Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-06-18
FLYTONON EXPLAINED.
THE SECRET OF A MARVELLOUS STAGE ILLU-
SION TOLD.
The Disappearing Princsss-HOw Can She Vanish
When You Look Through the Stats Of the Cab
inet?-Easily Enough When You Know How
the Thing is Donc

When a magician brings out new
trick with apparatus he not only tries
to estimate its effect on the unthinking,
| but he provides as we'll for the great
number of people who have seen every
wonder of the past.
The most wonderful, probably, OF new
"marvels" is Kellar's "Flyto." This
illusion requires the use of two cabinets,
hexagonal in shape, and apparently
much higher than they are wide. we
know the old story Of the high silk hat
being as broad across the top as IL Is
high, yet IL seems to be different when
YOU look at 1t carelessly. The same
principle will apply TO cabinets or any
! other hollow structure. The first caoi-
net brought out in "FIyto" is perhaps
six feet nigh. not including its six thin
legs upon casters. These legs are about
a foot high, which leaves good space
between the floor OF the cabinet proper
and the uncarpeted stage.
The cabinet is wheeled out upon the
stage and Is seen to be SLATED" on all
sides. There are about eight "slats"
running up and down on each Of the six
| sections, each OF them about two and a
half inches wide, with openings between
of about the same width. Inside cur
tains Of thin, red material hide the In
terror. The operator and his assistant
wheel the cabinet down to the front OF
the stage and turn it completely around
to show that 1t is the same on all sides.
1t is then put back To within a few feet
OF the dark green curtain which forms
O background. At the base OF this cur
tain about two feet or more OF similar
green material projects toward the cab
met, and is apparently laid Hat upon
the stage. This piece Of material Is,
! or seems TO be, trifle different In tint
from that of the curtain, and the border
! line OF the latter can be plainly seen.
| The operator now opens one OF the side
doors of the cabinet, then the front
doors and the other side doors. The
curtains, which are Of the "spring" va
riety, are now run up, and you see
! through the Stats apparently In all d.
! rections. The observer, who expects
later on to solve the mystery Of this
new marvel, sees at the back great
expanse, with the edge In very plain
view. The back Of the cabinet Is not
opened, The red curtains are pulled
down and pretty little maid, dressed
10 represent an East Indian princess, is
brought out and put into the centre OF
the cabinet. The front doors are now
latched to the brass rod which forms
the upright for this side Of the cabinet,
and the girl is entirely hidden from
view.
The illusionist now announces that
| the Mahatma will cause the girl to dis
appear and that an English grenadier
will appear IN her place. The curtains
90 I'D with a loud clatJer, the grenadier
is discovered and the princess has dis
appeared. The empty cabinet is now
wheeled to the front again, the cur
tains first being adjusted, and a chain
let down from the scene LOTT Is attached
to four chains on the top OF the caoiuet.
The structure is hoisted to point
about six feet aqove the stage and we
now see that the top and bottom Of the
cage. while stout and strong, are not
thick enough to provide refuge for
ANYTHING as bulky as human body.
smaller cabinet, exactly like the
first, is now brought out. 1t is opened
and uncurtained at once, and you are
positive that you can see through 1t at
| eyery point. The grenadier, still In
uniform, has been assisting In all OF the
latest of the operations, as though TO
remain IN evidence and prove his exist
ence.
The operator now calls for the miss
ing princess, and little maid trips
down the aisle from the back OF the
house and is taken to the smaller cabl-
net and shut in, the curtains
being closely drawn. We now have
two cabinets, one suspended both OF
them tightly closed.
And now, how may this seeming mar
vel be accomplished 80 sklllfully as TO
deceive every person person In the
theatre? We are given slated cage,
through every side OF which people or
objects obtrnde themselves. The top
NJ tho cage or It's flooring cannot be
! thicker than four inches at any part,
TINS removing any hope that place
Cor the hidden figure may be found at
one of these points. The moving about
and the suspension OF the cablnet does
away with the underneath mirror
arrangement so often used In
back number illusions. Yet at the
time the girls placed In the cabinet
the grenadier IS also concealed some
where within, and when the grenadier
stems out the girl is 10 the place he for
merly occupied. The second cabinet,
about which have said very little,
hardly figures In the trick proper st all.
! II provides an excuse for the missing
girl TO come back upon the stage from
| the auditorium and rounds of the trick
OF producing what is supposed 70 be the
same girl in the suspended larger ca0i-
net. To dispose Of the little maid that
comes down the aisle II may be said
| here that she IL, o. course, only 4
double" OF the disappearing one. II
Is not 70 the dIscredit Of the ilInslonists
noyers that she is not particularly
! GOOD double at that. Really good
! doubles are hard TO End.
When, after the iilusionists has
| swung his SLATED" cabinet about the
stage. he has had il put back in 9 spot
that is the result OF calculation, there
is man dressed as grenadier within
it. When you see him spring the cur
tain and show an apparently empty
cage, then open aud pass through four
of the doors, you cannot imagine what
| available space there may be for this
hidden figure. You see the operator
PASS through these sections and can
/ see his body through the
rlass. You also notice that
on the back I'd 90 two sections
| shows the green color between the Stats