New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-17
CITY ITEMS.

NATURAL SECOND SIGHT.-The believers IN
spiritual and mesmerio mysteries had the laugh
turned upon them Thursday night by NJ GAndons
explanations Of the manner in which the feat' OF
himself and nephew in what he has called natu-
raj second sight are accomplished. These leafs
as is well kno VII, have excited great deal oil at
tenton in this City, and though NJ. Gandon has
never before indicated the secret, it has been
supposed that they were performed by means OF
a perfect mental rapport closely akin to the Phe
pomena of mesmerism, between himself and his
nephew
OnThursdsy evening some two hundred persons
were assembled at the Chinese Rooms 10
see the mystery unveiled. After about half
an hour spent in the usual experiments, the
nephew telling with perfect prOmPsness and
exactitude, names, dates, figures, &C., which
were written on a slate and shown to the uncle
or communicated to him in whisper at dis
tance from the stage where the nephew was seated
blindfold, the uncle proceeded to explain the pro
cess employed.
About this process there is apparently nothing
mekmeric, or difficult to understand. 1t consists
simply in indicating by the mode Of putting the
question, the answer to be given In cases where
a third party asks the question, the uncle indi-
Gates the answer in some seemingly casual re-
mark made to the quesiioner or to the company
The indication is by the initial letters OF the words
used in framing the question or the remark
These initial letters must be such that by taking
the letter which in the regular order Of the alpha
bet imme diAtely precedeS each, the deslred WORD
or phrase ia at once arrived at. For instance the
word rose is given TO the uncle he says, qHes fo"f
regarde done what name, look now,l or some
other phrase, whose words begin with the letter.
q, n,r d, and the nephew at once takes the let-
,srs which succeed those respectively, and 80
constructs his reply. When any card, as the ace
Of hearts for instance, is named to the uncle the
nephew is made to understand what card IS want
ed by the words Blen, demGHde=, which tue
uncle addresses to the person who iass whisper
ed or written the name Of the card, and who then
demands aloud, and is answered correctly the
word ben or sceL, being understood between
uncle and nephew TO mean heart, aud the letter q,
the initial of the word demaadeE to signify one
This process was fully illustrated By II. Gan.
don through repeated experiments made and eX
planned in detail after it had been comm 1nicased
to the audience TIE difficulty in using it con
sists solely in constructing phrases with sufficient
rspidity. But after the years Of practice devoted
/ to il by NJ Gandon the greatest dexssrity ia con
ceivable. He certainly pushes it TO she borders
Of the miraculous aud sven after it hiss been clear
Is explained the results are as surprising a. ever
NJ. Gandop stated finally that some such device
was used BY false msgne,izers with their subjects
and by gamblers at cards and that in order 20 b
,ure that q somuambulist is honest, correct 40
swers must be obtained after the msgnetizsr ha'
lst the room and that in order to avoid beine
cheated BY gamblers at cards they must NOT o'
allowed to speak even the most inslgnlhcaa
word, during the game.
LARGEFIRE A ire broke out a. % CLOCK OF
Thursday morning in tee rigging ois OF The s~'
s.orv house, 226 south-St. which was occupied o.
Wjsht Roberts, chip chambers snd AIR Lsnosf
,;see, and stsvedore. The flames extended T"
n. ADJOINING building. 227, in spite OF the ea'i'
If the fire companies who were eA'ly on N
ground TIE lover part Of this building "a' DC
cupied by Mr. Bushe, IS tavern aad the 's'on
story BY Mr.. Elliot, house, ship and sign painter
neither of whom were insured. The loss o.
the stock in the tavern amounts 10 a'0O