Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-03-17
OUR LONDON LETTER.
Tie Burning Of the PanteehnicOn-Th
Great StOreh0use and its
Treasures.
Splrltualism Going Through Crucial
Test-Miss Cook, the Test Me-
dunn, Etc.
From our own Correspondent.l


technicOn was burned two weeks ago.
To those who are acquainted in Lon
don, this news is startling and lamenta-
ble. To those who are not, ! viii say
that the Pantechnic0n is one immense
stOTehouse, used by the nobility to store
their furniture, carriages, pictures, plate,
and articles of virtu while they are out
of town, and until the London season
sets IN agsin-that is at the opening OF
parliament. BY the middle OF Feb
ruary all the members of parliament
and their families are supposed TO be 10
town. Just q Week previous TO this the
stOrehousse was burned, and only one
nobleman had moved his furniture away.
Here was Coz lected some OF the rarest old
paintings FROM the old masters in Eng
land. Sir Richard Wallace alone lost
collection Of pictures valued at sixty
Thousand pounds. No money can re-
uiace the works of art destroyed. I'M
meBse fortunes were involved here in
works OF art alone, besides the elegant
furniture aud carriages. The building
was supposed to be fireploof, and no fire
was ever allowed inside Of II. Still, at
four o'clock in the afternoon, the flames
burst out. This led to some inVes1ga-
tions, which resulted in pointing strong
ly to a secret organization. (which Is
known to exist here, but difficult TO un-
earth. They are antagOnistic to the TO-
bility-in other words, are communists.
II the suspicious are correct, the whole
stratum Of royal and noble society over
lies a most fearful volcano of plebean
hatred. Heaven help the titled few, if
ever the ignorant, hunger-impelled
masses rise in brute force against them.
sPIRTTUALIsM
seems be going through a critical test
now bv the scientists Of London. The
medium through whom the experiments
are mostly being made is young lady
of about eighteen years of age-Miss
Florence Cooke She is not public me-
dium, but the manifestations that take
place in her presence are of such a start
ling character that it has been quite i'm
v,Ossible to con6ne the exhibitions of
them 10 her family and friends only.
Many persons Of distinction and celeb
Titv have witnessed the same at her
house. In seeing the phenomena, the
first condition is tying Miss Cook firmly
i'm a cabinet, and sealing the knots.
There is hen a curtain dropped over
the door between her and those
present, which, Of course, places her in
the dark, while those IN the room are in
there comes from the cabinet a female
figure, draped in white, with white
veil falling over the head, but not COW
ering the face. The feet are naked. She
walks around the room, speaking to all;
Says her name is Katie King; allows
pgrsons to feel of her dress and shake
hands with her, which are as tangible
to the touch as any other material thing
on ear'd. The size and form of the
figure is much like the medium, Miss
Cooke. which fact raised many skeptical
doubts ia the minds OF those who wit
messed the Ujfestations, thinking it
might be Miss Cooke who had freed
herself from her cords and dressed for
the play. However, in every
instance after KCtie had returned
10 the cabinet, they had laised
the curtain, and fOunG Miss Cooke in
state of trance or uncousciousness, Sc
curely tied and sealed as when they left
her. Here was a case for Hfofessors
CrOOkes and Varley to test the physical
force question. Miss Cooke very readl-
ly yielded herself for them to expert
ment on the phenomena. 1 will give
their experiences as Professor CrOGkes
gave them to me: He took Miss Cooke
first to his own house, that he might be
imDrOvised q dark cabinet with a cur
tain door. They placed the medium in
SIDE, and securely tied her. Professor
Narley then placed gold plate on the
inside of each wrist, to which was at
tached insulated wires leading out into
the room to very sensitive
electrometer. They tried every mo-
ton of her hands and arms,
and the placing of her arms together to
see the different forces of eleet etricity pro-
duced by the different positions, Pro-
fessOr CrOOkes observing her all the
time, while Professor Narley bad his
eyes on the electrOmeter. After thor
oughly learning the effect produced by
each movement Of hers, they placed the
curt ain before her, leaving her in the
dark. Soon the figure calling herself
Katie made her appearance, the cleo
trOmeter not showing the least move
ment She said: "What do you want
me to DO with all these wires?" They
told her nOthing-only to come into the
room and make such motions with her
hands aud arms as her medium had
done. Katie at once threw her hands
around ia a lively manner, which did
not effect the currents of electricity
ia the slightest degree. Then Katie
asked Professor CTOOkes to bring a
lighted candle aud hold it TO her face,
aud sac If she looked like Miss Cooke.
tie tried il, and found she had fair COM
pieXiol and light hair, while Miss Cooke
is quite dark, with dark hair. Professor
IrOOkes says that, as far as human tests
are concerned, nothing could be more
conclusive than that here was genuine
phel NOmeUon outside of the conscious aid
of the medium. On the disappearance
of Katie into the cabinet, they at once
raised the curtain and found Miss Cooke
in the sam g condition as when they had
shut her in, ,Nniy in an unconscious state
or trance. M, We than this, Mrs. CrOokes
saws she undres Nsed Miss Cooke after she
came out of the cabinet, and there was
nothing about her that could by any pos
sibiIfty have furnished the dTapery and
Veil for Katie, (which disappeared with
Katie herself Idr. Wallace, the great
naturalist, is bringing out an article in
the F0rtaiohtlV ReCteJUr recognizing the
facts of spiritualim, and stating cor
roberating proof OF its being an unseen
O. intelligence, and what that intelligence
saws ii is-the spirits of our departed
friends. SO much for the labors OF some
Of the English scientists. we may soon
expect to see paragraphs iH me sclentinc
Journals on psychic force, together with
mechanical appliances aud inFentions
MARY J. HOLMES, OF MeLaPhIs'