendid black stallion Bobs and his school of highly-trained horses and ponies; Xtons. Ragout, with Kitty, the Blondin tigress, and two wonderfully-trained tigers, Pasha and Prince. The items are so numerous and wonderful that spnee will nijt allow of any attempt at enumeration. This gigantic combination is fresh, up-to-date, and, it is claimed, beyond anything hitherto seen in the Australasian oolonies. Tho whole show will be lighted by electric light. The first matinee wil'l tako place on Saturday noxt,