The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-03
HERMANN ON MAGIC
HE EXPLAINS SOME ILLUSIONS THAT
sTARTLE THE PUBLIC.
A Gas Mans Sad Blunder-Turncd ON
the Lights PrematureIy and Ex-
posed the Masfcian's Best Trick.

Although perfectly well aware that
many books have been published ex-
planning the so-called black art" or
modern magic, 1 am not aware of any
having been written exposing important
illusions. as the writers of works on
magic have ever considered these secrets
too valuable to be given to the general
public.
In most cases large sums of money
have been paid to inventors of mechan-
ical tricks or illusions for their discov-
cries. There is firm in New York city
now that claims the possession OF a
magical secret for which they demand
the modest price of $4,000 arguing that
If properly produced by a good enter
tainer it is an easy matter to make $780,
600 with its invention. Be that as it
may. it will probably be some time be-
fore any one will care to invest such a
large sum of money in an unknown and
untried entertainment Of any kind. The
old adage that lit is never safe to buy
pig in bag" will probably be remem-
bered by the manager or artist who con-
templates securing this discovery. and
the result will be an indefinite postpone
startling illusion"
Managers and artists are not the only
skeptics, by any means. 1t is a glorious
American privilege, and one often ex-
ercised. to disbelieve what has not been
seen or is not understood, and 1t would
not be fair to the American public to
say that this privilege and the exercise
of 1t are confined to our own fair land.
The natives of the far East believe in
such tricks or illusions being performed
as they have seen. and in none other.
They know little and care less about
the jewellers in other lands than their
own. Living, as the majority OF them
do. from one years end to another un-
der summer skies and amid tropical
scenery and foliage, nothing would be
harder than to convince them of the
fact that there are countries where for
a certain number of months in the year
the water of the lakes and rivers be-
walked on and driven over with perfect
THE HINDoO FAKIRs.
Now. we have been since the days OF
the early Portuguese explorers RECALLED
with accounts of decapitations, mys-
FERROUS disappearances and aerial sus-
pension, If not impossible, certainly inn
probable enough to be disbelieved, as
it is well known that none of those
deliberately explained illusions has ever
been seen by any travellers Of the pres
ent century.
The most frequently mentioned aerial
suspension of the Orient is the account
of the old Hindoo fakir who provides
himself with ball of cord and throws
it into the air. allowing the cord to I'M
wind and remain suspended, while the
ball unrolls until it disappears in space.
Different travellers elaborate this illusion
In different ways. some of them declar-
ing that the old Hindoo climbs the cord
and draws it UP after him, while others
assert that he assists boy to climb the
cord, and that after the boy has gone a
certain number of feet in the air he.
together with the supporting cord, mys-
teriously disappears. Others, wishing to
give little more entertainment for
their money than their predecessors, tell
of tigers coming from the jungle and fol-
lowing the boy up the rope, until boy,
rope and tiger all vanish into thin air.
I am free to confess that / must join
the great army of skeptics and refuse
TO believe in all these accounts, but I
am aware that it is possible TO suspend
the human body a few feet from the
earth or floor and leave it there appar-
emily unsupported.
The first aerial suspension" that at
tracted any considerable attention
showed a page usually a young woman.
brought to the center of the stage. hyp-
Noticed and stood erect between two
slight wooden rods, which had been
previously inspected by a COMMITTEES
chosen from the audience. These rods
were placed under the young woman's
elbows. and she was then raised from
the floor. so that her feet cleared 1t a
few inches only. After this one rod
would be removed and the performer
would cause the body of the page to
slowly rise from a perpendicular to a
horizontal position, the only support
visible being the rod on which one arm
was apparently resting in the lightest
and most insecure manner possible. The
magician would then pass his wand all
around the body of the page in order
to convince the spectators that there
were no wires or unseen supports aid
ing in the deception. After allowing the
page to slumber in nlidair for few mo-
ments size would be slowly lowered until
her feet touched the ground, then she
would step forward and smilingly ac-
knowledge the applause that always fol-
lowed this seemingly marvellous illusion.
Now. the manner in which this trick
was performed was this: One of the
uprights or rods was remarkably
strong one. One end of 1t fitted into a
socket In the stage or the platform used
for the performance, while the other end
was hollow. When the rods, which were
the same in appearance, were placed UNI
der the pages elbows steel plug or
joint fastened around the girls elbows
the pages figure was really encased in
a network of slight but very strong steel
bands all jointed in such manner as
to allow her to move about apparently
without the slightest restraint The cage
or framework of steel bands was fitted
together with noiseless butt joints that
set themselves as soon as the page was
raised from the floor and Strengthened
out at right angles with the supporting
rod the joint at the elbow being strong
enough to sustain the whole figure the
moment it was perfectly horizontal, and
thus it was that the page was enabled
to lie apparently sleeping in the air.
with no other support than the tip or
her elbow resting on slender rod
When the performer desired to release
the subject he simply raised her body
slowly, touched little spring, released
the elbow joint. lowered her to her feet
and the performance was over.
Now, this same illusion was done in
many different ways. Sometimes both
supports would be taken away. In this
case the place OF the one supporting
the elbow would be filled by a slender
steel arm going through and concealed
by the drapery Immediately behind the
recumbent figure. Another variety OF