The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-11-18

.oned enough To allow the front If the
engine To he seen. and as IL was eN-
panded To its full length the lights
i'm the stage grew brighter Iutrl tho
usual brilliancy was attained This
completed the climax, and the curtain
dropped. Very simple when YOU know
how il is done
THE fire scene was wonderful. tho
curtain rose showing row after row #
what appeared To be nercely burning
ruins These were in reality nothing
more \than profile scenery painted to
represent tho ruins of buildings partly
destroyed by lire. Thcy were painted
on transparent drops So that the fire
effect could he seen from the front e
the house The effect of fire was pro-
GuCcd by the use of PROCEEDINGS p!ac-
ed behind the scenes. At the prefer
moments these were set Off. Heavy
smoke and suffering flames rcsultc !,
as well as Il number of explosions. Red
lights thrown upon The supposed ruins
added To the general effect. IN1ppo-
dunn torches were also used. rhn ~
] cupodium torch was not 81 dangerous
as Il seemed at first appearance. 1t
was arranged much the same as the
magnesium gun which | described as
used To produce lightning \ large tiU
can with a perforated top is surround,
ed with cotton wick. The lycu'od
! um is placed inside and alcohol ran
through the wick So as to ignite at
| the top The torch is then ready Tor
use As the effect of the fire is height
cncd lay the red lights the can is
swung To and fro by the stage hands,
causing the lycopodium to catch fire
and fly of in flame.
Eliminating Fire Risk.
After the agitation was began
against the old manner of producing
stage ircs. | invented very simple
means of arriving at about the sans
result with considerably les danger.
This was done 10y the use Of a very
thin silk curtain, at the bottom e
which strong red lights were placed
tu give the color of flame. Electric
! fans were then put where thc-air cur
rent They threw out would catch :he
silk and blow il into the air In Waves
resembling closely the bllowiug
flames which ny skyvard during The
course of q large fire I'm place of
smoke | used steam \ perforated
Ipipc was placed near the scene of tic
iirc ana loose steam allowed To Cs-
cape from the holes. Light effects
thrown through a transparent disk
about three feet in diameter painted
- show "a panoramic effect and re-
VOWED by clockwork, magnided the
general effect This is the manner in
which stage fires of today are pro
duccd with. absolutely no danger What
ever.
Next | went a little higher and
produced - new moon. The old stand
by for a moon had always been Il
round chceseboX with a piece of mus
lin stretched across the front and 81
candle ON the inside. AS the moon
rose the box was pulled up by means
of pully. Drawing the string 10y
hand was not very sure as Mr.. Moon
often did acrobatic stunts as he very
slowly and not very surely made his
! way skyward. When put on the
play called Two Little Waits | ne III
cd 4 moon. | first had made "A corn
ucOpia brightly silvered on the inside
In the small end a powerful white
light was placed over the moon end
stretched Il transparent piece OF
parchment. I'm this manner | got the
dun silvery effect of moonbeams. rhis
was then fastened TO an invisible wire
which was attached Ia 4 cloCkworll ar
fangcmcnt which lailled it steadily in
tu place at the proper time II was
81 real that | had to remind the actors
occasionally that they were not i'm
Central park on Il perfect night in
June.
| Nov, ! am going To tell YOU about
what | think is the biggest effect ever
produced. ana what | consider To lie
my masterpiece. This was the race
scene in my play, 'Bedford's Hope In
this piece | showed "A race between n
train and AN automobile The curtain
rose or the spectacle of an automobile
racing a train across the desert. The
train did not move an inch, whereas
II seemed To go across the stage at n
! terrific speed That was accomplished
1 10y - series of panoramas moving at
, various rates. Those in the fore
ground moved very rapidly, while
! those in the center revolved slower.