The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-03

WU IpWs UI DUTUeIS ITuInIIIdIe
| Inquire Gradually he seems to dissolve or
| fade away and in his place a skeleton APP
pears in the coffin. The skeleton, in its
| turn, slowly disappears and the figure of
| the man lis seen again. A feature of the
illusion is that the man himself knows
nothing of It, and. unless he has previously
visited the cabinet, cannot imagine the
| cause of the spectators surprise.
Passing on to third chamber, which is
also lined with black, one of the spectators
Is invited 10 seat himself at a table. The
others suddenly see bottle and glass upon
1t. but as the ignorant performer Is told TO
help himself TO wine and reaches out his
hand IS seen to pass through the spectral
bottle or glass; which are unseen by him.
Perhaps a woman appears and seeks to
move him with gestures of appeal or en-
dearment. he doesn't see her, and II ne
moves his hand, it passes unobstructed
through her. The strains of a dirge, the
ringing of deep sounding bells and the APP
pearance of brown-robed monk who acts
as sort Of guide to the inferno, add TO the
mournful effect of the surroundings and the
funeral impressiveness of the proceedings.
THE ILLUSION EXPOSED.
But it is all illusion, and very French at
that. OF course the illusion in the first
room is quite simple. The pictures are
merely transparencies. In the second room
there is directly in front of the coffin, but
at an oblque angle, large sheet of the
clearest plate glass, so clear that its pres
cree is not detected by the spectators or
even by the man in the coffin. To one side,
unseen by those who are to be impressed,
is a painting of a skeleton standing in
coffin The lights near the real coffin are
turned down, and when another set of
lights, near the painting, are turned up the
skeleton in the coffin is reflected from the
glass, the change being effected as swiftly
or as gradually desired. Thus the man
seems to be replaced by his own skeleton
and in turn to succeed it. The illusion in
the third chamber is similarly produced.
The trick in which a nymph is SHOWN I'M
supported in midair, and is seen to be gong
through various graceful moVetnenls, Is
presented under the name of "Amphltrite
1t is seen through a circular aperture cut IN
a screen. About six feet behind the latter
the stage is set to represent the sky Be
low in the foreground a canvas SHOWS the
sea. 'Amphitrite, arise" exclaims the
the air, turns round and round gracefully
moving her limbs, floating. swimming ana
fFolicing in the air o and IN an the 9nr en
position, plunges again into the sea.
1t is a charming illusion but is produced
in exact accordance with optical views. A
sheet of plate glass is inclined forty-hve de-
grees upon the stage Amphltrltes IN lgnt
colored costume, covered with metallic
spangles, lies upon a revolving table below
the level of the stage. When bright light
is thrown upon her, her image is reflected
in an upright position behind 1T. The turn
ing of the table and her own evolutions
midair and produce the graceful effects de-
Scribed. To cause her to appear or reappear
the table is slid on rails to position IN
front of or behind the glass. This table
should be covered with black.
BLACK Art as it is called, IS a trick lex
that magGians have got iron lnIa 1ns
of the Yogi The entire stage is hung with
black velvet and the floor. covered with
turned out and set of open gas jets are
carried up outside the proscenium: with
the exception OF THESE sr the hgn ary nw
magician dressed in white waves his hand,
and various white objects appear-a ward.
floating in the air; tables and vases, ana
finally a skeleton which dsmembers it
self and puts itself together again. These
objects are all white, and the whole scene
is conducted in absolute silence. 1t is one Of
the most effective and at the same time one
of the simplest of illusions. While the stage
is painted brilliant white. All the objects
are placed beforehand on the stage, but are
covered with black cloth, and so are not
seen against the black background eSpe-
cially as the spectators eyes are somewhat
dazzled by the open gas jets There Is an
account of the darkness and the black
background, and who moves about noise
lessly over the felt carpet. He simply re-
moves the cloths from the various oDJectS
puts the skeleton through its movements
and dismembers and joins it together
again.
the talking head upon a table. The APP
paratuS consists of mirror liked TO the
diagonally opposite legs of the table. The
mirror hides the body of the girl and by
reflection makes a fourth table leg appear.
1t also reflects the end of the fabric hang
ing down over the rear end of the table.
Then. too the mirror reflects the floor so
that the spectator seems to be looking right
under the table and thinks he can see the
floor beyond it. The girls head is thrust
through a hole in the table: Curiously
enough the effect is more perfect when the
spectator is quite near the table.
ORIGINATING A WOMAN.
An exceedingly effective set piece is the
reproduction of the climax of Rider Hag-
CARDS novel ''She" A beautiful young
woman, representing She, mounts table
placed in an alcove The table seems to
have four legs, and four burning candles
beneath it seem to indicate that the space
is open and clear. This, however, is an il
fusion produced by mirrors A cylinder of
drapery descends over the womans FORM
At the firing of a pistol smoke and flame
burst forth from this cylindrical screen
When the fire is burned out this screen is
lifted, and nothing remains upon the table
but pile of charred bones and smoldering
embers, surmounted by a skull 1t is, of
course, obvious that the most powerful
necromancer cannot afford to burn up
supply of willing subjects would be too
limited for that. Besides, if you go the
next night you will see that 1T is the same
beautiful young woman who is consumed
by fire.
The explanation is simple enough. While
the smoke and flames bursting forth
from a cylindrical screen "She" has quietly
slipped through a trap in the table and is
out of sight behind the mirrors before
which the candles are burning. Through
this trap she has lifted the bones the skull
and a few fireworks upon the table, and
it is She herself who ignited the fire
works at the firing of the pistol, closing the
trap she retired.
When the success of 'Trilby" brought
hypnotism so much into vogue Hermann
devised a trick which he called THE IL
fusion of Trilby" Hypnotism was supposed
to play a part in this trick, but in reality
it had nothing to do with the effect pro-
duced. That is purely mechanical
A plank is placed upon two chairs. Trilby
steps on a footstool and stretches herself
upon the plank. She carries a bouquet in
Ter hand. SvengaI carefully arranges her
drapery, walking around her as he does so.
He makes some passes and successively re-
moves the chairs. The spectators hold
their breath. They expect the plank to tilt
and fall But 10. 1T remains In the air.
Trilby calmly lying upon it. More passes,
and she awakens from her supposed trance
The chairs are replaced. she steps down
and chairs and plank removed.
In reality the board Is attached to a bar
which prOtrudeS from behind the scenes.
II is thrust into the board before the chairs
ranging the drapery. 1t is hidden from the
spectators in the upper tiers by the bou-
quet which Trilby holds i'll her hand When
the chairs have been replaced the bar is
withdrawn and nothing of it is seen when
Trilby arises and steps down. Further me-
behind the scenes enable the unseen as
sistant who manipulateS it to lower or
raise the board.
Another illusion. that of 1.-THE Haunted