The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-12-19
THE PACIFIC
Commercial
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 10.
U

800 AAAAE EAAa~
very remarkable Investigations into the nature Of
what lie vulgarly Teputed to be "Spiritualism. -
L. has long been surmised by thoughtful scien-
tihc men that the eharlatanism and ignorant su-
persttion which that name implied might have q
basis of truth, and point TO something vet un-
known 20 science. But the very cred1lity and
trickery BY which, in the hands Of imposters, the
whole things was encircled, placed it outside the
pale Of scientific inquiry, or condemned it abso-
lutely before inquiry was made. DR.. Crookes,
however, had seen much that induced HIM to
make further investigation. This he did, under
what seemed extremely careful conditions; and
as a physicist and chemist in the very front rank
Of Investigators and discoverers, be appeared 70
possess the requisite abilities and gifts for such q
scrutiny. 1t was pursued with Mr.. D.. Home as
the medium, and with a series Of apparatus sci
entifcally prepared, with the nature or existence
Of which the medium was unacauainted. The
experiments were conducted by DR.. Crookes in
his own house, in the presence Of a group Of men
Of science; and the results were such as to con-
vince Dr. Crookes Of the existence-not of spirit
ualisic OperatIons-but Of the presence Of an
energy - force F" in some human beings which
science ought more fully to study and which for
the time he called " Psychic force"
For the publication Of these investigations, as
may be readily supposed, a certain section OF the
scientific world fercely attacked the author. The
substance of the attack was that be had been de-
ceiyed-the phenomena asserted to have been seen
were declared impossible. In the interval, how
ever, DIR. Crookes has been quietly pursuing the
inquiry, and has now determined to give the full
results in a forthcoming volume; but he has drawn
up In a scientific form a summary of the more
marked results. In this he says that the phe-
nomena which he attests "are so extraordinary
and so directly oppose the most firmly rooted ar
ticles of scientific beliels-amongst others the
ubiquity and inyariable action of the law Of gravi-
tation-that even now on reading the details of
what l witnessed there is an antagonism in nv
mind hetWeen reason which UrOnOupaea IL M ha
scientifically impossible, and the consciousness
that my senses both Of touch and sight-and
these corroborated as they were by the senses of
all who were present-are not lying witnesses
when they testify against my preconceptions."
The supposition that q sort of simultaneous
mania or delusion attacks a whole roomful of wit
nesses is held to be more difficult of belief than
even the facts such witnesses attest; while the
difficulties of the investigation are fully stated.
Not the least of these is the jealousy with which
the believers in "spiritualism " guard their me
diums;" thus excluding the possibility Of re-
search.
But DIR. Crookes has succeeded in securing the
aid of two sufficiently remarkable instances, and
has conducted the inquiry on the ~strictest scien-
tiic principles. He asserts that it is an error,-
and this we presume applies only to honest in
suppose that darkness is in any way
essential to the phenomena. With the exception
of those in which darkness was necessary to dis
close luminous appearances and so forth, all his
test cases were given an the light. Equally
is the supposition that these manifesto
tions only take place at certain times and in GER
tain places.
The great majority of the remarkable cases DR..
Crookes a~ttests, he afirms took place in his own
house, and under circumstances that made the
simplest instrumental aid impossible. While the
idea that only the friends and associates of the
must be present is declared to be equally
invalid for DR.. Crookes chose his own witnesses,
and often his own conditions.
The first of the classified phenomena inVesti-
was the movement of heavy bodies with
but without mechanical e~xertion. This
is said to be the simplest form of manifestation;
and may vary from the vibration of a room to the
raising of a heavy body when the hand is placed
upon it. "These movements, and, indeed, most
Of the phenomena, are preceded by a peculiar
cold air, sometimes amounting to a decided wind
to blow a sheet of paper about the room,
and cause the lowering of the thermometer sew
eral degrees"
The second class of phenomena took the form
Of persuasive and other allied sounds, from deli
cate ticks as with the point of a pin, to a cascade
sharp sounds as from an induction coil in full
work, or detonations in the air. And with a
full knowledge" of the various ways in which
explanation has been sought to be given of these
phenomena, DR.. Crookes declares that after fully
testing them, there was no escape from the con-
Viction that they were true objective occurrences,
not produced by trickery or mechanical means.
III NLAlN SAdCo VI dCC nClCl lO6C
which the actual weight of bodies was altered;
similar, indeed, to those of which DIR. Crookes
had given 30 many examples In 1872, and he next
letails instances of the movements of heavy sub
when at a distance from the medium, such
rs the change of position in heavy chairs and ia
without visible contact; while the fifth class
records the raising of heavy weights, such as large
ables, for very considerable distances from the
loor, where the contact or mechanical action of
he medium were declared simply impossible.
A t. Al. 80 IA-~ IL = I
If human beings; and the test conditions under
which these took place were, it is said, in the ut
most degree satisfactory. Several instances were
cen by DR.. Crookes, but the most remarkable
we're in the case of Mr.. Home. "On three sep
rate occasions, y says DR.. Crookes, I" ! have seen
i'm raised completely from the floor of the room.
)nce sitting In an easy chair, once kneeling on
lis chair, and once standing up. On each Occa-
ion, L had full opportunity of watching the oc-
urrence as it was taking place." While he
urther declares that the Earl of Dunrayen, Lord
and Captain e.. Wynne attest together
imilar remarkable instances.
The next class of experiments appears still
nore remarkable: for although they are said to
ave occurred under conditions that render trick
~ g impossible" they certainly must at present
e classed with the marvellous.
DIR. CrOokes seems with great justice to insist
bat a medium walking into his dining-room,
ould not, while seated in one part of the room
nth a number of persons keenly watching him,
y trickery make an accordion play in has CDR.
OI0H hand when he held its keys down.
ards, or cause the anne accordion to float about
be room playing all the time %. Yet this was
aid to be done, and in the presence of this vet
ran man of science! "Further," says DIR.
ROCKIES, she (the medium) cannot introduce
lachineFy which will wave window curtains, or
ull up venetian blinds eight feet of tie a knot
! a handkerchief and place it in a far corner of
De room; sound notes on a distant piano; cause
card-plate to float about the room; raise a wa
II bottle and tumbler from the table; make a
'ral necklace rise on end; cause a fan to move
bout and fan the company; or set in motion a
when enclosed in a glass case firmly
to the wall" Yet all these things the
ern student of science declares that he has seen
circumstances which render deception in
nceiyable.
Then follows a class Of luminous appearances;
see which darkness is needful. But DR.. Crookes
clares them to be lights such as he has 50 tried
initiate arti6cially but cannOt.S He saws