Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-16
BEEN HUR.

A There are many scenes of great splendor in Klaw and Erlanger's stu pendous production of "Ben Hur," which will be given at Polls Monuay, Tuesday and Wednesday, but the one (Which demanded perhaps the greatest amount of mechanical ingenuity in the arrangement for the stage is that of the chariot race in the fifth act. The Prescription in the novel is widely fa- Sniliar and in the dramatic version it Is followed in every detail. Two char $lots, each drawn by four horses, are shown, apparently racing with all their might. First Messala leads, then 'Ben HUT, and as the interest in the outcome increases the end approaches, md Ben Hur smashes the wheel of AIessala's chariot and the Roman falls Beneath the feet of his horses and the SherO wins the race. The mechanical devices for this race cost klaW and Erlanger $15,OO0. The stage of Polls theater has been reconstructed to ad- Init of its use. In the racing machine 1.-Two cradles fourteen feet long support led by a bridge structure capable of Supporting forty tons are used. In each cradle are four run-ways which re- volve at the horses feet. The entire cradle moves back and forth on steel
 
 winning the race The other two eli maxes are less complicated. One, the sinking of the trireme, is purely. me- Echanical. The interior of the vessel is shown with a score of slaves work ling at the oars. Then comes the wreck in the darkness The vessel sinks Through the stage and Ben HUT and Arrius are revealed floating on a shaft 6n the Aegean sea. The next, the cleansing of the lepers on the Mount of Olives has more distinctly dramatic possibilities. Hundreds of pilgrims with palm branches have gathered to witness the Nazarene's entrance into JerusaIem. As he approaches his presence is indicated by great shaft Of white light of marvellous intensity appearing and moving slowly past the crowd and across the stage as the null titudes bow in reverence. The ex- pedient is a beautiful, tasteful and de- cidedly ingenious way of avoiding the Representation of the Messiah as a man, which would surely offer serious offense to great many people.
 One other effect utilized in the dramatization which is worthy of note lis the vision of the "Star of Bethlem'' ito the Wise Men of the East. This effect apparently so simple, caused more trouble in it's evolution than all the other effects of Ben Hur' com bined. It is an invention of Henry Blissing, young electrical expert, a graduate of John Hopkins university MT Blissing spent many months in the solution of the problem. That he was scuceessful Is attested by many thou bands who have seen this wonderful vision. This effect is accomplished by snn ingenious arrangement of various electrical devices. If you were to ster 9behind the scenes during the presenta- &ion of the "Star'' you would see a pole about fourteen feet high standing ngainst the drop or curtain which rep resents to the audience outside the sky |and desert. This pole is surmounted by large metallic disc, which during the action of the scene is made to re volye rapidly by a small motor attach ment. About ten feet back of this disc is large search light focused directly upon the metallic disc. Ranging along the side of this disc parallel slots Hs the disc revolves it gives the eff feet of the flashing star.
 In order to present the scene exactly Rs General Wallace describes 1t, it is necessary for the star to appear frs as lambent or mellow flame. This is accomplished by a series of very small but powerful ineandescent lamps located in the center of the metal disc VVhor 4ho rcouo onnn0 those EphfS nrt