The Washington times., 1901-08-04
CLEVER TRICKS EXPOSED.
How Alleged Wine Is Converted
Into Water, and Vice Versa.
Potassium. SuIphuric Acid, and AMI
line Red Form the Requisites fer
the Phcnomenon-Myst Writ
ing Upon States Tied Together

ing Upon States Tied Together
A few months ago in this city an au'
| dience was considerably astonished BY
the phenomenon of a man apparently
| changing water into wine and vice
versa 1t is an old trick and the meth
! cd pursued is usually as follows:
The prestidigitateur invites one OF
| more present, up on the stage. An as
sistant then brings in upon tray Two
! claret glasses and two perfectly trans
| parent decanters, one of which CON
tains red wine and the other water
| The prestidigitateur asks his guest &c
/ select one of the two decanters anc
leave the other for himself No hesita-
ton is possible. The guest hastens tc
| seize the wine and each Immediately
| fills his glass.
| How astonishing, Upon its contact
with the glass the wine changes into
water and the water becomes wine
| The hiIarity of the spectators and the
amazement of the victims are intense.
The pretended wine was nothing but
the following composition: One gram
| potassium permangaDate and tive
grams sulphuric acid dissolved in one
! quart of water. The liquid is instanta-
neously decolorized on entering the
| glass of the guest, at the bottom OF
which has been placed few drops OF
water saturated with sodium hypo-
sulphite.
AS for the water in the second decah-
ter, that had had considerable alcohol
added to it, and at the bottom OF the
glass that was to receive it had been
placed a small pinch of aniline red,
which, as is well known, possesses
strong tinctural properties. The
glasses, ii was noticed, were immedi-
ately emptied, since in a few moments
the wine changed into wafer loses its
limpidity and assumes milky appear
ance.
II may also be remembered that none
of the guests, who were well-known
citizens of this city, tasted the mix
lures. Hence they are still alive.
1t will be recalled by those present
that upon the occasion in question a
mysterious message was received by
the magician tying two states together,
having previously inserted between
them a small piece of chalk This
chalk was heard distinctly to write, ap-
parentiy of its own volition, as the ma
gician held the states in his hand
which seemed rather remarkable as
the chalk could not possibly from its
position make single stroke; but then
the thing was supposed to be done by
spiritual agency, which materially al
tered matters. The method in which
this trick-for trick it isis performed
is as follows:
Two ordinary wooden-framed states
are presented to the spectators and ex-
amined in succession by them. A small
piece of chalk is introduced between
the two states. which are then tied to-
sether with string and held aloft in
the performers right hand Then. in
the general silence, Is heard the
scratching of the chalk. which is writ
ing between the two states the answer
to a question asked by one of the spec
tators-the name of a card thought of
or the number of spots obtained by
throwing two dice.
On being separated one of the states
is found to be covered with writing
This phenomenon, which at first sight
appears to saver OF the black art, is
in reality very easily performed.
The writing was done in advance.
but upon the. written side OF the slate
there had been placed thin sheet of
black cardboard which hid the charac-
ters written with chalk The two sides
of the slate thus appeared absolutely
clean The other State. which is not
written upon. is first given out for ex-
animation, and after it has been re-
turned to him the operator says:
DO you want TO examine the other
one also?"
And then, without any haste, he
ployed in shuffling cards. The slate
over which the cardboard is placed Is
held by the thumb and forefinger of
the left hand and the other slate be-
tween the fore and middle finger of the
right hand. the two hands being then
brought together. But at the moment
at which the states are superposed the
thumb and forefinger of the right hand
grasp the written slate, while at the
same time the fore and middle finger OF
the left hand take the other Then the
two hands separate anew and the sla te
that has already been examined, In
stead Of the second one, is put into
the hands of the spectator. This shift
ing, done with deliberation, is entirely
invisible
During the second examination the
written slate Is laid fiat upon a table,
the written face covered with black
cardboard turned upward. The faces
OF both states are then sponged off. and
the one examined superimposed upon
the other. Then the operator. having
tied the two states together, holds them
up in his left hand, of which one sees
but the thumb, while upon the poste-
rior face of the under slate the nail of
his middle finger makes a sound re-
sembling that produced by chalk when
being used in writing.
When the operator judges that the
little comedy has lasted long enough
he lays the two States horizontally up-
on his table, taking care this time that
the non-prepared slate shall be be-
meath. 1t is upon the latter that the
black cardboard rests, and this being
taken up quickly with the other slate,
the mysterious communication is re-
yealed to the wonder of the uninitiated
WEAK POINTS OF SHIPS.