Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-08-11
LATEST RAzzlE.pAzzLE

ingenious Contrivancs which Amariah
Lake Has Recently Covered bv Patent.
Any one who has ever, white set
ting In q sWlnx, thought how delight
full It would be to whirl 10 a circle
completely above and around the
swings points OF supports may now
enjoy that sensation on payment of
30 much an enjoy. For Amariah
Lake, OF Pleasantville, N. j., has re-
Gently patented q device termed the
haunted swing, which imparts to its
passengers this remarkable peculiar
feeling.
Mr.. Lakes swing does not really
gyrate, but IL Is operated so a. to
make its possessor believe It does re.
vUlve, and the fact Is that person
even forewarned who sits In the
swing cannot detect the delusiOn Is
what makes the device particularly
interesting.
Those who are to sit In the swing
are ushered into small room. from
Q bar crossing the room, near the
ceiling, hangs a large swing, which
Is provided with seats for q number
OF people. After the people have
taken their places tho attendant
pushes the cur and IL starts into
oscillation like any other swing. Tho
room door Is closed. Gradually those
In II feel after three or four move.
ments that their swing Is going
rather high, but this IL not all. The
apparent amplitude Of the 0scilla.
tiOns increases more and more, until
presently the whole swing seems to
whirl completely over, describing a
full circle about the bar on which It
hangs To make the thing more
utterly mysterious tho bar Is hent
crank fashion, SO that 1t seems dc.
monstrably impossible for the swing
to pass between the bar and ceiling.
1t continues to 70 round and round
this way. imparting most weird
sensation to the &C upants.
The room Is as completely furnish.
ed a. possible, everything being, of
course, fastened In place. What Is
apparently u kerosene lamp stands
on table near at hand. It Is secure.
ly fastened to the table, and In o few
seconds, rs the children say "the
old cat dies" The door Of the room
Is open and the swinging party leave.
Those who have tried II say the sen.
sation Is most peculiar and the de.
ception perfect
The illusion Is based on the move.
ments Of the room proper. During
the entire exhibition the swing Is
practically stationary, while the
room r0tates about the suspending
bar. At the beginning Of operations
the swing may be given q Sigh,
push; the operators outside the
room then begins to swing the room
Itself, which lie really a l.rge DO,
journaled on the swing bar, starting
1t OF to correspond with the mo-.
ment OF the swing.
They swing 1t back and forth, in
creasing the arc, and the light !.
supplied by small incandescen,
lamps within the chimney, but con
cealed by the shade. The visitor
never imawlnes that II 10 an electric
lamp, and naturally thinks that l,
would be impossible for q Kerosen,
lamp to be inverted without disaster
90 that this adds to the deception
materially The same Is to DO sait
Of the pictures hanging on the walls
OF the cupboard full OF chinawear, o
the chair with . hat on IL, and o
the baby. All contribute to tn,
mystiac alton. Even though ono 1
Informed Ut the secret before enter
ing the swing, the deception Is sale
to no 80 complete that passengers In
voluntarily seize the arms Of tn
seats to avoid being precipitatet
below.