Evening star., 1909-04-25

the earliest comment thereon
printed in the Report of the Dialectical So
cIety : have frequently seen Home, said
he, when in a trance, 60 to the fire and
take out redhot Goals, and carry them about In
the hands, put them inside his shirt, etc.
Eight times | have myself held redhot coal
in my hands without injury, when it scorched
my face on raising my hand. Once, wished
touched the coal with the middle finger of my
right hand, and | got blister as large as
sixpence. l instantly asked him to give me the
coal and / held the part that burnt me in the
middle OF my hand for three or four minutes
without the least inconvenience.
: A few weeks ago | was at seance with
eight Others OF these, seven held redhot
coal, without pain. and the two Others could
not bear the approach OF it: OF the e seven vel tour
resses, in answer to questions stated that
Mr. Home held the hot Goals long time in his
hand, till they were nearly black. He then
placed them between his shirt and coat, and
they did not SINCE either :"
Nature. H. D. Jencken, well known investi-
gator of that time, wrote, Mr. Home, after
various manifestations, said We have gladly
shown you our power over fluids; we will now
show you our power over solids. He then
knelt down before the hearth and. deliberately
breaking up glowing piece OF coal IN the fire.
place, took up largish lump of lncandeScent
coal and, placing the same in his left hand, pro-
CeeQeQ TO explain unaL naQ Deen ex-
tracted by process known to the spirits, and
that the heat could in part be returned. This
he proved by alternately cooling and heating
the coal; and, to convince us of the fact,
allowed US to handle the coal which had become
COOL then suddenly resumed its heat sufficient
ly to burn one as | again touched it. l exam
ined Mr.. Homes hand, and quite satisfied
myself that artificial means had been en-
ployed to protect the skin, which did not even
retain the smell of smoke
Amor he fharr1 nfal -hn h1c av-
pertinent were Sir William Crookes, Lord
Lindsay, Lord Adare, Professor w H. Harri-
son. and Professor Wallace. The only plausi
BILE explanation of Homes fire feats-and even
that was not without its logical faults-was
written by Henry Ridgely Evans well known
English investigator and writer on spiritualism.
This is his opinion:
. 1t is juggling feat. The coal is piece
of spongy platinum, which bears close resem-
blance to lump of half burnt coal and IS
palmed in the hand. prestidgitator con-
ceals coin, pack of cars, an egg, or small
lemon The medium or magician advances
to the CRATE and pretends to take genuine
lump of coal from the fire; but brings up in
stead, at the tips of his fingers the piece of
platinum In a secret breast pocket of his
coat he has a small reservoir of hydrogen, with
the tube coming down the sleeve and termi-
mating inch SO above the cuff BY means
of certain mechanical arrangements, to enable
him to let on and off the gas at the proper
moment. he is able to accomplish the trick: for
when current of hydrogen IS allowed to i'm
pinge upon a piece of spongy platinum. the
metal becomes ncandescent, and as the
current is arrested the platinum is restored to
its normal condition "
Playing with Molten Metal
p ROBERT HOUDlN, probably the worlds
greatest necromancer, had some expert
ence with the harmlessness of fire under certain
conditions. Reading one day an article by
Boutigny to the possibility of bathing
the hands in molten metal, Houdin called upon
that man and together they went to a foundry
at La Villette This is his account of the
visit
= must mention that to insure the success
of the marvellous experiment no other con-
dition is requisite than to have the hands
slightly damp. regret can offer no explana-
tions to the principle of the phenomenon;
for this would require many long chapter:
he~ce, / will refer my readers to NJ Boutgnys