The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-30
zHR. SALT LAKE HERALD: SUNDAY. OCTOBER So 1895

grown people a whole evening with
these scientific experiments. When the
boys wish To make a little money for
some pet charity. they may be sure OF
giving their moneys worth 10 those
who buy tickets.
For the first thing on the programme
they might hypnotic a chicken. To dc
this have a dark table and draw a
white chalk line across it, beginning
from directly under the bill of The
chicken whose beak should be held
down TO the table so that il must look
at the line. A rooster will become
senselesS and nerveless by the time the
line is two feet long. and remain with
his beak glued to the line sometimes
over minute-and that seems long.
A CENTER OF GRAVITY TRICK.
Many prettz9 tricks are done with the
principle Of the center of gravity. A
goblet ana d bottle with colored OF
clear water, two silver table forks
and cork are necessary for this. The
two forks are stuck firmly in opposite
sides of the cork and left to hang down
at an angle of about 80 degrees. The
bottom of the cork is then stood upon
the edge of the mouth of the bottle
The forks and cork form a whole, with
the center of gravity over the point
supporting it. The bottle can be bent,
emptied even of all its contents without
unbalancing the cork. This is a trick
often done by professors of magic.
Another pretty trick is possible with
the same cork, forks and bottle, only q
needle must be pushed. head first, into
the cork exactly in the center, leaving
the point downward. A piece of money
is then laid over the mouth of the bot
tie and the cork with its two forks is
stood upon the money. Then push one
of the forks hard but without Jerking
and they will swing around in a circle
for a long time. A flower or other de-
vice on top of the cork is also an ad-
ditiOn.
Another interesting trick is to lift a
decanter half filed with water by a
bent straw. This would seem impos-
sible, but is not. The decanter should
have a narrow neck and wide and
rather square Shoulder part. The
straw, which must be a good and
long, or two feet. This is TO be bent
upward one-third of its length. or
enough to bring it under the shoulder
of the decanter. Doubled it is pushed
into the decanter, and then it spreads
apart, leaving the long end outside and
the short one inside. This end is lifted
carefully and as it is it displaces the
center of gravity which is brought di-
rectly under the point of suspension.
two or three extra pieces of straw to be
sure to find one without crock or
break
THE PRINCIPLE OF INERTIA.
By applying the principle of inertia
we may produce a number of interest
ing tricks that will amuse and perhaps
instruct some of the big folks as we'll
as the children. One trick requires an
old broOmstick, sawed off at the broom
end. Two paper rings about u inches
in diameter are made by FASTING to-
gether slips of writing paper an inch
wide. Two sharp table knives or ra-
zors should be held by two persons,
each holding one on the same. level
with the sharp edge upward. over
these the paper rings are to be passed
and the broomstick suspended by these
paper rings. The performer then takes
a strong stick and strikes the broom
stick a sharp, strong blow in the mid
die, and it breaks instantly, without
tearing the paper rings or causing
them to cut on the raZors.
Or this can be done by sticking
needle in each end of the brOOmstick
and resting the needles on the edges
of glass gobletS stood on chairs. In
die breaks the stick without moving
the supports. \ pile of checkers may
be put on the table and by one blow
with the edge of a knife the center or
even the bottom one may be removed
without disturbing the others.
Atmospheric pressure furnishes some
facts, some of the expert
ments being enough like magic to find
a place in a parlor entertainment Take
i. 81 h.,f1 aH
egg. Take the she'll off the egg. Then
push a piece of paper down into the
decanter and light it and let it burn.
AS soon as you see that the paper is
nearly consumed, put the egg on the
mouth of the decanter like a cork,
small end down. In a few minutes the
air outside presses the egg through the
neck of the bottle down inside The
egg being at least twice as large as the
mouth of the decanter, it requires force
enough to make it grow long and mar
row. The vacuum inside made by the
burning paper and the atmospheric
pressure get the egg through and it
falls to the bottom and regains its own
shape We will not discuss the ques-
ion of getting the egg out again.
IN A PAPER BOX.
Two more tricks based upon the con-
lucting power OF metals and the power
If absorption of heat by water: One
nay take a small, but powerful alcohol |
amp and stand ii on the table. An !
playing card. with the edges |
'ent up, mas a piece Of lead about as
arge as half a dollar put in the center. |
his card is then held directly over
he flame of the lamp and in a few
minutes the lead is melted and the
ard is not injured in the least.
The last and neatest experiment of I
II is to boil water in a paper box.
tile paper box is folded as all school
hildren know how, into a square box
bout an inch deep and two square.
ords are fastened to the corners and
piece of stick passed through, so that
will hang perfectly level. Light the
lcohol lamp and fill the little box with
ater and suspend it directly above the
anne about three inches higher. In a
Nv minutes the water will boil and
end up a miniature cloud of steam