Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-05-22
ERIAL FLIGHTS.
Solid M'n Volatlising and Ascending to the
Csiling-"What Is It7"

The description, in the columns
OF the HERALD, of an ingenious
machine which is shortly to release
travellers at least from the irksome
obligation of paying tribute to the
Messrs. Stanford g. Co., called out
quite a number Of articles, amongst
the rest one from Mr.. Kercheval
describing experiments he had
witnessed of persons being lifted
high up in the air by four or five
companions who applied the tips of
their fingers to him, liftors and
liftee during the process holding In
their breaths, and all without any
muscular effort. Yesterday even
Ing we accepted an invitation to
attend some experim e.nts made by
a club of gentlemen who have been
humnrously dubbed the "Impon.
derables."
Every experiment passed off very
happily. AS u result of our obser.
vations We ascertained the follow
ing facts. Some gentlemen can
lift but cannot be lifted; some can
be lifted but have either no force at
all as lifters or but very lrifling
one.
The modus operandi ia very SIM
pie. Two chairs are placed al some
distance apart, one as u support for
the head of the subject Of the ex-
pertinent, the other for his feet.
Having deposited himself thereon,
one OF the participants stations
himself at his head, two at his
shoulders and two at his feet. AT
the word, every one of the lifters
elevates his arms above his head,
draws in his breath, an operation
which is also performed by the
llftee; and, bringing down their
arms, and holding in their breaths,
the tips of the forefingers are
placed respectively under the head,
body and calves of the individual
who is bent on the novel ascent.
If he is a proper subject he ascends
like feather, with a scarcely per-
ceptible exertion of muscular
force OH the part of the liftofs.
Should lie himself draw his
breath, or should the persons who
have elevated him do SO, lie imme-
diately becomes as heavy as his al
lotted avoirdupois and the force of
gravity can make him, and would
descend to the floor like n log If he
were not upheld.
Whatever the force is by which
this highly curious operation is
performed, it is most capricious in
its manifestation. The smallest
and lightest gentleman of the party
could not be budged at all. A gem
tleman weighing 1873 pounds would
float up Clear to the ceiling, about
seven feet high, as though he were
mere gossamer. Certainly the
agency by which he is lifted is not
and it is probably mag.
netic or electric. The varying de- |
gree of power of the liftors is one of
the most singular phases of the eX-
pertinent. If one who possesses
this power in remarkable degree
happens to have opposite to him
one who develops oniy a medium
Po"ei, thC sutJeCJ luIus TlSuJ over.
this result is witnessed
in mid air, and the liftee has to be
caught instanter. Probably the
force eXerted in the act
was not ten pounds collectively
amongst all those engaged in lift
ing, yet the ceiling was invariably
reached.
Another experiment was tried.
Each of several gentlemen were
lifted. only u single finger being
The actual physician
axerlion In the feat may almost be
described as uihil.
We do not know that any phil.
)sophical interest attaches to the
matter further than mere curiosity.
Almost every one has seen remark
able feats III mesmerIsm. The ex-
Deriments witnessed by us last
night were of purely physical
character. No element of psychol.
ogy attached to them, and yet they
were passing strange, for nll that.