New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-21

AN EXPLANATION OF THE DEIus1oN.

|
| AN EXPLANATION OF THE DELusIoN.
| gentleman who is posted in all the various
ramifcations of the show profession has commu-
\ nlcated to me the following explanation of the
manner IN which Heller produces the wonderful
| delusion he has been exhibiting around the coun-
try, called the "sphinx.n | give it to you upon
| his recommendation. 1t is probably near correct
! The Sphinx" has recently been taken up by the
Bowery Theater, and lately by P. T. Barnum at his
museum. Heller called it the . Red Gnome,p the
Sphinx and other sulphurous Names The per.
| Torrance has thus far baffied the most expert ma
glcIans, and has oeen the wonder and delight of
thousands whenever brought upon the boards
me manner OF producing the phenomenon has, I'M
I'll lately, been the exclusive property Of Heller
put an unucky fdttG pas of an assistant generator
mas made IT no longer monopoly. The specta-
Tor, upon the rising of the curtain, saw before him
stage, the noor OF which was covered with green
cloth. The wings and rear of the stage were also
closed in with the same material In the center Of
the platform stood simply constructed table, not
more mysterious in shape and build than that usu-
ally found in an editorial sanetum or LAWYERS
oftice. The lights burned with greenish fame
and IN fact all that was apparent bore the emerald
hue. The exhibitor soon appeared before the
ioothghts ana after some conversation, waved his
magic wand, and behold, there suddenly emerged
from the center of the table human head The
face was Of ivid color, the hair red and all but
the eyes Of the same complexion. The effect was
tllIIS III LHe extreme. III was the InySte-
Tlous that there was no possible space beneath
| the table for the concealment of the body of a
man or the smallest child, and the eve of the spec-
tator to all appearances, could behold the legs of
t1e table ana even the scenery at the rear of the
ghost and its moving, speaking exhibitor The
illusion was perfect. After few moments the
magician would open a conversation with the
sphinx the latter parsonage being fully capa.
BILE OF sustaining his portion of it, the lips moving
eyes opening and closing as natural as those of
any mundane individual When all had gratified
their curiosity, the curtain would fall and hut the
curious scene from view. The solution * the
sphinx" rests in the curious disposition of al gge
unframed mirror, placed at an air angle and bD-
ing backward from the table, behind which the
body of the person representing the gnon5 is
located. His head protrudes through an opening
IN the top of the table, which is at first concealed
by ngenously FASTING over it fine tissue paDer of
color similar to that of the table. The mirror is
concealed by being made to reflect or receive the
reflections from all directions of the color of the
green baize, which also forms the floor and sides
and background of the scene. 1t is in fact the
ingenious disposition of the large mirror, and the
making it invisible to the eye of the behoder.
which gives the entire proceeding its apparently
supernatural origin. 1t requires much care in the
operators, and good knowledge of the effects of
light and shade. The chance protrusion of one
foot of the confederate personating the sphinx
beyond the plate of glass, was the means of dis
polling the illusion. Still, Heller has been able to
vary the performance in giving it to the public
but he no longer claims it as his special property.
Hartford Times.
ACTORS IN ARM0R.-Buckstone, the London
comedian and manager, at recent theatrical
gathering, gave the following account of an en-
barrassing situation in which his company were
thus placed
once had occasion to represent Richard the
Third, at the Haymarket Theater but being unao-
customed at that house to warllke tragedies we
had no suits of mail in which to encaSe the cap
tains and soldiers of York and Lancaster. In this
difficulty | applied to the manager of Astley,s
Amphltheater for the loan of some armOr, when
almost Immediately afterward van load arrived
at my stage door, l sent my thanks to the mana
ger for his kind and prompt compliance with my
request, and experienced for him an understandable
feeling of friendship, mingled with gratitude The
only drawback to this generous action was that
the armor was very dirty, and required cleaning.
10 accomplish this my men were occupied for
TWO or three days in Frightening it up. The night
came for the performance of Richard the Third. |
Inc armor was donned by the actors, who went
INTO battle, certainly, but under difficulties. My
Earl OF Richmond, on lifting up his arm to strike
at Richard, could not get it down again, but con-
tlnued in that striking attitude to the end of the
play, Catesby and Radcliffe wandered about like |
two animated Dutch ovens, and being unable to |
see through their Eizors where they were going, |
came into collision with each other. Some of the |
helmets having been forced on the heads of some |
OF the soldiers could not be got off again till long
AFTER the tragedy was over, while one Disguised |
super, who had been laughed at by the audience, |
and had also experienced a tumble or two, was |
heard to say: :" If this armor dodge goes on, I |
shall leave the profession"
COMING EyENTs-A literary curiosity has Just |
appeared in London under the title of Louis Ma |
poleon the destined Monarch of the World" ETC.. |
BY the Rev, NJ Baxter, author of "The Coming
battle.' 1t is said that twelve thousand copies |
nave been sold, the book finding readers notWith- |
sEludlng Its apparent absuTdity on account of the
noteworthy names used by the author as authori. |
ues we are Indebted to Mr.. Baxter for the cheer
lul news mat the world is to end in lS73-so that |
people may set about their preparations for that |
event as soon as they like but during the brief in
terval of six or seven years the Emperor Of the |
french Is TO become sole monarch of the world |
representing the Antichrist of the latter
Day he ls to become supreme over England and |
most OF America, the rest of Christendom submit |
ting to his sway. He is to make covenant with |
the Jews, who by his aid are to return to Pales-
me resume their rank as nation, and rebuild |
Jerusalem Napoleon is then to begin and carry |
on the persecution of Christians which answers to |
the pouring out of the walls g Two years and six
weeks after the date of the covenant with the
Jews, " the ascension OF the one hundred and |
forty-fOur thousand wise yirginsn is expected to
occur. The Jews are to be favored only for seven
years and two and a half months, and then the
great battle of Armageddon is to take place in
which Louis Napoleon (the great beastlt) is to !
startling than any of DR.. Cummings inventions
''AIassa c., do you know lawyer ---, in the
same building whar you Office is ~
ION yes | replied, every Well.'' .
any man ever seed"
AT last remark a big fat Cuffy, negro. lounping