The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-05-16
SCIENCE OF MAGIC.
WHAT AN EXPERT ONCE SAID or
THE so CALLED "BLACK ART"

An Opinion Of various Modern Miracles.
Nine. BIavatsky's Peculiar Magnetic
Powcrs-Isishop's Mind Reading-Hel-
Ier's Tricks-JusgIers OF India.
Perhaps no one outside OF professional
circles ever took a greater interest in the
science Of magic than the late Harry l..
Sands The secrets and apparatus which
he brought together cost over $1,000,
and represented the results Of sixteen
years close study, backed by an abund-
ance of enthusiasm and plenty Of initiative
ability He studied chemistry and cleo
tricity in order to use them in perfecting
his illusions, and he had sauctum or
studio where he passed every moment he
could spare from business in working up
new effects for his performances.
Although going deep into the practical
working out Of illusions, Mr. Sands, dur
ing the latter part of his life devoted
great deal Of attention 10 the study OF the
occult science, although he was very far
from being n convert 10 the Theosophlcal
creed. Through his knowledge of magic
he could explain many Of the so called
tests made to demonstrate the truthtlu-
ness Of the teachings of the Theosophlsts.
In speaking one day shortly before his
death Mr.. Sands said;
I'The experiments mentioned as having
occurred through the agency OF Mime.
Biavntsky seem TO me to be embraced III
the A q c Of sleight Of hand. Any per
son having good knowledge of sleight OF
hand will laugh at the idea OF con
Meeting Il supernatural power with
the finding of money in bureau
drawers or the discovering of cups ana
gaucers among the branches OF q tree. a
beautiful experiment mentioned Is the
chime OF bqlls said TO be heard very often
lust above Nine. Blavatsky's head. Go
not doubt that those chimes were hearu
and account for them in the same way
That account for table rapping. Mime.
Blavatsky must be wonderfully endowed
with magnetic force in order TO produce
this ringing sound upon the air, but
believe the effect could be arrived at simply
through physical causes. Very few people
now attribute anything supernatural to
table moving and rapping, but correctly
put it down to the power Of electricity act
Inc through the fingers of those engaged
fin the experiments. Once saturate table
with water and you can do nothing with
It, but give il thorough drying before
fire and il will dance a sailors hOrnplpe
for YOU, which knocks the supernatural
theory on the head -
The table and chair lifting of Heller
lPr Sands pronounced a trick performed
introduce the illusion in his own perform
ance. having obtained the secret from
abroad He had also secured the ''mina
reading Illusion as he called 1t, now
being performed so successfully by Bishop
Mr. Sands obtained the illusion from Ger
many and prepared TO duplicate all of
Bishops tests. lie said the whole trick
was summed up in the question of mem
Ory and delicacy of touch. He did not
t. h.A lia
thing more than clever trick. The mind
reading business he said was simply Rob
srt Heller's second sight trick elaborated,
bat not improved. Both second sight ana
mind reading originated with the Ger
mans Mr. Sands owned a copy of Her
ler's original manuscript of the second
sight business. The directions and signs
covered several pages, and the performer
was required TO learn the entire thing by
heart" as they say in school. The task
was apparently as difficult as that of mas
tering new language.
Mr.. Sands believed in rendering al
amateur magical performance as perfect
in every detail as those upon the profcs-
sional stage. He never encouraged his
friends to take up magic, believing that
very few of them would have the patience
to master what he considered a science
He also warned the would be embryo
Hellers of the expense incident to forming
even a passing good collection of secrets
and Illusions, many of the effects costing
as high as $500 or $500 each. The secrets
or directions for performing the trick, he
found often cost ten times as much as the
apparatus He owned some tricks that
east him less than 81, while the explana
Gon setting forth the manner in which
they were 10 be performed he valued mt
from $50 to $50.
Included i'm Mr.. Sands collection was a
large. thick book of 800 pages filed with
directions in writing for performing the
several illusions which he brought into
his performances. Here and there Mr..
Sands had introduced pen and ink sketches
Of the apparatus to be used in doing the
tricks and he valued the book more than
anything he possessed.
A new illusion, which Mr.. Sands i'm
ported shortly before his death, was a
talking skull. This skull would answer
questions, tell stories, and in fact appeared
to he endowed with life. In describing
Its makeup its owner said that it was q
combination of miCrOphone, telephone and
monograph, and he considered it one of
the greatest triumphs of science applied
20 magic he had ever seen. He could take
the skull in his hand and walk with il
through the audience, making il answer
questions right and left as he moved
along. This, of course did away with the
sUe0 Itl1J tue Skull WIS NoLhCNANN WIN
the rear of the stage by wires and oper
ated by the assistant.
Mr.. Sands took great interest in the
science of legerdcmain rs performed 10y
the jugglers of India, and it was his Erea
ambition to make a trip into the land o
Buddha and witness the feats performed
by the natives of India. He had n theory
TO the effect that the snake ChGrmcrS anC
jugglcrs first meSmeUiZcd their audiences
and then led them ON TO imagine many
things took place which really never hap
pcned. At the same time he believed tht
HjndOos were acquainted with man!
natural laws entirely unknown to tn,
Europeans, and through knowledge o
these laws accomplished feats which mp
peared to be supernatural TO the less
learned people of 'he west.
About a year ago friend of Mr.. Sands
who had recently returned from India
presented him with a package of seed:
used by tie Jugglers in performing one q
their apparently supernatural fcats. Fol
lowing the directions given him 10y hi
friend. he planted the seed in moist eardA
which had previously been heated by mix
ing IL with a little lime. Within htteeI
minutes the seeds sprouted, and in half Al
hour had put forth shoots TO the height o
five or six inches. He tried this same eX
pertinent with seeds obtained from a flor