The daily sentinel., 1903-10-29
BEN HUR.

Ben Hur, in answer to challenge
from Bob Inger soil ''Do. you Believe
in God ?'' he preached sermon
worth ten thousand ordinary sermons.
stating TO his faith in the Divinity
and sol.difying the faith of millions
in the Christ. When William Long
dramitizeu this wonderful work. he
assisted General Wallace to bring be-
fore the ewes of the people the actual
conditions surrounding the coming
of Christ.
1t IS not any wonder then that
those whose faith is luke warm of
wavering seek to see this great pro-
duction. Once seen it is hard to
question the authenticity of the story
of the Ohrisu.
The production as seen by the writ.
er yesterday il the old Salt Lake the
atre is the original production by
Klaw and Erlancer and it is unques-
tionably the grandest spectacular pro-
duction ever seen ON any stage in
America. 1t would be useless to at
tempt description of the entire play.
1t is produced in as faultless man
ner following the trend and Language
of the story. as money and brains and
fine cast can produce it.
Probably the main interest of those
who have not seen the production
centers in the great chariot race. AS
this is the primal portion of the tale
itself which attracts, although not
the whole tale by any means. short
description of the mechanism of the
chariot race will doubtless be interes-
ting
There were eight horses on the
stage at the production at Salt Lake
Four of these horses are driven by
Messala and the other four bv Hur
The horses were beautiful specimens
of that noble animal and they seemed
to respond to the intense enthusiasm.
AS did the audience. The horses work
on sort of treadmill. They start
before the curtain raises on this act
and to all appearances are running
with might and main. urged on by
their drivers. The scene rs in the
Roman circus and 10 make the illusion
still greater the canvas on which is
painted the tiers of a circus tents and
the faces of persons. moves also. AS dc
the horses and the chariots. Hur is
behind when the audience catches the
first glimpse of the great chariot race.
He urges his horses with voice and
whip. The bays respond and are seen
gradually forging to the fore. Mas
sala, the Roman is whipping his
horses and turning sees the bays of
Hur closing the gap between them.
He whips and exhorts, but the ''stars
of the desert. as the Shieks horses
are called at last close the gap and
then the excitement is intense. They
go forward and at last Massala is
beaten. The chariot of Massala is
and he faltprs and the wheel coming
off. he falls over the side The il
lusion of Hur forging ahead and pass
ing Massala is produced by the mech
anism upon which the horses run, be-
ing gradually pushed forward by
means of mechanism beneath. The
horses of course never move from
their places on the mill upon which
they are running, but you never think
of. this in seeing them run. it is a
most perfect illusion and during the
production of this scene the anxiety
of the audience for Ben Hur to beat
in the race, is siRnified by the burst
ing forth ae the critical moment of
the winning of the race. with cheers
and hand clapping that shook the the
atre to its foundations
The scene of the coming of Christ
and also Daphne's forest were equally
fine.
Altogether it is a great spectacular
production. 1t cannot fail of produc-
ing an effect upon the people who see
it. favorable to the support of the
Christian religion.