River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-09-10
AN ASTONISHING FEAT.
New York Sun, Aug n

Fifteen persons, several of them report
ers, met in Mrs. Young's parlors in
Twenty-seyenth street last evening, anf
found the medium in good spirits. Across
the end OF the room stood large
deep scyen-and-a-half.octave piano, which
appeared upon trial to weigh abou,
l,UOO pounds, The reporter could not
mt one end of IT. The gas was burning at
full head the whole evening, and the win.
dows and door were open. Among the
visitors were Col. Olcott and Madame
Blayatsky, who had come to report what
they saw to the st. Petersburg University;
Mr.. Paul Julgent, Mr.. David Morrison
OF Washington, and other well known
persons. The performances began with
the lifting Of the piano by the invisible
powers, three times for ''yeS" and once
no, in answer to questions put by Mrs.
Houngs, she resting her hands lightly on
the top Of the music rack. She then sat
down and played various airs, and the in
strumeut rose and fell and beat the time.
She then went to one end of the piano
and called up Col. 0lcott and as many
as chose to make the experiment, and,
causing each to place his left hand I'M
derneath the case, laid one Of her hands
lightly under it; whereupon, at her de.
mand. the end Of the heavy instrument
was Lifted of the floor without the slight
est effort on her part. The Colonel here
asked to be permitted to make q single
test which should not injure the medium
at all. Mrs. YoungS consenting, he pro-
duced a hen S egg from box, and reques.
ted her to hold it in her hand sgainst the
under side Of the piano, and then ask
the spirits to raise il. The medium said
that i'll the course Of her mediumship
such a test had never been suggested, and
she could not say that il would be sue
cessful, but she would try. She took he
egg and held it as desired, and then rap.
ping upon the case with her other hand,
asked the spirits to see what they could
do. Instantly the piano rose as before
and was held for a moment suspended in
the ayr. The novel and striking expert
ment was complete success
Mrs. Youngs then desired as many of the
heaviest persons in the room as could sit
upon the instrument to mount it, and the
invitation being accepted by seven gen.
tlemen and ladies, she played march,
and the instrument, persons and all, were
lifted easily. Col. Olcott now brought
out two English walnuts, and asked the
spirits to crack their shells under the pi-
ano legs without crushing the kernels,
the idea being to show that some other
power than that of one woman herself,
and power governed by intelligence. was
exerting itself The spirits were willing,
but as the piano legs rested upon rolling
casters, the test was abandoned. He
then asked to be permitted to hold an egg
in his own hand against the under side Of
the piano, and have Mrs. Youngs lay her
hand beneath and against his, so that he
might have perfect demonstration Of
the fact that no muscular force whatever
was exerted by her. This test was also
agreed to and Immediately tried. The
piano rose the same as before. The
manifestations Of the evening were then
brought TO close with the lifting Of the
instrument without the mediums hands
touching il at all,