, 1876-11-23
STAGE ILLUSIONS.
The Successful Production OF L1fc-like Ef.
fects on tho stage.

fecta on thp stage.
.Ste QudFs.TiY Ktrtelt. -..
However successful the stnEe tnacllinlst las
bec,l III Ills treatMcnt Of flrc. the same fortune
las not attended hin III his dealings with watcr.
Nothing r1llcr or less like the element cat be
conceived than the presentflcnt Ut, eny, river,
In an average London thcatre,-a few Caslyas
serecns placed behind unc mother, their etlges
cut out aftrg tho conventional outline of wares.
In n modern London theatre was lately seen tho
DarbaEie device Ut screens moved from right to
left with short and contrary motion, between
which the ship. Cit out III profile, pursued It's
course. But In more ambitious speetac1es,
where real business has to BE- accomplished, thu
oil form, obtaining for more thnn q hundred
years, hns never rarlcd. 4 painted cloth Is
spread out over tue stngc, Ai1d number u men
work fcct und arms diligently. Thu difficulties
arc 50 enormous that nothing llas really been
found bo satisfactory rs this rather barbarous
procedure. Nothing looks less like water un the
the abundant light Of the SUI, the reflection VI
the sky alla IT, yttors; but III q room, sucl ls
the would be TIL the stage, It apt,clrs Ike
hluek molten nlass. In the weii-tinow1 "CuslcetI
stretching layers of blur gauzc acEoss the stage,
which was certainly effective, uAd scc1ned to in1a-
cute the direction III which further experiments
might bppF0secuted. Connected with tllis element
must bc mentioned the various celebrated vcs-
sells tiut have sailed their course ACROSS tho
stugy n1an. The tnost wonderful Of these mr.
guslcs hayu appeared i'll French waters. Tie
display OIL Btttanntn's own element hns not Gec:i
10 eretlltable. 1nune Of thu late Ar, KoAcrtson's
pieces the devotion of soldiers Euing down
standing in their ranks anu preserving dls-
cip!ue WIS exhibited, tho centre Vi the
stuge being flied by little vesssl, whose gun-
walc was about three feet nboye tho watcr- linz,
aud upou wllose dcck, about twelve or nftccli
feet long. the chief acton Of the piece touk
place, or was literally compressed, the figures
being hudliel together IN tile strongest way.
Here, of coursr, tllc attempt Ut literal
reproduction defeated ltself. by attempting to
tho result was merely to give thu ilca Of ssnAl
yacht. In ruris the Inntier l,as bccn treated af-
ter far truer lstlnct, III tho buldcst md most
successful style. One u the most daring effects
which was virtually . great portion Of tue
Rtage itself, hnl which, 10 the wondef Ut the
audience, rocked through the who'll act. 1t
was thus con:ryed: The stage was opened,
ropes md balanced by euunterpoIses. The
tFarne WIS then drawn down on the right, tul
left alternately with pendulum motion. But
nore ambitious nuntlcal Hight was the vessel
foE1nance VIC ourselves Witnessed. TAIs effect
WIS arranged on sound principles. All e.Iur-
muus portion Of a hull-intcd little tuorc tlmn
the low uf ycsscl-was seen reclinE asd roek-
and capacity " t.ls fralle l,iay be conceived by
Its carrying lH pcrsons Behind were othcr yco-
nass, With all it BORG, rolled oysr
and .nfl snn sank slswy IN The ,, wa,s5s: AL
1or tho gigantic. portion presented to
the spectator served to Indicate wllnt WIS nut
sven, md imagination did tho rcst. Often Il
turrunt Ia required to roll its waters frVnl thu
mountains anu heights; this IL contriyr1 By
arranging piece Vi transparent material in th:
ehaln; vi the strcnsn, willie bellinA II metal
cylinder lvyuiyes wl,oso surfnce IL cut tlitou