The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-04

by about two hundred. upon which VIII
manoeuvre q feet Of French men-of-
war Of the cruiser class and Of the IA
test design. This squadron will go
through various evolutiOnS-bombard-
ing the coasts. attacking and defeating
imaginary enemies, escaping from de-
struction, and representing, in short
all the details of a naval combat. 1t
will easily be understood that It is at
present impossible to give complete
particulars, or. indeed. to explain by
what mechanical means these men-of-
war, sixteen feet long, will so through
their eyolutIons automatically, pointing
their electric projectiles and firing their
guns. We must be content. for the
time being, to know that the inventor
intends to make good use Of torpedoes
and submarine mines, and that ships
will be burned and sunk in such q way
MS to give a complete illusion of reality.
Thanks to a cleverly managed optical
deception. this tank OF only a few
thousand square yards win present to
the onlooker the semblance Of limit
less ocean. the eye being SO tricked
that It will fail to see the opposite
crowd of spectators.
But this sheet Of water. with It's bur-
den of floating war-engines for de-
tense and destruction, win not be the
on,y attraction to be offered to the pub
Tic. 1t is, indeed, only the ceiling SO
10 sneak, of a second floor where great
err maryeIs will be prepared to surprise
and astound the sightseer. By means
Of an ingenious arrangement OF the
dlyiug-beiI, the visitor will descend un-
derground to a distance of twenty feet
when he will find himself in an enor-
nous glass receptacle with transparent
sides covered and filled with water.
Here he will probably be conscious OF
the mixed sensations Of establishment
fear. and delight. for he will find him
self apparently at the bottom OF the
sea. An around him will spring In Its
tairy-Iike fantaFtic form. that luxuriant
ana unknown vegetation which the
ocean conceals in It's bosom. He will be
able to feast his eyes on forests OF
beautiful seaweeds: to examine, with
curious mind, madrepores and coraiS;
and to watch and inspect an infinite
variety Of fish, and different forms Of
marine life. Into the depths Of this adj
mirably simulated representation OF
the real ocean, divers will descend from
time to time to show their methods Of
working: and pearl-ashers. specially
recruited from the east, will take their
graceful plunges as though really at
their hazardous task of exploring the
seas profunditles for the jewels for
beauty.s udornment. These subterra-
mean glass galleries will be lighted by
electricity, and the spectacle should be
both instructive and interesting.
The Mareorama is an extremely In
genious and clever application of the
panoramic principle. only in this case
the idea is greatly developed and given
a certain amount of lie. The inventor,
Monsieur Hugo d'Alesi. does not con-
tent himself with simply showing the
sea to the public; he takes them on 1t.
contrIving to give perfect Illusion OF
a sea-voyage. the route taken being via
MarseIlles, sfax, Naples, Venice and
Constantinople. The vlsitors-or.
rather, the travellers-are to be placed
on an extremely well-represented stea-
mer, fitted with masts' rigging ana
smoking funnel. and furnished with d
crew, who win carry out the imagi-
nary necessary manoeuvres' AFTER the
supposed hustle OF departure, the pan
oramic pictures will unroll themselves
before the suppositious tourists giving
all the impression OF passing scenery
These pictures are forty-six feet hish
and over three thousand feet long Ev'
cry one knows the phenomenon that
pletely fills the field OF vision gives the
motionless spectator the Impression OF
parsonal movement; and Il Is thus that