The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-16

does Do utter some twenty lines o. verse;
emo Wnle ITS clIlferaner - ai-i.-atr-
and expressive the movements ot the
lps, in which there Is nothing meehan-
l-ai. exactly cdrrr=uolds 90 the sounds
artlcalated- This q certainly one % lue
most eXtraordina-y illusions ever pre-
SPOKEN BY a human voice there - ne
doubt. but how I- a head 20 Do co1ff.Fr4
WHICH being detached from any tn.ns Ike
"a BODY. confined il case Whlcn u COM
p-elely nus and placed on "A haI 49,
table, VIII accompany speech Wnlch
apparently proceeds from its ips WIN a
siflctly appropria-e movement OF lne
mouth ana gay ~ the co4n. 49, ~,
that is the reverse % me han.cals Ee-s'
as we al know. can Wregle about aIirr
they have been chopped into half dozen
pieces, but that q head Ike that or lhe
physician Douban. % the Aranian iale-,
pursues its eioqu-nce after % has peen
severed from It's body scarcely comes
within the reach Of possibilities, unless,
indeed, The old-fa-hioned assertion Ihat
king Charles walked and talked halt an
hour after his head was cut on y 10
Pc received, not as an Illustration OF Qe-
fective punctuation. but as POSITIVE MS
torical statement. Davus might nave
solved the "AnthropOgl0 but Col.
Stodare presents us with SPHINX mat
Is really worthy Of an Oedipus.
suppose, at the risk OF chestnut pc
ing cried, this is explained. The SPHINX
Is always made separate portion OF the
lower the curtain Tor few moments pe-
f0re and after It's appearance IN oruer 70
arrange ana remove the necessary prePar-
atoms. The curtain rises ana reFeais
round or oval table, supported by three
slender legs. AMI utterly devoid OF ORA
perry. This stands In a curtained recess
OF ten or twelve feet square. open on the
side toward the audience The performer
comes forward bearing a cloth-coVered
box, fifteen to twenty Inches square, and
places Il upon the table already men
toned. He then uniocks the box, the
front of which drops down so as to give a
perfect view OF the interior, In which Is
seen head Of Egyptian fashion, and col
Ored in perfect imitation OF life. Inc
performer now retlres 10 a position in the
very midst Of the audience and raising his
wand says in tone OF command:
sphinx, awake" The Sphinx slowly
opens its eyes. looking first 70 the front
with strong gaze. then, as IT gradually
gaming consciousness, 20 the one side and
The other, the head moving slightly with
the eyes. Questions are put by the per
former to the head and are answered by
10, the pay of the mouth and features be-
ing In perfect harmony with the sounds
uttered. Finally, TO- answer to a query of
the operator the Sphinx declaims a neat
ly turned oracle in verse. This concludes
the exhibition. and the performer closes
the box Should the audience call for an
encore the performer addresses them 10
the following or some similar effect.
Ladies and gentlemen. ! am glad that
the sphinx has afforded YOU satisfaction,
and / should be only too pleased to be able
to indulge the desire which you kindly
testify of seeing IL again Unfortunately
this is not possible The charm by which
! am enabled as you have seen, to re-
WHY for a space the ashes Of an an
Client Egyptian, who lived and died some
centuries ago, lasts but for fifteen min
utes. That mysterious eloquences has
again returned to its original dust" AS
he speaks the last words he again opens
the box, and the head Is found 10 have
disappeared. leaving in its place hand
full of ashes.
This singular Illusion depends upon the
well-known principle Of optics that "the
angle or reflection is equal 10 the angle
Of incidence" This is the secret of the
Sphinx" between the three legs of
the table the spectator sees apparently
the curtains at the back of the recess, but
really the reflection of the curtains at the
side. The space between the middle leg
and that on either side is occupied by
pieces of looking glass, which extend to
the floor, which is covered with cloth of
the same color and material as the sur
rounding curtains. The spectators, there
fore. looking towards the table, see above
the reflection of the curtains at the side
which however, If the relatiYe angles are
properly arranged, appear to be simply
the continuation at the back The Illusion
IS perfect and the spectator imagines he
sees beneath the table. The rest of the
trick is simple. The person who is to rep
resent the "Sphinx'' is placed beforehand
properly attred, beneath the table At
the proper time he passes his head through
know.
How easy we can be fooled