The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-08
THE APPLAUSE MACHINE.
How 1t Worked, and What Happened
When 1t Let Loose.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
I'VE used to have said the old circus
man. "a very simple applause machine that
we made ourselves 1t had a wooden axle
with number of pieces of wood attached
by power, from the b'iler that we had to
furnish steam for the calliope. We hooked
a small engine onto that and belted 1T right
onto the end Of the axle that carried the
fails We had brake on that so that
could regulate the applause, from a gentle
spontaneous outbreak to a regular storm;
and we had biier power enough so that
we could run the calliOpe wide open at the
same time if we wanted to.
I'VE used this machine only to stimulate
dull audiences in towns where they didn't
know a good thing when they saw it
without help Then we'd sort of rouse EN-
up With the applause machine, ana gener-
ally that was enough, but If 1t wasn't,
then we'd turn the whole business loose,
calliope and all, and that never failed.
The arms of the applause machine came
down on what we called the sound box,
which was about the size of a large dry
goods packing box and made of oak plank.
For light applause we had attached to the
axle of the machine considerable number
of small wooden rods that made pleasant
pattering when they struck the sound box,
and then we had attached to the cylinder
with springs faStenings heavier arms that
were shorter and did not touch the sound
box when the machine was turning slowly,
but which, as the machine was turned
faster and faster, were thrown further and
further out by centrifugal force until they
engaged the box. These heavier arms at
tached by springs were graduated in length
and weight. When the machine was going
| full power the heaviest arms came down
on the sound box with the force of crow
bars, but when all the arms were in actual
use you couldn't distinguish any one of
them 1t was thunderous applause and it
was tremendous; but tremendous as it was,
1t was perfectly blended; and the machine
was graduated so fine, and 1t worked so
perfectly that you could turn it down
into ripple of applause without a break in
less than a minute. 1t was simple, simple
as could be; but really it was one of the
most ingenious machines L ever saw.
Perfect as it was, though, didn't get
it. into that shape without a good deal of
trouble with it. 1t shall never forget one
time when the first machine we made got
away from us. We were showing in a
town that looked on at. the great street
parade without a cheer We had the great
we had him in the procession, and we had
him open and shut blinds on the third story
Of the houses as we went along, and turn
the pointers of the town clock back and
forth, and all that sort of thing, but it
never stirred EN- q bit, and 1t was just the
anne at the afternoon performance There
everybody was right on edge, but we didn't
move EN- a hair They just sat there like
wooden people and never even smiled.
Then the old man gave the order to
start up the applause machine, and we did.
We had it in sort of little canvas annex
attached to one side of the main tent. We
started her up gentle, and she went slick as
you re mind to at the start, and all right
every way, except that We didn't have in
that machine the heavy arms graduated so
fine as we got them later. and there wasn't
SO many of them, SO that they did not
blend as well. They'd come down on the
sound box like SO many sticks of cordwood
But we had steam enough on to pretty
near bust the b'iler and we turned that
shaft until we got the machine a steady
roll, and then we turned the caliope loose
Noise? Humph! But 1t never started that
audience any more than if they'd been
stone deaf.
Then something happened The brake
slipped off the machine, and before the man
could get it adjusted again the machine
run away. You see, the brake was not
only to regulate the applause with, but it
was a sort of governor on the engine, too
and with that off, and the head of steam
we had on, the machine swung around like
lightning and swinging with the greater
force the heavy arms pulled harder and
harder on the springs and swung further
and further out until finally one of them
caught on the main tent and swept that
panel of it clean out at one swipe and left
the whole outfit in plain view of the audi
ence.
That did start EN-, and they laughed till
the blessed b'iler run out of steam be-
cause nobody could get near enough to it
to stop it, for two or three more of the
arms had got loose and tangled up and
were swinging around in all directions
THAT night they come to the show in
great numbers and just bubbling over with
fun, and they wouldn't let the show go on
till they'd heard and seen the applause ma
chine