The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-07-29
SCIENCE OF MAGIC.
WHAT AN EXPERT ONCE SAID OF
THE so CALLED "BLACK ART"

An Opinion of Various Modern Miracles.
Mime. Blavatsky's Peculiar Magnetic
Powers-Bishop's Mind Reading-Hel-
Ier's Tricks-Jugglers 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 $4,000,
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 sanctum 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 a
great deal of attention to the study of the
occult science, although he was very far
from being convert to the TheosOphical
creed. Through his knowledge of magic
he could explain many of the so called
tests made to demonstrate the truthful
ness Of the teachings of the Theosophists
In speaking one day shortly before his
death Mr.. Sands said;
''The experiments mentioned as having
occurred through the agency of Nine
Blayatsky seem to me to be embraced in
the A B G of sleight of hand. Any per.
son having a good knowledge of sleight Of
hand will laugh at the idea of con
Meeting a supernatural power with
the finding of money in bureau
drawers or the discovering of cups and
fI,<,I III -
beautiful experiment mentioned is the
chime Of bs1s said to be heard very often
just above Nine. Blavatsky's head. I do
not doubt that those chimes were heard
and account for them in the same way
that l account for table rapping. Nine
BIavatSky 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 1T down to the power of electricity act.
ing through the fingers of those engaged
In the experiments. Once saturate a table
with water and you can do nothing with
It, but give it thorough drying before
fire and it will dance a sailors hornpipe
for you, which knocks the supernatural
theory on the head"
The table and chair lifting of Heller
4Er. Sands pronounced a trick performed
TO perfection, and it was his intention to
introduce the illusion in his own perform
Ance, having obtained the secret from
abroad. He had also secured the "mind
reading Illusion" as he called it, now
being performed so successfully by Bishop.
Mr.. Sands obtained the illusion from Ger
many and prepared to duplicate all of
Bishops tests. He said the whole trick
was summed up in the question of mem.
CRY and delicaoy of touch. He did not
propose to put it before the public as any.
thing more than clever trick. The mind
reading business he said was simply Rob
ert Heller's second sight trick elaborated.
but not Improved. Both second sight and
mind reading originated with the GEL,
mans. Mr.. Sands owned a copy of Hell
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 an
amateur magical performance as perfect
Ia every detail as those upon the profess
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 science.
He also warned the would be embryo
Hellers Of the expense incident to forming
even 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
cost him less than 81, while the explana-
ton setting forth the manner in which
they were to be performed he valued at
from $50 to $50.
Included in 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 be endowed with life. In describing |
its makeup it's owner said that it was |
combination of microphone, telephone and
phonOgraph, and he considered it one of
the greatest triumphs of science applied
to magic he had ever seen. He could take
the skull in his hand and walk with it
through the audience, making it answer
questions right and left as he moved
along. This, of course, did away with the
idea that the skull was connected with
the rear of the stage by wires and oper-
ated by the assistant.
Mr.. Sands took great interest in the
science of legerdemain as performed by
the jugglers of India, and it was his great
ambition to make a trip into the land Of
Buddha and witness the feats performed
by the natives of India. He had q theory
to the effect that the snake charmers and
Jugglers first mesmeriZed their audiences
and then led them on to imagine many
things took place which really never hap
pened. At the same time he believed the
Hindoos were acquainted with many
natural laws entirely unknown to the
Europeans, and through a knowledge of
these laws accomplished feats which ap-
peared to be supernatural to the less
learned people Of the west.
About a year ago friend of Mr.. Sands,
who had recently returned from India,
presented him with a package of seeds
used by the Jugglers in performing one Of
heir apparently supernatural feats. Fol-
owing the directions given him by his
friend, he planted the seed in moist earta.
which had previously been heated by mix
ng it with little lime. Within fifteen