The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-01

A Most Astonishing Test.
PIANO-FORTE LIFTED ON AN EGG WITHOUT
CRUSHING THE SHELL.

Fifteen persons, several of them reporters.
met in Mrs. Youngs's parlors in Twenty
seventh street last evening, and found the
medium in good spirits. Across the end Of
the room stood large, deep seven-and-a-half-
octave piano, which appeared upon trial to
weigh about 1000 pounds The reporter
could not lift one end of it. The gas was
burning at full head the whole evening, and
the windows and doors were open.
Among the visitors were Col. Olcott and
Madame Blavatsky who had come to report
what they sa y to the st. Petersburg Universe
ty; Mr.. Paul Juignet, 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 for ''no, in answer to
questions put by Mrs. Youngs she resting
her hands lightly on top of the music rack.
She then sat down and played various airs,
and the instrument rose and fell and beat the
time. She then went to one end of the
piano and called up Col. Olcott and as many
others as chose to make the experiment, and,
causing each to place his left hand under
meath the case, laid one of her hands lightly
under it; whereupon, at her dem and, the end
of the heavy instrument was lifted off the
floor without the slightest effort on her part.
The Colonel here asked to be permitted to
make single test which should not lpjure
the medium at ALL Mrs. Youngs consent
ing, he produced hens egg from box.
and requested her to hold it in her hand
against the under side of the piano, and then
ask the spirits to raise it. The medium said
that in the course of her mediumship such
test had never been suggested, and she could
not say that it would be successful, but she
would try. She took the egg and held it as
desired, and then rappipg 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 moment
suspended in the air. The novel and slrik-
ing experiment was a complete successes.
Mrs. Youngs then desired as many of the
heaviest persons in the room as could sit
upon the instrument to mount it, and the in
vitation being accepted by seven gentlemen
and ladies, she played march, and the in
strument, persons aud ALL were lifted easily.
Col. O.cott now brought out two English
walnuts, and asked the spirits to crack their
shells under the piano legs without crushing
the kernels, the IDEA being to show that some
9th er power than that of thu one woman her
self, and power governed by intelligence,
was exertipg itself. The spirits were Willing,
but as the piano legs rested upon rolling cas-
ters the test was abandoned.
He then asked to be permitted to hold an
egg in his own hand against the under side OF
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
that no muscular force whatever was exerted
| by her This test was also agreed to and Inn
| mediately tried. The manifestations of the
| evening were then brought to close with
the lifting of the instrument without the me-
dium's hand touching it at aL.-N 7. San.