The magnesium flash pistol, which we show in our engraving, is very

useful for producing lightning flashes. It consists of a barrel which

is slotted. The barrel is filled with asbestos which is soaked in

alcohol. When the lightning effect is to be used the alcohol is lighted

and magnesium powder is projected into it by means of the blower on the

top of the pistol. It is worked with the thumb. When a thunderbolt is to

strike an object, a wire is run from the flies to the object which is to

be struck. A rider runs on the wire. The rider consists of a section of

iron pipe. Around it is secured asbestos by means of wire. The asbestos

is soaked with alcohol, and is lighted just at the instant when it is to

be projected upon the object. It is usually held by a string, which is

cut. It rushes flaming through the air, and produces the effect of a

ball of fire striking the object.

Our engraving illustrates still another method of producing lightning.

It consists of an electric projecting lantern with attachments for

giving the effect. The lightning and the clouds are scratched and

painted on small pieces of glass. Devices are provided for rotating them

so that they produce the effect of clouds rolling across an apparently

immense expanse of sky, as the operator revolves the disks one over the

other, and the forked lightning seems to shoot across the heavens.

SNOW EFFECT.

The effect of snow is obtained in a number of ways. Sometimes pieces of

paper, linen, or white kid are thrown from one of the intermediate

bridges, if the theater is provided with them. If well done the effect

is very pleasing. The flakes of snow are usually illuminated by the

electric light. It is often necessary to have the actors appear with

traces of snow upon them. One way of doing this is to sprinkle them with

soapsuds by means of a birch broom before they appear upon the scene. Of

course, the soapsuds disappear in a few moments, corresponding to the

melting of the snow. In the case of rich costumes it is impossible to

use soapsuds, so that bone shavings or ground corn are used instead.

This forms a light coating which resembles snow. It adheres to the hair,

the shoulders, and the creases in the clothing, and produces no ill

effects upon the costume.

WAVE EFFECT.

An ocean of heaving waters is usually made as follows: Each wave is cut

out separately. The first row is set up at a distance of three or four

feet between each billow, and the second row is set so as to show in the

openings left by the first; small boys are usually employed to furnish

the motive power. The waves are rocked back and forth, not from side to

side, and the effect is very good. The noise of the surf upon the beach

is obtained by allowing two or three ounces of bird shot to roll around

in a box of light wood lined with tin. This is a variation of the rain

machine we have already referred to.

CRASH EFFECT.

The noise on the stage is produced by what is called the crash machine,

which is one of the oldest implements of imitation on the stage. It is

similar to the wind machine in construction. It consists of a wheel with

paddles set at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Upon the top of

the wheel one end of a stout piece of wood is placed down by fastening

the other end to a portion of the framework. When the wheel is turned,

the slats passing under the stationary piece produce a rattling crash.

The principle of the machine is illustrated by a boy running along a

picket fence with a stick, allowing it to slip from picket to picket. In

many theaters a gigantic rattle is used in place of a machine of this

kind; it is more portable.

FIRE AND SMOKE EFFECTS.

Conflagrations are produced in a number of ways, and if proper

precautions are taken, they are perfectly safe. Usually the buildings

which are to be destroyed by fire are constructed of separate pieces of

stage carpentry, through which the painted canvas is attached. They are

raised and lowered by means of hinges, slides, cords, and pulleys, so as

to give the effect of tumbling down. The fire proper consists of

chemical red fire and powdered lycopodium used separately, the former to

give a red glow and the latter to represent flames. Variously colored

electric lights and small pieces of fireworks simulate the leaping of

the sparks. In some cases the shutters on the houses appear to burn off

and fall down upon the stage; this is accomplished as follows: They are

secured to the scene with a preparation called “quick match.” This is

made of powder, alcohol, and a lamp wick. The window frames and sashes

are made of sheet iron. They are covered with oakum soaked in alcohol or

naphtha. These sashes and frames are not fastened to the canvas scene at

all, but are placed a short distance behind it upon platforms. The

quickest possible touch of flame ignites the oakum, and in a moment the

fire runs around the sash, and nothing is apparently left but the

blackened and charred wood. Steam is used to represent the smoke, and

one method of using it is described below. An occasional crash, followed

by the ignition of a little powder, produces a sudden puff of smoke

which gives the spectator the idea of a fall of a rafter.

Apparatus for producing the smoke of a conflagration is more complicated

than that for producing lightning. Steam is largely used for producing

smoke, and is conducted to a place where the smoke is to appear, by

means of rubber hose; but this is apt to cause considerable noise when

it escapes into the air. This difficulty has been surmounted in at least

one stage illusion which we illustrate, this being the “Magian,” the

opera of Massenet. It was particularly necessary in the case to have the

smoke produced as noiselessly as possible, because the orchestral music

at the moment of the fire is relatively soft and low. The difficulty was

surmounted as follows: The steam, generated by a boiler in the Paris

Opera House, was led to special devices shown in our engraving, the

steam being admitted to triangular boxes at the apex opposite the base

of the triangle. The boxes at the point of attachment with the steam

pipe have a considerable thickness, which gradually diminishes as the

base of the triangle is approached, so that the steam, which is

distributed throughout the whole extent of the box, escapes without any

noise through a narrow orifice between the two faces of the apparatus.

In the interior of the boxes there are pieces of felt, the principal

object of which is to absorb the drops of water which are carried along

mechanically or which may condense. The advantage of this arrangement is

that it permits of the disengagement of the steam everywhere where it is

necessary. The boxes are easily manipulated, and hooks fastened to them

permit of their being attached to the scenery with ease. After a simple

coupling pipe has been connected with a steam pipe, the apparatus is

ready to operate. In the opera we have referred to, twenty-nine double

boxes are employed; seventeen are distributed over the stage at

different points, and nearly up to the pipe of the soffit curtains. The

twelve others are beneath the stage, and the orifices through which the

steam escapes are flush with the floor.

[Illustration: APPARATUS FOR IMITATING THE SMOKE OF A CONFLAGRATION ON

THE STAGE OF A THEATER]

[Illustration]

The realistic fire clouds and flame in the last act of “The Prophet,”

when the Prophet, learning that he is betrayed, orders the fire of the

palace of Münster, are done by concentrating the arc light upon colored

gelatine; usually, first yellow for the fumes, then yellow and white,

then yellow and red, red and white, and red and black. The sandstorm in

the last act of the “Queen of Sheba” is done in yellow and black and

pink gelatine before the light, and the rain by parallel scratches on a

black surface, the arc light being dimmed and brightened alternately,

and the glass turned this way and that, so that the parallelism of the

drops shall follow a supposed changing of the direction of the wind.

GRADUAL TRANSFORMATIONS.

One of the greatest triumphs of Wagner’s scenic art is his method of

scene shifting, which is carried almost to perfection. He was very much

opposed to sudden changes of scenes, which are so frequent in

Shakespearian plays, as he was desirous of avoiding everything which

broke the continuity of the dramatic action. In the greater part of his

operas he lets a single scene suffice for the entire act. Once in a

great while he was obliged to provide for a shifting of a scene during

an act, but in “Rheingold” the curtain remains, or should remain, raised

during the whole of the performance. These changes are usually

accomplished in plain sight of the audience, or else the setting of the

new scene is hidden behind clouds. These effects are accomplished by

means of successive gauze curtains which are raised and lowered, and by

the clever use of light which is gradually diminished until almost total

darkness reigns. The effect is largely enhanced by the orchestra, which

symbolizes the changes which are taking place. The two best examples of

this perfection of scene shifting are probably those in “Parsifal,” when

the magic garden changes to the sanctuary of the Holy Grail; and the

other effect is in the third act of “Götterdämmerung,” when the warriors

place the dead Siegfried upon the bier and carry the body up the rocky

path, while the orchestra is playing the funeral march of unearthly

beauty. As the procession gradually disappears, mists rise from the

Rhine. The mist gradually thickens into fog, then clouds rise upward,

hiding the whole scene from view. Then the clouds rise and dissipate

into mists which finally disclose the moonlit hall of the Gibichungen.

The effects are produced by steam and a series of gauze curtains. The

clouds really serve as a screen to prevent the scene shifters being

viewed by the audience. A satisfactory effect can only be obtained when

every detail is carried out with the greatest care. The superiority of

this method over the conventional curtain is apparent.

Sometimes the gauze curtains are not dropped from the flies, but are run

across from the side. They are “profiled,” or, in other words, they are

irregular in shape, so that they help to produce the effect without any

noticeable line of demarcation between the two halves of the curtain.

The steam curtain is often very effective, especially in Wagnerian

operas. The steam is admitted through a perforated steam pipe in a sink

cut, the floor being perforated. As the steam curtain is in a straight

line, the effect is apt to be a little formal.

BATTLE SCENES.

Battle scenes are particularly effective upon the stage when they are

well produced, and in the midst of a desperate battle a shell is seen to

fall and burst, carrying death and destruction in its wake. Our

engraving shows the method of obtaining this result. A _papier maché_

shell is formed of separate pieces glued together. This contains the

quantity of powder sufficient to separate the pieces and produce the

bursting. In the powder there is an electric primer which is ignited by

a current. The primer is connected by wires which go back of the scene.

At one of the sides of the stage, out of sight of the spectator, there

is a charge which is also ignited by electricity at the same time that

the bomb is exploded. At the proper moment a man throws the shell and

touches the button, the bomb bursts, and the spectators, hearing the

loud report of the cannon at the same instant, imagine that the harmless

paper bomb is the cause of the formidable explosion.

[Illustration: BOMB EXPLOSION EFFECT.]

THEATRICAL FIREARMS.

The accidents on the stage caused by firearms have been many and

numerous. In melodramas, after great battles, the auditorium becomes

filled with dense smoke and a peculiarly disagreeable odor of burnt

powder; and, owing to the great precautions which are necessary to

prevent danger of fire, the illusion is seriously injured. On account of

these drawbacks, a French dramatic author and pyrotechnist, M. Philippi,

endeavored to produce a successful imitation of the effects of firing

guns, that is to say, the noise, fire, and smoke, while at the same time

avoiding the dangers and annoyances that have already been pointed out.

The charge consists of a small quantity of fulminate prepared so as to

give a red fire and a light smoke which quickly clears away, leaving no

disagreeable odor, and not affecting the throat. The preparation is held

in a cavity formed in a small cork which is introduced into the

extremity of the gun barrel. The firing pin passes through the barrel,

as shown in Fig. 1 in our first engraving, causing the charge to explode

through a simple blow. By the very simple contrivance of the spring, as

shown in Fig. 1, it is possible to fit almost any gun, wooden or

otherwise, which the stage director may wish to use.

[Illustration: THEATRICAL GUNS AND PISTOLS.]

Our second engraving represents a mitrailleuse formed by the

juxtaposition of a number of short barrels of thin copper arranged in

the same manner as in the guns described.

The firing pins are left to the action of the spiral springs, when the

hooks, _a_, in which they terminate, are driven from the catches by

means of slider, _c_, which moves along a rod, placed back of the

barrels, to which it is affixed by a screw, in order to prevent its

acting while the apparatus is being carried. A movable bar, _m_,

prevents the springs from being set free while the charging is being

done, and after they have been set. In order to manipulate, it is only

necessary to cause the slider to move along the rod. Firing by platoons

is imitated with great exactness. As soon as the cork makes its exit

from the barrel, it is thoroughly pulverized, and the discharges

received at the end of the muzzle cause no inconvenience.

[Illustration: THEATRICAL MITRAILLEUSE.]

THE IMITATION OF ODORS.

The imitation of odors upon the stage is not very often attempted. In

some plays where a dinner is in progress, more realism is given by

introducing such things as a French coffee machine. The penetrating odor

of the coffee is soon experienced by the audience, and it adds

considerably to the effect. An English impresario adopted a rather novel

plan of imitating the salt odor of the ocean for a marine scene. He took

a large number of old salt-herring casks and disposed them in the flies

and behind the orchestra. There is little doubt that they produced the

desired effect, as the persistence of the perfume of this delicacy is

well known.

CHAPTER IV.

THEATER SECRETS.

In the present chapter the subject of theater secrets will be taken up,

and it will treat of traps, complicated stage settings, properties, and

the means of obtaining elaborate effects.

TRAPS.

The trap is one of the oldest and most primitive means of producing

stage illusions, and it is in use to-day in most theaters and opera

houses. The principle is very simple, and will be understood by

reference to the engraving. The actor, singer, or devil who is to make

his sudden appearance upon the stage stands on a platform which is

hoisted to the stage level by means of winches turned by the stage

hands.

We also show another variety of trap which is much used in operatic and

ballet performances; it consists of an inclined plane up which the actor

or _danseuse_ is carried, the inclined plane itself being masked by

scenery. The elaborate system of traps used in the “Asphaleia” stage has

already been described in Chapter II.

[Illustration: TRAP IN THE STAGE.]

[Illustration: FONTANA DESCENDS INTO THE SEA.]

THE SWAN IN “LOHENGRIN.”

The swan and the swan boat in “Lohengrin” are most interesting

properties. The apparatus which we illustrate is that used at the

Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, and is the result of many

experiments. To understand the action of the Lohengrin swan it will

first be necessary to describe the setting of the stage. At the back is

a river drop; next come set water rows, gradating in height to the level

of the bank, giving the effect of water rushes and reeds, and so set

that the swan and boat, in passing through, are enabled to describe a

graceful curve. The foreground is a built-up bank the width of the

scene. Between the river drop and the first set water row there is space

enough for the miniature figures of Lohengrin and the swan to pass

across the stage before the real Lohengrin and the swan come into view.

The drop and the set water rows--everything, in fact--give the idea of

the sluggish Scheldt winding in through the weedy meadows. In order to

produce the effect, two entirely distinct trucks are used--one for the

first act, when Lohengrin and his swan wind their way among the reeds;

and one for the last act, when the swan disappears, and the lost brother

of Elsa takes its place. The problem which confronted the property

master in designing the first swan and car, that is to say, the one

which was to bring Lohengrin, was to devise a method of propelling the

truck which carried the swan and the car so that it could be run in a

curved direction, adding greatly to the naturalness of the illusion, and

rendering the truck capable of being turned in a short space. A

three-wheeled truck was built, the top of which was concealed by

draperies painted to match the water rows themselves. The truck is

propelled by two men seated within it, who shove the truck along by

shuffling with their feet on the floor. The first man steers by means of

a handle bar which is secured to the vertical rod which carries the

front wheel. The swan is fastened to this vertical bar, so that when the

direction of the steering wheel is changed the swan also changes its

direction. The neck of the swan is built around a steel spring, and the

wings are actuated by levers and strings. The second man has nothing to

do with steering the car and the swan. His duties, besides propelling

the car, consist in inclining the head of the swan and operating the

wings. This is accomplished by means of lines which are invisible to the

audience. Lohengrin, on reaching the steps at the bridge, in front, gets

out of the boat or car, and sings his farewell song. The swan then takes

his departure, drawing away the car.

[Illustration: FIRST SWAN AND CAR IN “LOHENGRIN.”]

[Illustration: THE DISAPPEARING SWAN IN “LOHENGRIN.”]

Now, in the last act an entirely different mechanism is employed,

although the change is not perceptible to the audience. In this case it

is not necessary for the swan to take a sinuous course, and it proceeds

in a straight line across the stage. In this arrangement a truck is

mounted on four wheels and is pushed by the men; but in order to

transform the swan into Elsa’s brother, it is necessary to resort to an

entirely different system. The swan, instead of being supported by a

couple of rods, is supported on a parallel which is hinged; it is

normally held in position by means of cords, so that it shows above the

set rows and the bank of the river. When the time has arrived for the

transformation to be made, a man at the rear of the truck lets go of the

cords which hold the swan in position; the parallel immediately drops,

and is drawn back into the truck, carrying the swan with it. At the same

instant Elsa’s brother is raised by a trap which places him in precisely

the same position as that occupied by the swan. Then a clockwork dove

descends on a wire, and as the dove drops behind the set piece it takes

the place of the swan. Lohengrin steps into the boat, and the dove

carries it off from the stage. The changes are so remarkable that the

Lohengrin swan must be regarded as one of the most successful effects

obtained in Grand Opera.

THE FLOATING RHINE DAUGHTERS IN “RHEINGOLD.”

When the curtain rises on the opera of “Rheingold,” which is the prelude

to the music drama of the “Ring of the Nibelung,” the scene represents

the bed of the Rhine. In the center rises a high rock which supports the

“Rheingold,” a great nugget of gold that glimmers on the summit of the

rock. The three Rhine daughters, Woglinda, Wellgunda, Flosshilda,

suddenly appear upon the scene, swimming with graceful movements about

the rock which supports the Rheingold. It may be asked how it is

possible for the Rhine daughters to float in space while they sing. A

reference to our engraving will explain the mystery.

Each of the singers is supported upon a cradle which is secured to a

four-wheeled car by an upright post strongly braced. Each of the cars is

pushed around by two attendants, while a third sits in front and steers.

They are hidden from view by low scenes which effectually conceal them.

We believe that in some opera houses regular tracks have been provided

upon which to run them.

[Illustration: THE FLOATING RHINE DAUGHTERS IN THE OPERA “RHEINGOLD.”]

At the Metropolitan Opera House, during the German opera season of Mr.

Damrosch, in the spring of 1897, an entirely different device was used.

The Rhine daughters were suspended from steel cables by means of

trolleys. They were drawn back and forth by means of wire ropes which

ran to the sides of the stage. Ropes were also run down to the level of

the stage, and they were swayed back and forth by men who were hidden

from view of the audience by the set rows which masked the lower part of

the stage. The arrangement was considered to be very satisfactory.

THE “SUN ROBE.”

The illusion which we are about to describe is employed in the “Peau

d’Ane” for producing the fairy robes in the story--the color of the sun,

the color of the moon, and the color of the sky--required by the play.

In the midst of a brilliantly illuminated procession come two porters

carrying a large chest by means of handles at the end. Having reached

the royal throne they place the chest on the floor and raise the cover.

There is immediately seen a fabric the color of the sun, a luminous

golden yellow. Afterwards two other porters come with a similar chest,

which, when opened, exhibits a bluish-white phosphorescent fabric. The

third chest contains a robe of a celestial blue. This robe is also

luminous. The fabrics are moved by the porters to make them sparkle. The

secret of the illusion is that the bottom of each of these chests is

capable of being opened over a trap, and by means of an electric lamp

the electric light is directed upon a light and transparent fabric so

that it really seems to be on fire. A yellow light suffuses the fabric

of the same color and incorporates itself with it. After the cover has

been shut down upon the stage, the bottom is closed from beneath, the

light is extinguished, the trap is shut up, and the chest is carried

away by the porters. The same is done with a slightly bluish-white

fabric and a white light, for the moon-colored fabric; and then with

blue tarleton and a light with a bluish tinge for the sky-colored

fabric.

[Illustration: THE SUN ROBE IN THE FAIRY SCENE OF THE “PEAU D’ANE.”]

THE SHIP ON THE STAGE.

An opera or ballet which requires a ship taxes the powers of the stage

machinist and the property master to the utmost. The ship which we

illustrate was made for the ballet called the “Tempest,” at the Paris

Opera House, and is superior to most of the ships in the “Corsair” and

“L’Africaine.” The vessel, starting from the back of the stage, advances

majestically, making a graceful curve, and stops in front of the

prompter’s box. Our illustrations give detailed views of the vessel and

the setting of the scenery. The sea is represented by four parallel set

rows, the location of which is indicated in our second engraving.

[Illustration: THE SHIP AS SEEN FROM THE STAGE.]

[Illustration: SETTING OF THE SCENERY BEFORE AND AFTER THE APPEARANCE OF

THE SHIP.]

The ship is carried by wheels that roll over the floor of the stage, and

is guided in its motion by two grooved bronze wheels, and by a rail

formed of a simple reversed T-iron which is bolted to the floor. As the

ship advances, the set water rows open in the center to allow it to

pass. As the vessel itself is covered up to the water line with painted

canvas imitating the sea, it has the appearance of cleaving the wave.

When the vessel reaches the first of the water rows the others spread

out and increase the extent of the sea. The three strips of water in the

rear rise slightly. The shifting of the inclined piece at the front is

effected by simply pulling up the carpet which covers it, and which

enters the groove in the floor in front of the prompter’s box. At this

moment the entire stage seems to be in motion, and the effect is very

striking.

[Illustration: SHIP OF THE “TEMPEST” IN PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION.]

[Illustration: SHIP OF THE NEW BALLET, “THE TEMPEST.”]

We now come to the details of the construction of the ship. Our

engraving shows the boat while it was being built. The visible hull of

the ship was placed upon a large and very strong wooden framework formed

of twenty-six trusses. In the center there are two longitudinal trusses

about three feet in height and twenty-five feet in length, upon which

are assembled perpendicularly seven other trusses. In the interior there

are six transverse pieces held by stirrup bolts, and at the end of each

of these is fixed a thirteen-inch iron wheel. The entire structure rolls

upon these twelve wheels. There are two bronze wheels which we have

already referred to. In the rear there are two vertical trusses, sixteen

feet in height, which are joined by ties and descend to the bottom of

the frame, to which they are bolted. They constitute the skeleton of the

immense stern of the vessel. The skeleton of the prow is formed of a

vertical truss which is bolted to the frame. The rest of the

construction of the ship will be readily understood by reference to the

engraving. The large mast consists of a vertical tube, ten feet high,

which is set into the center of the frame, and in the interior of which

slides a wooden spar which is capable of being drawn out for the final

apotheosis. The mast carries three foot-boards, and a platform for the

reception of “supers.” It is actuated by a windlass placed upon the

frame. Panels made of canvas, painted, represent the hull; there are

nine on each side; above are placed those that cover the prow and the

stern. The bowsprit is in two parts, one sliding into the other; the

front portion is at first pulled back in order to hide the vessel

entirely in the side scenes. It begins to make its appearance before the

vessel itself gets under way. Silken cordage connects the mast,

bowsprit, etc. On each side of the vessel there are bolted five iron

frames covered with canvas which reach the level of the water line, as

shown in the above engraving. Upon these stand the “supers” who

represent the naiads that are supposed to draw the ship from the beach.

At the bow there is fixed a frame which supports a _danseuse_

representing the living prow of the vessel. The boat is drawn to the

middle of the stage by a cable attached to its right side, passing

around a windlass placed in the side scenes to the left. It is at the

same time pushed by stage hands placed in the interior of the framework.

The trucks or chariots which support the boat are entirely covered with

painted canvas resembling water. As the vessel, freighted with

harmoniously grouped spirits and naiads, with fairies and graceful genii

apparently swimming about it, sails in upon the stage, puts about and

advances, and is carried along by the waves to the front of the stage,

the effect is really beautiful, and does great credit to the stage

machinist’s art.

MISCELLANEOUS STAGE EFFECTS.

A rather curious illusion occurs in “Don Juan.” The monument of the

Gubernator bears the inscription, “Here revenge awaits the murderer.”

The moment that Don Juan appears in front of the monument, one of the

stage hands removes a strip of some opaque substance from behind the

transparent inscription, which now appears in brilliant letters on the

base of the monument; the letters being lighted by lamps behind the

statue.

[Illustration: THE GRAVEYARD SCENE IN THE OPERA “DON JUAN.”]

In ballets the dancers are frequently represented as floating in the

air. This movement may be produced by means of a common sea-saw. In

aërial ballets and in the appearances of angels, etc., special devices

are provided in up-to-date theatres, the mechanism usually being in the

form of a trolley.

[Illustration: THE APPARITIONS IN THE OPERA OF “FREISCHÜTZ.”]

The army of demons and ghosts which pass over the stage in the

“Freischütz” manage in various ways; in some cases a movable scene is

used, and in others the uncanny creatures are painted upon a canvas roll

and are projected, by means of a powerful light, upon a scene

representing clouds. Hissing, snapping, screeching, and other hideous

noises are produced by means of whips, clappers, whistles, rattles, and

other like devices behind the scenes.

[Illustration: THE ENCHANTED BOOK IN THE OPERA “HANS HEILIG.”]

The enchanted book in the opera “Hans Heilig” is operated by means of a

black thread which is manipulated by an attendant behind the scenes, as

shown in our engraving.

[Illustration: THE FLOATING WILLIS (BALLET.)]

The palm tree in the “Queen of Sheba,” which bends in the sirocco, is

caused to sway in the same way, by means of a black line which runs back

of the stage. The branches of the tree are mounted on steel springs.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE OF DAGON.

[Illustration: COLUMNS IN THE TEMPLE OF DAGON.]

In the production of Grand Opera it is frequently necessary to represent

the wholesale destruction of a building or city. This is managed in

various ways, as in the destruction of the Temple of Dagon in the third

act of “Samson and Delilah.” The stage setting is very complicated. The

temple appears to be of great size, and is most imposing. The stairs at

the center and at the right and the left give access to the various

parts of the building. A very large number of persons are on the stage

during this act. Two columns in the middle of the scene are specially

noticeable on account of their great size. When the moment has arrived

for the destruction of the temple, Samson places himself between the two

columns, and with his outstretched arms hurls the columns to the ground.

The demolition of the temple quickly follows, each piece of scenery

falling in the exact place arranged for in advance, so that there is no

danger of injury to the artists or chorus. The two columns are specially

interesting, as they are really of great size and weight. In reality the

columns are hinged to the stage. To the interior of each column is

secured an iron lever which passes down underneath the floor of the

stage. This lever is bent like the bascule of a bridge. To the end of

this lever is secured a rope which passes over pulleys to a

counterweight. From the counterweight another rope runs over the pulley

to the windlass. When the columns are to be overthrown, their weight is

balanced by the counterweight secured to the end of the rope, so that

there is little shock from the fall. The rapidity of the descent of the

column is equal to the rapidity of the rise of the counterweight. It

will readily be seen that these weights can be adjusted to give any

effect desired. The same windlass serves to raise both counterweights.

THE HORSE RACE ON THE STAGE.

When first introduced, the horse race upon the stage was a decided

novelty, and it is doubtful if any stage illusion is more ingenious. The

two principal plays in which the horse race has been used are Neil[son]

Burgess’s clever and popular play, “The County Fair,” and a French play

called “Paris Port de Mer.” In both of these plays three horses, each

ridden by a jockey, race upon the stage without going out of sight of

the spectators. We have here a real effect plus an illusion. The horses

are free from all restraint and really gallop, but the ground disappears

under their feet, moving in a direction opposite to that of the run; the

landscape, as well as the fences, also fly past in a direction contrary

to the forward motion of the horses. The illusion in both of the plays

we have mentioned is very similar, but we think the American invention

is preferable. At the proper moment the large screw shown in the lower

part of our engraving is set in motion by the electric motors. It lifts

the mechanism of the horse race up to the level of the floor, which had

previously covered it. The lights in the theater are turned out, and

after a few moments of inky blackness the flying horses appear at the

side of the stage, in a blaze of light, and seem to strain every nerve,

fairly flying past the varied landscape. Fences and trees disappear

behind them with startling rapidity. When at last the finish is near,

one of the horses gradually works forward and becomes the winner by a

neck as he approaches the judges’ stand. After an instant of darkness a

flash of light follows, and the horses are pulled up in front of the

judges’ pavilion and the race is won.

This result is accomplished by means of three flexible endless platforms

passing over rollers at the sides of the stage. These moving platforms

enable the horses to be in rapid motion without actually moving forward,

and, as a matter of fact, instead of moving forward, they are well

secured by wire rope traces. As the race nears the finish, the platform

on which the winning horse is stationed is gradually slipped forward on

a track provided for the purpose, the actual movement being, of course,

only a few feet. The space between the fence and the scenery is fourteen

feet, which gives ample space for free action of the horses. The fence

in the foreground consists of a number of pickets fastened to an endless

belt. The pickets run in guides which hold them rigidly perpendicular

during their passage over the stage. The scenery back of the stage is

carried by two powerful rollers, and is turned by means of an electric

motor so arranged that it may be unwound at any rate of speed. Much of

the effect of the scene is due to the speed with which the electric

lights are flashed from extreme darkness to brilliant light. The

illusion is further heightened by the way in which the horses’ manes are

tossed about. This is accomplished in a very novel manner. In the

extreme lower right-hand corner of our engraving will be seen a blower

actuated by an electric motor. Air from this blower is conducted to a

large funnel which discharges the air just out of sight of the

audience. This causes the horses’ manes to be blown in all directions.

All of the complicated electrical apparatus is driven from a single

switchboard at the right, which is usually manipulated by Mr. Burgess

himself. Our engraving is from “The Electrical World.”

[Illustration: ELECTRICAL DEVICES IN “THE COUNTY FAIR.”]

Our other engraving shows the arrangement as used in the French play,

“Paris Port de Mer.” The tracks are formed of an endless matting of

cocoa-nut fibre. This belt runs over drums at each side of the stage and

is made taut by a third drum on a level with the stage floor. The belt

is supported by a series of wooden rollers which are placed very close

together and revolve on pivots. The drum at the left of the stage is

driven directly by the motor. The fence is mounted on an endless belt,

as in the Burgess illusion, and is operated by an air motor. The

panorama, which unwinds in a minute and a quarter, is operated by hand.

Mr. Neil[son] Burgess devised another plan for producing the illusion of

a horse or other race. Two or more disks or wheels of appropriate size

are secured to a common shaft so that they will rotate independently.

The wheels are of different diameters, so that the larger will afford a

clear path for the contestants. The racers are held back by wires which

pass over windlasses, and their relative positions may be governed by

paying out or drawing in the wire. The runners, of course, cause the

rotation of the disk as in a horse power, and this gives the illusion of

real running. An appropriate background scene may be used, and the shaft

carrying the disks may be moved across the stage by journaling it in a

four-wheel truck, the flooring being removed so as to permit of this

horizontal movement.

An American, Mr. Frank M. Chapman, invented another scheme for producing

the same illusion. He devised a circular track, or turntable, somewhat

the same as that used in horse powers. A panorama is carried by rollers,

and works across the proscenium opening. One or more horses are placed

upon the turntable at any desired point between the panorama and the

front of the stage, and are then started. They are held back in the same

manner as in the ordinary treadmill, and will not advance until the wire

is slackened. In the meantime the panorama is moving in the direction

opposite to that in which the horses are supposed to be moving. This

operation is accomplished by means of the gear connection between the

rollers of the panorama and the horses acting on the surface of the

turntable to turn the same.

[Illustration: HORSE RACING ON THE STAGE--MACHINERY UNDER THE STAGE FOR

DRIVING THE ENDLESS BELT.]

THE EFFECTS IN “SIEGFRIED.”

“Siegfried” is the second drama and the third evening of the “Ring of

the Nibelung.” It is devoted to the life and adventures of young

Siegfried, from his childhood under the care of the dwarf smith Mime,

until he wakens Brünnhilde from her long sleep on the fire-guarded rock

on which she was put to sleep by Wotan as a punishment for disobedience

in sheltering Sieglinde. The first act of “Siegfried” is particularly

charming. It is called the “Welding of the Sword.” The scene is laid in

a large rocky cave with openings leading out to the forest. The forge is

built out of rocks, the bellows alone appearing to be artificial. A

large anvil and a few tools complete the equipment of the forge. As the

curtain rises, Mime is seen hammering the sword, but the result does not

seem to be satisfactory. Suddenly Siegfried enters, clad in a dress of

skins, and accompanied by a bear which he captured. Mime retires behind

the forge. After Siegfried and Mime have indulged in a dialogue, the

former jumps up and goes towards the sword; grasping it, he tries it

with his hand, and finally strikes it upon the anvil, whereupon it is

broken.

[Illustration: SIEGFRIED’S FORGE.]

Siegfried forces Mime to tell him the story of his parentage. Mime then

brings out the pieces of the broken sword which the dying Sieglinde had

left as a legacy to the child. The young hero now begins to set to work

to forge the sword, and Mime chuckles with delight when he thinks that

after Siegfried has forged the sword and killed the dragon he will

poison him. The scene of the welding of the sword is magnificent, and is

peculiarly Wagnerian in its conception.

Supported by a square frame of hewn timbers is the bellows, which is

composed of hides fastened together with rings. The leather cylinder

rises and falls by means of a lever secured to the top. Siegfried goes

bravely to work. Going to the forge, he heaps coals upon the open

hearth, and gradually fans the fire; it rises and rises until there is a

roaring blaze. The light shines fitfully upon Siegfried and upon the

walls of the cave. At each stroke of the bellows handle the fire rises

higher and higher. Siegfried places a crucible in the midst of the fire,

and in it puts the pieces of the broken sword. When the pieces appear to

be melted, he takes up the crucible with a pair of tongs and pours the

fluid metal into a clay mold. Grasping the mold with a piece of cloth,

he carries it to the rough-hewn tempering log trough and throws it in.

The heated metal coming in contact with the water causes the steam to

rise. When Siegfried judges that the sword has cooled sufficiently, he

takes it from the trough and, striking it a smart blow, breaks the mold

which surrounds it. He then heats the blade of the sword in the forge

and proceeds to the anvil. At each stroke of the hammer the sparks fly,

producing a most realistic impression. He now places the sword in a

vise, files it, and then rivets on the handle.

At last Siegfried finishes the sword and he says:

“Rescue! Rescue!

Welded anew!

To life once more I have waked thee.

Dead hast lain

In ruins long,

Now flashest thou fiercely and fair.

Blend thou the blatant

Now with thy blaze!

Fell thou the false ones,

Rend thou the rogues!

See, Mime, thou smith--

So smiteth Siegfried’s sword!”

--_J. P. Jackson’s version._

[Illustration: THE FORGING OF THE SWORD IN “SIEGFRIED.”]

[Illustration: THE DIVIDED ANVIL.]

He now wishes to test its temper, and, raising it aloft, he brings it

down, giving a tremendous blow to the anvil, which is cleft in twain,

sparks following the anvil to the ground. Those who have never seen

“Siegfried” can form but a faint idea of the realism of this scene,

which taxes the resources of the property master to the utmost. It will

now be asked how the very clever illusion of the forge and anvil is

produced. Our engraving gives an idea of the rear of the forge. It

consists of a rough table, the front of which is covered with canvas to

represent rocks. The top of the table is quite well hidden from the

spectators by painted work which masks the front of the forge so that

the mechanism for obtaining the light effects from the top is disguised.

The gas is connected with the forge by means of two pieces of rubber

hose, one of which is provided with a small burner which is kept

constantly lighted. Before the curtain is raised it is not noticeable,

as it is turned down until the flame is blue. When Siegfried goes to the

forge and heaps on the coal, the stage hand called the “gas man” turns

on the gas so that it flows through the other pipe, which ends in a rose

burner at the top of the forge. The instant the gas reaches the rose

burner it is ignited by the jet which was kept lighted. By manipulating

the valve, the quantity of gas is regulated so that the flame burns high

or low as desired. As soon as the fire is supposed to rise to any height

the glare of it is cast upon Siegfried’s face. This is accomplished by

means of incandescent lamps which are arranged one on each side of the

rose burner and three just in front, in the painted work which masks the

front of the forge. The lamps are arranged on two circuits; those in the

middle on one circuit, and those on the back of the forge on another

circuit. The wires run into the wings, and the electrician lights them

and dims them, as required, by means of rheostats. Steam is used to give

the effect of smoke. This is admitted by a stage hand in the wings. The

quantity of steam admitted depends upon the height to which the fire is

supposed to have risen. It may thus be seen that the effect of the

lighting is produced by a clever combination of gas, electricity, and

steam, which must be combined with the greatest possible art. In the old

forge at the Metropolitan Opera House, which was burned in the fire, the

effect was obtained in a slightly different way. A man was placed under

the forge, and when the flame was to rise, he blew lycopodium powder

into it from a box underneath the top of the forge. A quantity of the

powder was blown out at each stroke of the bellows. The particles of the

volatile powder caught fire when they came in contact with the gas jet,

thus producing the effect of the gaseous flames from blacksmith’s coal

and its sparks. The new arrangement is considered to be more desirable.

Under the top of the forge will be noticed a shelf on which are kept two

swords. This enables Siegfried to substitute the swords as becomes

necessary, and here is kept the sword with a firmly riveted hilt which

he finally uses to strike the anvil.

The trough is also connected with a steam pipe. When Siegfried throws

into the trough the mold which encases the sword, and when he tempers

the sword, the steam rises. The steam is supplied from a drilled iron

pipe. This pipe is connected with the steam pipes at the side of the

stage by means of a hose which is carefully covered from view. The anvil

upon which Siegfried strikes in forging the sword has one side covered

by a piece of corrugated iron, six by twelve inches, and another piece

of iron is over it, as shown in our engraving. It is arranged so that

when the bow piece of iron at the top comes in contact with the lower

piece a momentary short circuit is produced, so that at each stroke of

the hammer a shower of sparks is produced. When Siegfried raises his

sword and brings it down upon the anvil, he really strikes a spring

which lets one half of the anvil fall, its under and outer side having

the corner cut off for the purpose, as will be seen from our engraving.

There are other interesting properties and illusion in “Siegfried.” We

have just seen how Siegfried has forged his sword “Rescue;” now begin a

series of wonderful adventures which only end with his death in the

“Götterdämmerung.” The second act of “Siegfried” takes place in a forest

in which is seen a great linden tree. The whole stage is covered with

rocks, and at the left, at the back, is a cave which shelters “Fafner,”

a giant who has taken the form of a dragon in order to protect the

treasures concealed in the cave, which include the mysterious ring and

the Tarnhelmet, which gives the possessor unlimited power. Mime and

Siegfried approach, Mime showing the way to the cave. Mime then leaves

Siegfried alone to his fate. The youthful hero sits down beneath the

linden tree and listens to the voice of the bird. He wishes that he

could understand its language, and, cutting a reed, he makes a rude

musical instrument with which he attempts to imitate the bird’s notes,

but the result is a failure. He then takes up his silver horn and blows

several blasts upon it. He has, however, no comprehension as yet of the

song of the birds, but the sound of the horn has awakened Fafner, who

appears in the mouth of the cave. The hideous creature moves forward

from the cave and says: “Who art thou?” Then, after a moment’s

conversation, Fafner opens his tremendous jaws, displaying his teeth.

Siegfried seizes his sword and confronts Fafner. The now enraged dragon

belches forth a sulphurous breath, while his eyes gleam with a very

wicked light. The young Siegfried seems no match for the enormous beast.

The dragon has almost seized Siegfried when the latter succeeds in

wounding him slightly. The animal rears up on his fore feet, with the

intention of hurling himself upon the intruder in order to crush him. In

doing this, however, he exposes his breast so that Siegfried is enabled

to plunge his sword into the monster’s heart. Fafner rears up still

higher, and finally sinks upon the ground, and the dying monster sings

of the race of the giants and the curse of the dwarfs. At last he dies,

and as Siegfried withdraws the sword, his hand becomes sprinkled with

blood. He puts his fingers to his mouth to suck off the blood. He now

hears the forest bird again, and this time he is able to understand the

language.

[Illustration: FAFNER, THE DRAGON IN “SIEGFRIED.”]

The fact of the matter is, it would have been much better if Wagner had

written the music-drama so that the dragon would have been killed off

the stage. Having once been put into the opera, it was, of course,

impossible to get along without the ugly beast, but the tendency is now

to retire the dragon as far as possible to the rear of the stage. The

dragon which we illustrate is the creation of Mr. Siedle, the property

master of the Metropolitan Opera House. Fafner is, without doubt, the

finest of his race. He gives one the idea of something half snake, half

crocodile, and somewhat resembles some of the now extinct animals of

bygone geological times. It cannot be said that the dragon is a thing of

beauty, unless we can admit there is a beauty of ugliness. Fafner is

supremely ugly, but, from a scientific point of view, it is doubtful if

there are any properties connected with modern Grand Opera which are

more interesting. The problem which presents itself to the property

master in building the dragon is an interesting and difficult one. As

the dragon must be arranged so that it can be worked by two men, who are

inside it, it must be capable of considerable movement and must give the

appearance of great size. In the present instance the head of the dragon

was modeled in clay, and each line and horny scale and boss was the

result of careful calculation. After the head was modeled, a plaster of

paris mold was taken from it, and from this another plaster cast was

made, upon which the actual head was built up out of _papier maché_.

After the _papier maché_ work was finished, it was painted dark green;

different shades were, of course, used.

The body of the dragon is of cloth; the legs and feet are not attached

to it, but are put on by the two men who operate the dragon. The feet

and claws of the dragon are pulled on by combination overalls and boots.

The man who takes the part of the fore feet wears a heavy belt with

hooks on the side to carry the wires which furnish the current for the

electric lamps in the eyes, and a rubber hose by which the dragon is

enabled to breathe a sulphurous breath. A long lever of iron runs from

Fafner’s head through his body, and by means of this the man who plays

the hind legs moves the head up and down; the shoulders of the first man

being the fulcrum. Independently of this, the man in the fore legs

moves the upper jaw and the feelers. The painted cloth body might be

likened to a camera bellows. The antennæ can be moved by means of cords,

adding greatly to the terrible appearance of the monster. The enormous

red tongue can also be moved by the first man, and the jaws are freely

hinged. The eyes are set in what appear to be enormous saucers; they are

covered over with painted silk. Behind this are incandescent lamps which

are turned on and off fitfully by one of the stage hands behind the drop

scene which represents the mouth of the cave. The wires run to the tail,

as does also the steam pipe which furnishes the breath of the monster.

The steam is allowed to escape from the mouth and through the nostrils.

The tail consists of a number of sections of wood articulated by means

of hinges. It is covered with painted cloth. When the first act is about

over, the two men who are to act as the legs of the dragon get inside

the body and are then elaborately fastened by the stage hands. They then

waddle along to the opening of the cave, assisted by several of the

stage hands, as the enormous body is very difficult to manage. One man

works the steam while the other attends to the lighting of the eyes.

After Siegfried kills the dragon, the stage hands go at once to

extricate the two men from their uncomfortable position. The singer who

takes the part of Fafner may be disposed in two ways; he may be either

under the raised bridge upon which the monster stands, or he may be in

the wings. In either case he sings through a speaking trumpet, which

adds to the effect. The bird which is seen going across the stage and

leading Siegfried to Brünnhilde is actuated by clockwork. When it

starts, the clockwork is set in motion and makes the wings flap. Another

bird, which appears to the audience to be the same, crosses the stage on

wire from right to left, further back, and a third one is seen at the

left, still further away. This one Siegfried follows to the rock of the

Walküre, just as the curtain falls upon the wonderful scene.

[Illustration: WOTAN’S SPEAR.]

The third act of “Siegfried” opens in a wild, rocky path at the foot of

a high mountain. The scene is laid at night, and there is considerable

thunder and lightning. Before the entrance to a cavern in the rock

stands Wotan, who never appears as a greater bore than in this act of

“Siegfried.” After a seemingly interminable conversation with Erda, she

vanishes and Siegfried appears. After considerable conversation between

Siegfried and Wotan, Siegfried advances to the latter, holding his

sword, which has once before been shattered on the same shaft, in order

that he may reach the summit of the mountain upon which Brünnhilde

sleeps, protected by the sea of flames. Siegfried fights with Wotan and

hews the spear in pieces. A fearful flash of thunder follows; flames and

steam rise in front, and Siegfried’s horn is heard as he plunges into

the fire. At length the fierce glow pales, the scene changes, and

represents the summit of a rocky mountain peak, as in the third act of

the Walküre, and Brünnhilde is seen in deep sleep.

The illusion is very clever indeed. Wotan’s spear, as shown in our

engraving, consists of a divided shaft, one part of which telescopes

with the other for a few inches. The upper part of the spear is forced

down over the lower, thus compressing a coiled spring. When the spring

is compressed sufficiently, it is caught by a catch. Now, when Siegfried

strikes the spear with his sword, Wotan presses a button which releases

the upper part of the spear. The coiled spring is sufficiently strong to

throw it off from the lower part. As the upper part rises, it lights

matches secured by holders in the center of the lower part of the spear.

A piece of sandpaper is secured to a little door which opens in the

shell of the top part of the spear. As the sandpaper passes the matches,

it lights them, setting fire to a small quantity of gun cotton, which

lights flash paper concealed in the end of the spear. A lightning flash

and a flash of thunder usually accompany the breaking of the spear.

Formerly an electric spear was used, but it was found that the matches

were simpler and more reliable.

Arrangements are provided at the Metropolitan Opera House so that an

entire curtain of steam can be made to rise across the whole length of

the stage, a narrow section of flooring being taken up, and a perforated

section put in instead. A perforated steam pipe is also provided.

THE BED OF TULIPS AND THE ELECTRIC FIREFLY.

A very pretty electrical effect has been introduced in the garden scene

in “Faust.” Siebel, the would-be lover of Marguerite, advances to a bed

of tulips, some red, some white, and some gold, to pluck a bouquet that

he would leave upon her window to speak for him. Concealed in the

corolla of each flower is an electric lamp. Now Mephistopheles had long

before warned Siebel:

“Every flower that you touch

Shall rot and shall wither.”

But, unheeding, Siebel plucks a golden tulip which shines as he lifts it

up to him. A fine wire which carries the current keeps the lamp aglow

and is not seen as it trails along the foliage. No sooner does Siebel

examine it than Mephistopheles, partly concealed, raises his hand; the

current is cut off, and the flower grows dull and withers perceptibly.

“What, faded! Ah me!

Thus the Sorcerer foretold at the fair:

That should I touch a blooming flower,

It shall wither.

But my hand in holy water I’ll bathe--

See, now, will they wither?”

Then with his other hand he plucks a red tulip, a white and a golden one

and holds them up triumphantly, each glowing with a rich light; for

Mephistopheles may not raise his hand against the power of what has been

blessed. Then he changes the flowers from one hand to the other, and

instantly they fade; but they gleam again when, remembering it was with

the other hand that he had touched the holy water, he transfers them

back again. This beautiful illusion is easily produced.

[Illustration: THE BED OF ELECTRIC FLOWERS.]

The electric firefly which has been used in the play of the “Kaffir

Diamond” depends upon a somewhat similar device. Tiny incandescent lamps

are affixed to the reeds and rushes in a swamp, each lamp being

connected by means of a fine wire to a storage battery, through the

medium of wires in a switchboard. Our engraving shows the manner of

placing the lamp behind the weeds and rushes. The operator, in his

hiding place, by pressing upon the keys of the switchboard, alternately

lights up one and then another lamp, so that it would appear to be a

single firefly darting hither and thither; or, by pressing a number of

keys, any number up to a dozen or more could be lighted.

In “Die Walküre,” a red incandescent lamp is placed in a tin box which

is painted so as to represent a knot in the tree. When the light is

turned on, it causes a red glow on the hilt of the sword, and discovers

it to be Siegmund.

[Illustration: ELECTRIC FIREFLIES.]

THE ELECTRIC TORCH AND ELECTRIC JEWELS.

We have already given several interesting examples of electricity upon

the stage. We now present some engravings of the electric torch and

electric jewels for which the theatrical world is indebted to the French

inventor M. Trouvé. The electric torch was devised for use in M.

Saint-Saëns’ “Ascanio.” In the mythological ballet, Phœbus appears among

the Muses, holding the torch of Genius in his hand; the torch is of

moderate size and elegant form, and must be brilliantly illuminated from

twelve to fifteen minutes at each performance. An incandescent lamp

scarcely concealed under colored glass jewels solves the problem. The

principal difficulty was to light this lamp without the use of

conductors, which should furnish the electrical current desired. M.

Trouvé constructed some portable accumulators which are placed in the

torch. The accumulators are six in number; the first three occupy the

upper part of the torch, and the three others the lower part. They are

of the Planté variety and have lead plates. Each of the elements is

placed in the interior of a cylindrical piece of thin glass covered

with gutta percha. The battery as a whole weighs four hundred and twenty

grams (fifteen ounces), and is capable of furnishing electricity to

supply the torch for two presentations. A small contact button is placed

above two buttons, so that at the least pressure the lamp is lighted,

and it is extinguished when the pressure ceases. Our engraving shows

Madame Torri in the _rôle_ of Phœbus.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--PHŒBUS HOLDING THE TORCH OF GENIUS.]

M. Trouvé also invented what are termed electric jewels, in which glass

jewels cut into facets are illuminated by a small electric light placed

back of them. The jewels really consist of small lenses whose foci have

been accurately determined. The luminous source itself always occupies

an invariable position, that is to say in the center of the sphere,

which is studded with the glass jewels. The lamp is connected with a

small battery through the medium of a flexible conducting cord which is

concealed under the garments. The battery is put into the pocket or

attached to some part of the dress. Our engraving shows a number of

these electric jewels which are used not only for theatrical purposes,

but for a novelty in dress.

The jewels are very effective when attached to a ballet costume, and we

give on page 341 an illustration of a _danseuse_ as she appears when

adorned with this glowing electric jewelry.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL VIEWS OF THE TORCH.]

Another interesting effect which is produced with the aid of a small

electric battery carried upon the person, is used in the duel scene in

“Faust,” and is also due to M. Trouvé. It is rather simpler than the

device which we will show for producing sparks from the sword in the

duel. The two swords and the two cuirasses are extremities of the poles

of a bichromate battery carried by the combatants. When the two swords

come in contact they cause bright sparks to flash, and when one of the

swords touches the cuirass of the adversary, a fifteen candle-power lamp

is lighted, and remains lighted during the contact of the point of the

sword with the cuirass; the lamp is, of course, in front of the

cuirass. In furious sword play the two swords touch reciprocally the two

opposite cuirasses; both lamps are simultaneously illuminated and give a

considerable light around the combatants. This apparatus is not only

useful in the theater, but has been tried in the fencing gallery during

an assault; the apparatus shows the location of the blows without the

possibility of contesting it.

[Illustration: FIG. 3.--TROUVÉ’S ELECTRIC JEWELS.]

[Illustration: FIG. 4--DANSEUSE WEARING ELECTRIC JEWELS.]

AN ELECTRICAL DUEL.

In the duel scene in “Faust,” a striking effect was obtained a few years

ago at the Metropolitan Opera House. It will be remembered that the

soldier Valentine, brother of Marguerite, fights with Faust. As Faust is

unfamiliar with the use of the sword, the devil, in the guise of

Mephistopheles, stands by, sword in hand, ready to aid him, interposing

his weapon when Valentine presses the student too closely. In former

productions of the opera there was nothing apparent to indicate the

possession of supernatural powers by Mephistopheles. The duel takes

place at a part of the stage where two plates of copper are sunk into

the flooring. These plates are connected with the electric current.

Copper nails are driven into one shoe of Valentine and one shoe of

Faust, and the wires run up their bodies to the swords. When they draw

their swords they insert the wire into the hilts by means of a plug;

they are then connected with the copper plate. Every time that

Mephistopheles interposes the sword and strikes up the contending

weapons, which are in contact, the sparks fly furiously and the weird

crackling sounds are heard as in lightning. When Valentine receives his

death wound, he throws out the plug connecting his sword with the

electric current, and as he falls the sword flies from his hand, and

there is nothing to show the presence of any electrical connection.

[Illustration: AN ELECTRICAL DUEL.]

THE SKIRT DANCE.

The famous skirt dance may be defined as peculiar in the sense that it

is not a dance as generally understood in stage parlance. The performer,

standing on the stage and dressed in voluminous attire, requiring, it is

said, over a hundred yards of material, by slow motions, comprising more

arm movements than foot movements, causes the light drapery to wave

about in most graceful curves. The variety of shapes and contours that

can be produced by a skilled performer is endless. To add to the effect,

wands are used to extend the reach in the direction of the lines of the

arms, and the greater control thus obtainable adds immensely to the

effect. This dance was made famous by Miss Loie Fuller, whose reputation

is now world-wide.

Our illustration which forms the frontispiece of the present work is

designed to show the methods adopted to produce the wonderfully

beautiful effects which have characterized the dance. The performance is

executed in a darkened theater. A number of projectors are distributed,

four in the wings and one below the stage, so as to be adapted for

flooding the figure of the _danseuse_ with light. A pane of heavy plate

glass set in the floor of the stage permits the projector beneath it to

produce its effects. Each projector has mounted in front of it a disc

about three feet in diameter, perforated near its periphery with a

number of apertures. Colored gelatine is fastened over most of these

apertures, a different color being used for each opening, except where

one may be left for white light. The operators at the projectors follow

the movements of the performer, and can produce an almost infinitely

extended range of effects by varying the colors thrown by each

projector.

The theater being pitch dark, the dancer can be brought slowly into view

and can be made to slowly disappear by manipulation of the projectors.

She can appear in any color or combination of colors. It is needless to

say that it is a composite performance in the sense that the dancer

fills only a part of the functions; skilled operators are absolutely

essential at the projectors.

One of the prettiest effects is produced by a magic lantern operated

from the front of the stage and shown on the left hand in the cut. The

operator projects upon the drapery different figures and designs, using

regular lantern slides, making the flowing, misty drapery act as the

screen for his projections. It is obvious that he must give great

attention to his focusing.

The skirt dance has won the attention of artists, and some very

beautiful statues have been based upon its cloudlike variations of form.

The slight idealization required in representing the soft forms of

waving drapery in the solid material of the sculptor’s art has given

most graceful and characteristic effects.

One of the most startling effects is the flame dance. The filmy veil is

pure white, but as the dancer approaches the opening in the stage floor

the veil turns to a fiery red, and the flames wave to and fro as if they

were being blown by the wind. Shadows are then thrown on the veil and

produce an exact reproduction of heavy black smoke, which suddenly

changes to an ardent flame again, as if the fire had broken out anew.

CHAPTER V.

THE NAUTICAL ARENA.

The nautical arena, or aquatic theater, was a few years ago one of the

sensations of London and Paris. Spectacular entertainments in which

water played a prominent part go back to the time of the Romans, when

portions of the arena of the amphitheater, or sometimes the entire

arena, were flooded, and mimic sea fights took place in galleys carrying

gladiators who fought to the death. The Paris aquatic theater is a very

handsome building. It is situated in the Rue St. Honoré, and is called

the “_Arène Nautique_.” It is intended to fill two distinct _rôles_;

first, it is a circus for equestrian, gymnastic, and aquatic

performances, while during the summer it becomes a huge swimming bath.

The building was originally used for a cyclorama, but was entirely

remodeled when put to its new use. The circular hall is one hundred and

ten feet in diameter. In the lower part of this hall is a circular tank

seventy-nine feet in diameter, with a gallery running around it. Over

this gallery and the water are constructed tiers of seats, as shown in

our engraving. In the center is placed a powerful hydraulic cylinder. To

the top of the piston rod is affixed a large iron plate forty-four feet

in diameter. This plate can be sunk below the level of the water, the

tank then being available for aquatic performances. It is the work of a

moment to raise the plate. A firm floor is then provided for horses and

men.

This arrangement permits of the water being maintained at such a height

as to provide a shallow tank for those who cannot swim. The rise of the

piston is caused by a compound pump, and the plate is guided in its

movement by guide bars fixed vertically around the outer rail. A catch

is provided to secure the plate in position. When it has attained a

little more than its proper height, it is caused to rotate slightly on

its vertical axis by an endless screw. By this means the ends of the

radial girders are brought over twenty shoes fixed to the twenty

columns; by letting a little of the water escape, the radial girders

settle themselves firmly down upon the shoes. The weight of the whole

mass is about twenty-five tons. When the arena is to be used for

performances in the ring the plate is covered with a mat of esparto

weighing about one thousand pounds. It is brought in on two iron trucks.

Our engraving represents the removal of the mat before sinking the

stage.

[Illustration: THE AQUATIC THEATER--PREPARING TO SINK THE STAGE.]

[Illustration: THE NEW AQUATIC THEATER, PARIS.]

CHAPTER VI.

A TRIP TO THE MOON.

This is the title of an illustrated lecture which has been very popular

in Berlin, and which was also produced in New York a few years ago. The

lecture as used in the United States, was rewritten by Mr. Garrett P.

Serviss. The first scene is the reproduction of a solar eclipse as seen

from the shores of one of the small lakes called Havel, near Berlin, on

the morning of August 19, 1887.

[Illustration: SUNRISE ON THE HAVEL, NEAR BERLIN, AUGUST 19, 1887.]

On this morning the sun arose with the greater portion of its disc

obscured by the moon. As the sun ascended, the crescent diminished, and

at the moment of totality a wonderful corona flashed into view. The

scene gives the audience an idea of what the astronomers mean when they

attempt to describe this wonderful phenomena. The moon passes slowly

before the sun until the earth is fully illuminated and the sky and

landscape assume a normal appearance. Interesting as these imitations of

celestial and terrestrial phenomena are, the manner in which they are

effected is still more so, and our engravings give a peep behind the

scenes and explain the means by which the illusion is produced. The

trees and foreground are set in front of a transparent scene upon the

back of which the opaque parts are silhouetted in black, leaving the sky

and water translucent.

[Illustration: THE PRODUCTION OF THE SOLAR ECLIPSE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Two optical lanterns are provided, one of which carries the crescent and

the other the corona slide. They are mounted upon a box movable along

the inclined side of a triangular frame by a drum and cord, and are thus

enabled to imitate the appearance and course of the heavenly bodies. The

screen immediately below the horizon intercepts the image of the

luminary below that line.

The waves that play upon the surface of the lake are produced by a

slide in a third lantern. This slide consists of glass screens upon

which waves are painted. These screens are actuated by three

eccentrically mounted rods set in motion by clockwork. The interference

with these waves permits ribbons of light, of constantly varying

position and width, to fall upon the screen and to give the effect of

water ruffled by a breeze. The play of color and intensity of light

produced by the revolutions of the earth and its passage through the

penumbra and umbra of the moon’s shadow, and the development of full

sunlight, are perfectly coördinated to the changing condition of their

source, the sun. This part of the illusion is effected by the management

of the foot and border lights.

[Illustration: THE PLASTER IMAGE OF THE MOON.]

[Illustration: MT. ARISTARCHUS.]

[Illustration: CAPE LAPLACE.]

These lights are red, white, and blue incandescent electric lamps

arranged in series, and controlled by a rheostat, permitting every

possible combination and intensity of tint, and to the intelligent

manipulation of which is due much of the success of the scene. Our

interest is intensified by a view from a distance of five thousand

miles, showing the lunar mountains and other prominent features. The

plaster image of the moon, viewed through a circular piece of gauze set

in a black drop, is ten feet in diameter. The change of phase is

produced from the light thrown from the lanterns, as shown in the

illustration.

[Illustration: SUNRISE AND EARTH LIGHT.]

The splendid scenes of Mt. Aristarchus and Cape Laplace are splendid

pictures and are shown from the height of two and one half miles. By

trigonometric mensuration of the shadows, and application of their

values by perspective, the artist is enabled to represent the general

features of the landscape with fidelity. These scenes are lighted from

behind by four arc lights, by bunch lights and footlights, and the

combined candle power is eight thousand five hundred candles. This

brings out the contrast of the landscape in this dead world. From the

moon surface, the earth always seems to occupy the same place, and

reflects to the moon a part of the light received from the sun. The

phenomena of earthlight and sunlight upon the moon are given by

transparent places in the scene representing sky, and lit up by a

lantern. The mountain on either side has each a lantern, whose light is

permitted to fall on the drop by gradually lowering the screen. A

modified arc light illuminates the front of the scene and gives the

earth light.

[Illustration: BACK OF THE EARTH WITH GELATINE ATMOSPHERE.]

[Illustration: THE SUN BOX INTERIOR AND THE BOX RISING.]

[Illustration: SOLAR ECLIPSE AS VIEWED FROM THE MOON.]

Probably the most unique of the cosmic phenomena is a solar eclipse

viewed from the moon. The earth is an opaque disc with a red gelatine

band attached to its circumference with white muslin, and suspended by

two hooks set in a shelf extending across its back. A coat of

phosphorescent paint gives the glow. The sun consists of a box with a

cover of gelatine on which the sun is painted; a semicircular wooden arm

incloses a reflector and supports six incandescent lamps set inwardly.

The box hooks into a piece of leather with a circular aperture

coincident with the sun’s face, and sewed into the drop. Holes in the

drop allow the light from an arc light to imitate the stars. The surface

of the moon is painted on canvas supported on hinged props having spread

feet. A stiff rod joins the hinges and forms the horizon. A footlight is

placed within this tent-like cover to illuminate it. The drop curtain

carrying the sun box is raised by a windlass, and as the sun rises,

accompanied by the stars, the footlight is turned up. In passing behind

the earth, the sun imparts a crimson view to the earth’s atmosphere,

which the footlight transfers to the moon until the extinction of the

solar disk. The return to earth is marked by a view of that part of the

earth surface most resembling the moon’s, the Tyrolean highlands. The

afterglow of sunset, moonrise, and a lunar eclipse are depicted with

great accuracy. The gradual movement of a deep red gelatine film across

the lantern-slide holder causes the moon to appear to enter and emerge

from the earth’s shadow. A sunset on the Indian Ocean and moonrise on

the first scene concludes the lecture. A series of stereopticon views of

great beauty are interspersed between the mounted scenes, thus

furnishing a continuous performance.

CHAPTER VII.

CYCLORAMAS.

The origin of the cyclorama is traced to the use of scenery by the

Italians two or three hundred years ago. They arranged outside of their

windows scenes painted on canvas that simulated extensive gardens.

Robert Fulton is said to have exhibited a panorama in Paris at the

beginning of the present century. It was not, however, a cylindrical

painting, as is used in the cyclorama, and the effect was not as

illusive. Cycloramas have been on exhibition in many cities of the

United States, and they are also very popular abroad.

The cyclorama which we illustrate is the “Battle of Gettysburg,” which

has been shown in New York, Brooklyn, and other cities of the United

States. It was painted by M. Paul Philippoteaux.

The “Battle of Gettysburg” covers an immense sheet of canvas four

hundred feet long and fifty feet high. The canvas was imported from

Belgium, none being manufactured in the United States which would answer

the purpose; it is nine yards wide, and the seams run up and down. The

immense canvas is supported from the sides of the building so as to form

a cylinder. The building is circular, and a cornice is provided which

runs entirely around the building; the upper edge of the canvas is

nailed to this cornice. The cloth is first rolled smoothly on an iron

roller surfaced with wood, fifty feet long. The roller is held

vertically in heavy framework which runs on tracks around the building.

From the roller thus carried around, the cloth is gradually paid out, as

shown in our engraving. As fast as it comes off the roller it is seized

and held by pincers while the edge is being tacked to the cornice. The

lower edge is secured to a circle of gas pipes which run entirely around

the building. As the pipe would not give sufficient weight to stretch

the canvas, a twenty-five-pound weight is hung at every third foot.

[Illustration: SECTION THROUGH A CYCLORAMA.]

The effect of the stretching is that the canvas loses the true

cylindrical shape; its sides are no longer parallel, but curve slightly

inward, about one foot in amount, at the center. Thus, at the horizon

line, the most distant part of the scene, the painting is about a foot

nearer the vertical line than in the foreground. In absolute distance

from the eye the difference is still greater. Owing to obliquity of the

line of sight, the foreground, which seems so near at hand, is really

much further off than the horizon.

[Illustration: NAILING ON THE CANVAS.]

In a cyclorama of this kind it is necessary to have the scene portrayed

with the utmost fidelity. The result is that the landscape is really an

artistic transcript of photographic views of the field. The artist

first went to the scene of the great battle of Gettysburg, and selected

one point of view, and caused a small stage to be erected at this point,

which was of the same height as that upon which the people were to stand

in the completed cyclorama. Around the stage a line of pickets was

driven in a circle, as shown at the point B. The distance was measured

from the top of the stage as a center. From the top of the scaffold

three series of ten photographs each were taken, the instrument being

sighted by means of the posts. This series of photographs showed the

entire field; one series being taken for the foreground, while the other

two, by their focusing and exposure, were devoted to the middle distance

and background. Each view was divided into squares, as shown in our

illustration; the canvas was marked off by corresponding divisions, and

the photographs were copied square by square; the blending of the ten

views and the aërial perspective was, of course, the critical part of

the performance. The painting was done from a scaffold which traveled

around on the same tracks which carried the roller frame, as shown in

our illustration.

[Illustration: PHOTOGRAPHING THE FIELD.]

The painting was done in oil, tinsel being occasionally employed. After

the circular wall was covered, the foreground next claimed the attention

of the painter and his assistants. A wooden platform was built which

extended all around the platform upon which the visitors stood, and

earth and sod covered these boards. Fences, tufts of grass, wheat, etc.,

lent their aid to fill up the scene. The continuation of the road was

met almost perfectly on the canvas; in fact, it was almost impossible to

see the line of demarcation between the real and the painted foreground.

We give an interesting engraving of this method of constructing a

realistic scene.

[Illustration: PAINTING A CYCLORAMA.]

Two men are seen carrying a litter. The more distant soldier is painted

on the canvas; the litter is real, two of its handles passing through

holes in the canvas. The figure resting on the litter and the nearer

bearer are cut out of boards and painted. Other scenes are similarly

painted.

The spectators occupy an elevated stage which they mount by means of

staircases running under the scaffolding of the foreground. Once upon

the platform the spectators lose all idea of orientation, and cannot

tell the points of the compass or have any conception of the size of the

building. Over the stage a circular screen is suspended so that it

shades it from the light which enters from the skylight. The sky is thus

lighted up, and a peculiar luminous effect favoring the aërial

perspective results. At night a number of electric lights, suspended out

of sight of the spectators, give about the same effect. Many of the

details of the picture were obtained from eye-witnesses of the battle;

the uniforms, the modes of carrying the blankets, and the details of

harness, and the minor parts of the scenery were studied carefully.

Everything in the building combines to make a wonderful illusion.

[Illustration: HOW THE ILLUSION IS PRODUCED WITH REAL OBJECTS.]

THE ELECTRIC CYCLORAMA.

Notwithstanding the fact that cycloramas of the pattern we have just

described were the result of the most careful blending of science and

art, still their popularity seems to have been limited, and the

cyclorama has been, in numerous cases, obliged to bow to the taste of

the day. One has been converted into a circus, others into skating rinks

and bicycle academies. The cyclorama we are about to describe ought to

be able to bring panorama once more into fashion. The idea of Mr. Chase,

a resident of Chicago, was to turn to account the most recent

discoveries in the way of panorama photography, projection apparatus,

electric lighting, and the systems which permit of faithfully

representing the phenomena of motion. The possibility of causing a

considerable number of views to pass before the spectator in a limited

amount of time, of imparting life to them, gives the cyclorama an

animation and diversity which is lacking in the ordinary panorama.

[Illustration: GENERAL VIEW OF THE CHASE ELECTRIC CYCLORAMA.]

An ordinary panorama building is used; spectators stand upon the floor

of a cylindrical chamber one hundred feet in diameter and thirty feet in

height. Upon the walls are thrown photographs placed in a projecting

apparatus suspended from the center of the scenery, after the manner of

a chandelier.

Our first engraving gives a general view of the panorama as used at the

“Chicago Fire” cyclorama. Our second engraving shows the projection

apparatus, and our third where a battery of lanterns are used, showing

the lantern carriages. Nothing more is required to convert an ordinary

cyclorama into an electric cyclorama than to paint the back canvas white

and to suspend the platform in the center of the building.

[Illustration: PLATFORM FOR THE OPERATOR AND PROJECTION APPARATUS

SUSPENDED IN THE CENTER OF THE HALL.]

[Illustration: THE PROJECTION APPARATUS.]

The apparatus is secured in the center of the panorama or cyclorama

building by a steel tube and guys of steel wire. The operator stands in

the center, upon a circular platform, and is surrounded by an annular

table supporting eight carriages, upon which are mounted the lanterns,

cinematographs, kinetoscopes, and all arrangements required for

imparting life to the scene and producing the transformation. Each

lantern is provided with an arc light, and the wires to furnish the

current pass through the suspension tube. The annular table carries the

rheostats by which the light is regulated, according to the effects to

be produced with iris diaphragms, which permit of obtaining vanishing

effects and night, sunrise, or sunset effects. The projecting lanterns,

eight in number, are double, one being ranged over the other, thus

permitting of the preparation of a view, and focusing it, while the

spectators are looking at another. The change of pictures is not

effected until everything is in order. The carriages which support the

lanterns permit of accurately adjusting views so that the registry is

perfect. The eight positive slides produce a panorama three hundred feet

in circumference and over thirty feet high. The rays which emanate from

each of the projecting lanterns are such that they would overlap did not

a frame fixed to the lenses, and carefully regulated, suppress those

parts of the views which would encroach upon one another. When the

lanterns are properly arranged it is possible to project moving pictures

upon any part of the canvas screen.

CHAPTER VIII.

FIREWORKS WITH DRAMATIC ACCESSORIES.

[Illustration: SCENES READY FOR LOWERING.]

The love of show and the spectacular is inherent in human nature. Games

and entertainments on a colossal scale have always appealed to the

popular taste. An important factor in such spectacles is the display of

fireworks, in the love for which the Americans can sympathize with the

Orientals. As far back as 1879, Mr. James Pain of London gave

spectacular productions at Manhattan Beach, one of New York’s most

popular resorts, and since that time their popularity has been

increased, so that now entertainments of this class are given in

comparatively small cities. It is perhaps more proper to speak of these

entertainments as fireworks with dramatic accessories than to call

them dramas with fireworks, for the _raison d’être_ of the entire

performance depends not upon the loosely hung together plot, but on the

gigantic display of fireworks, which is accompanied by enough of

realistic stage setting and dramatic performance to give a good excuse

for the performance. Strange as it may seem, these mammoth plays, as

regards the scenery, are as interchangeable as those in any theater, the

grounds in which the scenery is installed being of the same general

dimensions in all cases. This, of course, greatly simplifies a change of

performance. The company which has been prominently identified with

these spectacles sometimes has as many as seven in use at one time. They

move about from place to place, so that in the course of a season thirty

or forty cities are visited, the stay varying from a week to a whole

season. The performance is held in the open air, at either some popular

resort or in some place where the grounds are readily accessible.

[Illustration: THE BURNING OF MOSCOW.]

[Illustration: LOWERING A SCENE.]

An amphitheater is provided for the spectators in a rectangular

enclosure which may seat as many as ten thousand persons. The seats

slope away until the water is reached; here will be found an artificial

lake, usually three hundred and eighteen feet long and one hundred and

fifty feet wide, and the width of the entire stage being three hundred

and fifty feet. Behind the pond is a stage mounted with set scenes. Of

course, owing to the distance and darkness, the refinements of acting

would be entirely wasted. The management, therefore, depends almost

entirely on the spectacular, the cast including companies of clever

gymnasts and acrobats.

The performance is so arranged as to lead up to some stirring

catastrophe. The climax is generally awful cataclysm, or some

blood-curdling war scene, or a conflagration.

We select for the purpose of illustration one of the most successful of

these spectacles, the “Burning of Moscow” at the time of the French

invasion. The scene is a true representation of the docks and quays of

the ancient Russian capital. At each side appear arched stone bridges,

and the whole is surrounded by strong fortifications; sentinels walk

back and forth upon the walls of the Kremlin. The action of the drama is

but brief, and after a gymnastic exhibition of marching and

countermarching by the actors, the band plays the solemn strains of the

Russian national hymn, while priests of the Greek Church render

classical music of a somber character, which has a striking effect. The

army of Napoleon now approaches, shells begin to fly over the doomed

city, and, as the bearskins of the French grenadiers appear at the

entrances at either side, the terrorized Russians rapidly disappear.

[Illustration: SECTION THROUGH A SCENE.]

The prisoners in the jails are liberated, and with torches prepare to

light the fires. The conflagration now begins, and the pyrotechnic

display becomes splendid. The roar of the flames is heard, and, amid

explosions, the buildings seem to be licked up by the fire, and

collapse, leaving charred remains. The air is full of burning serpents,

and the water is alive with incandescent figures. The grand finale is

an aërial burst of rockets, as shown in our engraving.

Having seen one of these spectacles the reader will ask how the

remarkable effects are obtained. Our illustrations show the scenery as

viewed from the rear of the stage. The scenery is hinged and braced,

some parts turning on pivots, and all arranged so as to be quickly

thrown down into such semblance of ruin as shall best carry out the idea

the piece is intended to represent. It is, however, only the work of a

few hours to rehabilitate the entire scenery for use the next night.

[Illustration]

In the performance which we have described, some of the best effects of

the art of pyrotechnics are shown in the brilliancy and sustaining power

of the various lights and colors given out by the rockets, wheels,

stars, Roman candles, gold and silver rain, etc. Of course, vast

quantities of colored fire are also required to light the scene.

[Illustration: FIREWORKS.]

Our last engraving shows how some of the firework effects are obtained.

The grand aërial bouquet of rockets consists of a battery of rockets

which are discharged simultaneously from the stand, as shown in the

engraving. Our other engravings show water serpents, water dolphins, and

the floating fire fountains. As they float around in the water, they

produce fine effects.

BOOK IV.

_AUTOMATA AND CURIOUS TOYS._

CHAPTER I.

AUTOMATA.

The present division of the work deals with interesting automata,

curious toys, and miscellaneous tricks of an amusing nature. A very

large number of devices and tricks of this kind have been published in

the “Scientific American” and the “Scientific American Supplement,” and

the ones which we select are among those which have been considered as

the best. The subject of curious toys and science in toys is very fully

treated in the excellent work of Mr. George M. Hopkins, entitled

“Experimental Science,” which is published by the publishers of the

present work.

AUTOMATON CHESS PLAYERS.

For a very long time the automaton chess player, or “Psycho,” has been

celebrated as _the_ automaton, and quite a literature is centered about

it. We present two forms of the “Psycho,” one of which depends upon

compressed air, and the other upon a small individual who is secreted in

the cabinet. We will first describe the one which operates by compressed

air.

Let us explain to those who have not seen “Psycho” that it consists of a

small figure, dressed as a Turk, sitting cross-legged (as shown by

dotted lines) on a chest; this chest is in turn supported on a glass

tube, about twelve inches diameter and three feet long, which rests on a

four-legged stool. The bottom of chest and top of stool are covered with

green cloth so as to make a tolerably air-tight joint. The right arm is

extended as in the drawing, and a semicircular rack, in which are placed

the thirteen cards dealt to “Psycho,” is fixed by means of a bracket

(not shown) in such a position that the edges come between the finger

and thumb. The arm turning horizontally on the pivot, A, the hand can be

brought over any part, and by closing the finger and thumb and raising

the arm, the card will be withdrawn from the pack and held in the air.

[Illustration: AN IMPROVED PSYCHO.]

In Figs. 1_a_ and 1_b_ (elevation and plan), the wheels E and M have

each a train of clockwork (left out for the sake of clearness) which

would cause them to spin round if unchecked. M, however, has two pins,

_p p′_, which catch on a projection on the lever, N. E′ is a crown-wheel

escapement--like that in a bottle roasting-jack--which turns A

alternately to the left and right, thus causing the hand to traverse the

thirteen cards. A little higher on A will be seen a quadrant, B (see

plan), near the edge of which are set thirteen little pins. The end of

the lever, N, drops between any two of them, thus causing the hand to

stop at any desired card. The lever being pivoted at _c_, it is obvious

that, by depressing the end, N, B will be set at liberty, and the hand

will move along the cards; by slightly raising it this motion will be

arrested; by raising it still more the pin, _p_, is released, and M

begins to revolve; and by again depressing N this wheel will, in its

turn, be stopped. Near the bottom of the apparatus is a bellows, O,

which contains a spring tending to keep the lever, N, with which it is

connected by a rod, N, in the position shown. This is connected with the

tubular support, which may be connected by a tube through the leg of the

stool, and another tube beneath the stage, with an assistant behind the

scenes. By compressing or exhausting air through this tube it is obvious

that the lever, N, will be raised or depressed, and the clockwork set

going accordingly; _a_ is a crankpin set in M, and connected with the

head by catgut, T, and with the thumb by S.

At R and R′ are two pulleys connected by gut. Thus, if the hand moves

round, the head appears to follow its motions, and when raised by

pulling S, the head also rises, by means of T. Further explanation seems

almost unnecessary; _l_ is a stop to prevent the elbow moving too far,

and _b b_, spiral springs to keep thumb open and head forward

respectively. When N is raised, M pulls T and S, the latter closing

thumb, and then raising arm by pulley, H. If the lever is allowed to

drop, _p′_ will catch and keep arm up. On again raising N, the arm will

descend.

Figs. 2_a_ and 2_b_ show another and simpler arrangement, in which only

one train of clockwork is used. On the same axle as H is fixed a lever

and weight, W, to balance the arm. A vertical rod, X, having a

projection, Z, slides up and down in guides, Y Y, and carries the

catgut, S and T. The quadrant, B′, has cogs cut, between which Z slides,

and stops the motion of A, which is moved, as before, by clockwork. The

lower part of X is connected direct with O. When X is slightly raised,

as shown, A is free to move; but on exhausting air and drawing X down, Z

enters the cogs and stops the hand over a card; continuing to exhaust,

the thumb closes and the card is lifted up. The details of the clockwork

we leave to the ingenuity of the reader. There should be a fan on each

train to regulate the speed. The figure should be so placed that the

assistant can see the cards in the semicircular rack.

THE AUTOMATON CHESS PLAYER.

The newspapers announced some time ago that the police of Bordeaux had

forbidden the exhibition of the automaton Az Rah, one of the attractions

of the Exhibition Theater, because it had been discovered that the

manikin was set in motion, not by mechanical arrangements, but by a

youth of eighteen years, inclosed within a cavity behind the wheelwork,

and whose health was gravely compromised by this daily torture.

This automaton recalls the famous Turkish chess player that was

constructed in Hungary by Baron Kempelen in 1769, and exhibited in

Germany, Russia, France, England, and America, without the public

succeeding in ascertaining its mechanism. In 1819 and 1820 a man named

Melzer showed it anew in England. Robert-Houdin saw it in 1844 at the

house of a mechanician of Belleville, named Cronior. Since then its

fate has been unknown, and it is very probable the Az Rah of Bordeaux is

nothing else than the Turk of Vienna. Our readers who have seen it at

the Exhibition will be enabled to decide the question after reading the

description that we shall give. Baron Kempelen, a Hungarian nobleman and

an Aulic Councilor of the Royal Chamber of the Domains of Hungary, being

at Vienna, was called to the court to be present at a séance of

magnetism that a Frenchman named Pelletier was to hold before the

empress. Kempelen was known as an ingenious amateur of mechanics, and

the persons present having asked his opinion in regard to the

experiments which he had witnessed, he said that he believed he could

make a machine that would be much more astonishing than anything that he

had just seen. The empress took him at his word and expressed a desire

that he should begin the work. M. De Kempelen returned to Presbourg, in

his own country, and in six months produced an automaton which played a

game of chess against any one who offered himself, and nearly always won

it.

This automaton was a human figure of natural size, which was dressed in

the Turkish style, seated on a chair, and placed behind a wooden chest

on which was laid the chessboard. He took the pieces up with his hand in

order to play them, turned his head to the right and left in order to

see them better, and nodded his head three times when he checkmated the

king, and twice on attacking the queen. If his adversary made a mistake,

he shook his head, removed the wrongly-played piece, deposited it

outside of the chessboard, and played his own. The showman, who stood

near the automaton, wound up the mechanism after every ten or twelve

moves, and occasionally replaced certain wheels; and at every motion of

the Turk were heard noises of moving wheelwork. To show that there was

nothing within but mechanism, doors were opened in the chest and body.

There was also a magnet lying on the table to make believe that

magnetism, then in great vogue, and as yet full of mystery, played a

preponderating _rôle_ in the affair. M. De Kempelen was accustomed to

say: “The machine is very simple, and the mechanism appears wonderful

only because all has been combined with great patience in order to

produce the illusion.”

Many hypotheses were put forth on the subject, and two books, one

published in 1785, and the other in 1789, were devoted to a discussion

of them. Those that appeared to be most likely were, on the one hand,

that the Turk’s body contained an extraordinarily small dwarf; and, on

the other, that the showman acted upon the automaton from a distance by

the aid of magnetic influences. These two explanations gave a very

imperfect account of the facts, and it was not until some years ago that

the trick was unveiled in an anonymous book.

The following is an exact description of the apparatus and the

successive operations performed by the exhibitor:

[Illustration: THE AUTOMATON CHESS PLAYER.]

The chest was three and one-half feet long, two feet wide, and two and

one-half feet high, and was provided with doors and drawers whose use

will presently be seen. The front part of the chair seat was affixed to

the chest, and the back part rested on the floor by two legs which, as

well as the four legs of the chest, were provided with casters. The

right hand of the manikin was movable on the upper part of the chest

that formed a table, and, at the beginning of operations, held a pipe,

which was afterward removed, and it rested upon a cushion lying in a

certain definite position. The chessboard in front of the player was

eighteen inches square. The exhibitor, provided with a light, begins by

allowing the interior of the apparatus to be examined by the spectators.

He opens the door A (Fig. 1), and allows to be seen a series of gearings

that occupy the whole width of the chest. Then he passes behind and

opens the door B (Figs. 2 and 8), opposite the door A, and introduces a

light into the interior to show that it is empty. The spectators

standing on the other side can, in fact, see the light shine through the

different pieces of mechanism through the door, A, that remains open. He

afterward locks the door B, and comes in front of the chest and opens

the drawer G, from which he removes the chessmen, and a cushion which he

slides under the left arm of the automaton. This drawer seems to serve

no other purpose than the preservation of these objects. He then opens

the two doors, C C, in front of the chest, and shows a large closet

lined at the sides with dark drapery, and containing two boxes, L and M,

of unequal size, and a few belts and pulleys that seem to be designed

for putting in motion the mechanism contained in the boxes. Passing

behind again, he opens the door D, and introduces a light into the

interior of the chest to show that it has not a false bottom. Then he

closes this door again, and also the doors A and C, by means of the same

key. Next he turns the apparatus around so as to show the public the

other side (shown in Fig. 2), and raises the clothing of the Turk, and

opens the apertures, E and F, in the back and thigh, to show that no one

is hidden within. These doors remain constantly open afterward. Finally

the showman turns the Turk back to his former position, facing the

spectator, removes the cushion and pipe, and then the game may begin.

We shall explain as clearly as possible how the game was directed by a

man who succeeded in hiding himself by a series of movements when the

different doors of the apparatus were successively opened:

The drawer G G, when closed, does not reach the back side of the chest,

but leaves between it and its back an empty space, O, measuring fourteen

inches in breadth, eight in height, and two feet eleven inches in length

(Figs. 9, 10, and 11). This space is never shown to the spectator. The

little closet extending from A to B is separated into two parts by a

dark hanging, S (Fig. 8), which is raised when the door, B, is opened,

and lowered when it is shut. The front part of the closet is entirely

filled with the wheels that are thought to move the automaton. The back

part is empty and is separated from the large closet that the doors C

form, by a thick curtain, R, which hangs freely, being only fixed at its

upper part. A part, Q, of the bottom partition of the large closet C

C--the part in front of the Turk--is movable around a horizontal axis,

and is provided with a weight toward the interior of the closet

sufficient to cause it to fall always in a vertical position. The box L

is movable, and serves to hide an aperture in the floor of the closet;

and the box M is stationary, but has no bottom, and covers likewise a

corresponding hole in the lower floor over the space O. The interior of

the Turk is arranged as indicated in Figs. 8, 10, and 11. The end of the

chest to the right of the Turk slides in horizontal grooves (properly

hidden) in such a way as to give access to the space K. It will now be

seen that if a man of small stature introduces himself into the chest on

this side, he will be able to thrust his legs into the empty space

hidden behind the drawer, and to place the rest of his body in the space

K, as may be seen in Fig. 5, and by pushing the curtain before him and

removing the movable box, L, he will be able to assume the position

shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It is in such position that he awaits the

beginning of the exhibition. The box M serves for receiving his feet.

It will be remembered that the first operation of the exhibitor consists

in opening the door A, at which time the public sees only the mechanism,

and, behind it, the dark curtain, S, whose distance cannot be estimated.

The exhibitor next passes behind the chest, and, opening the door B,

introduces a light behind the mechanism, which is believed to occupy the

whole width of it. The curtain, S, being raised, it is seen by the light

that shines through the different pieces that they cannot serve to hide

any one. He then closes and locks the door B, and, returning to the

front, opens the drawer and performs the operations already described,

in order to give his confederate time to take the position shown in Fig.

5. The box L having been put back in place, as well as the curtain R,

the public sees only an empty space when the doors C are opened. The

curtain S, which has fallen, hides the back of the confederate, although

the door A remains open; and it is then that on introducing the light

through the door D, the exhibitor shows that the large closet has not a

double bottom. The doors C being again closed with the same key, so as

to make believe that these different closings are due to the necessity

of removing this key at every operation, the chest is turned around, the

two doors, E and F, are opened before the public to show that the body

of the Turk is empty, and finally the machine is wound up slowly, the

wheelwork making considerable noise the while. During this time the

confederate raises the movable partition Q, takes his legs from behind

the drawer, introduces the upper part of his body into a portion of the

manikin, which is so arranged as to give his loins a convenient support,

and seats himself on the box L, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The game may

then begin, the hidden player following his moves through the

sufficiently transparent fabric that forms the Turk’s clothing. In order

that the confederate may easily introduce his arm into that of the

manikin, it is necessary to give the latter a certain position, this

being the reason for the addition of a pipe in the hand and a cushion

under the elbow, both of which are removed when the game begins. A

simple cord permits of moving one of the manikin’s fingers so as to pick

up or drop the chessmen. The left arm of the confederate, which remains

in the machine, is employed in moving the head and in producing the

noise of wheelwork at every motion.

In reality, in M. De Kempelen’s automaton, it was the left arm that

moved the pieces. It is said that this peculiarity was due to the fact

that the chess player who operated the automaton was left-handed. There

has even been a touching romance related on this subject, to the effect

that the hidden chess player was a Polish officer who, having been

compromised in the revolt against Catharine the Great, and having lost

his legs in fighting, was received by Kempelen, who thus hid him so well

from the searches of the Russian police that he could go to conquer his

sovereign in the game in the midst of her court.

A CURIOUS AUTOMATON.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--AUTOMATON REPRESENTING A JUGGLER PLAYING WITH

BALLS.]

The automaton which we illustrate has a peculiarity of being actuated by

a simple flow of sand. It is curious that it was made in the first half

of the eighteenth century. The image, clad in Oriental costume of bright

colors, is seated behind a little table which is located in front of

what appears to be a brick and stone structure; it is made of

pasteboard. All of the details are executed with great care. When the

automaton is in motion it acts as a juggler. The arms rise alternately

or in unison, and lift the cups, and at every motion expose upon the

table first to the right a white ball, then to the left a red ball,

which passes to the right and disappears. Then two white balls make

their appearance on a new motion of the cups, and these are changed into

red ones at the next motion. The house forms a receptacle for fine sand

which falls upon the wheel, G, through the hopper, F. The sand flows in

a continuous stream, and causes the wheel, G, to revolve with great

rapidity. To this wheel are fixed six tappets which engage with the

toothed wheel, J, and thus diminish the rapidity. The wheel itself

communicates through the medium of teeth with the cylinder, H, which is

thus given a slow motion, which causes the automaton to act as follows:

Opposite the cylinder there are two series of levers of four each, the

extremities of which we suppose to be marked A, B, C, D, and A′, B′, C′,

D′. The two levers, D and D′, lift the arms, L L, and the extremity of

each of the six others is placed under a small strip of cardboard. Each

of these strips is hinged by one of its extremities to the table; the

other end, on rising, places itself just beneath the small aperture in

the table, E. If now we examine the cylinder, B, we shall see that it is

provided with a series of cams, A, B, C, and A′, B′, C′, and opposite

these, other and smaller ones, D and D′. Each cam, when the cylinder

revolves, strikes in turn one of the levers. The larger cams lift the

levers and consequently the hinged cards, with the balls of different

colors, and keep them lifted for some time, and during this period the

smaller cams act upon the levers of the arms that hold the cups. In this

way the balls are in place when the arms rise, and do not disappear, in

order to be replaced by others, until the arms have descended. The cams,

A and A′, cause the red balls to act, and the white balls are raised by

the cams, C and C′. As for the cams, B and B′, they act upon strips of

cardboard that merely support obturators for the apertures in the table.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--INTERNAL MECHANISM OF THE AUTOMATON.]

THE TOY ARTIST.

[Illustration: THE TOY ARTIST.]

The mechanical toy shown in the accompanying illustration is one of the

most original and ingenious things of its kind that have recently

appeared. Within the base upon which the “artist” and his easel are

placed, and immediately below the figure, is a small pinion which is

operated by a worm at the end of the crankshaft which is seen projecting

through the side of the base. The pinion, which rotates in a horizontal

plane, is provided with a couple of pins upon which is placed one of the

sets of removable cams which accompany the toy. The cams are double,

being provided with two separate peripheral edges, and each edge is

engaged by the short arm of a pair of levers, as shown in the engraving.

The upper lever attaches at the end of its long arm to a vertical shaft

which passes up through the body of the figure, and is pivotally

attached to its right arm at the shoulder. By this means the rotation of

the cam causes a vertical up and down movement of the arm and the

drawing pencil which it carries. The lower cam operates a system of

levers by which the arm is given a series of right and left movements.

It is evident that by giving the proper relative contours to the two

edges of the cam, the arm, with the pencil which it carries, may be made

to trace any desired line upon the paper, either vertical or

horizontal, by the action of the first or second cam; or diagonal or

curved, by the joint operation of the two. Each of the double cams which

are provided with the toy is cut so that its operation will cause the

figure to draw some well-known object. The levers are kept in snug

contact with the cams by a pair of spiral springs.

The easel is hinged to the base and is pressed against the pencil by

means of a coil spring. It is provided with four projecting pins upon

which the sheet of paper is held while the sketch artist is at work. The

model from which our engraving was made produced an easily recognized

likeness of the Emperor William of Germany (the device is “made in

Germany”), and a drawing which bore a strong resemblance to the familiar

barnyard fowl.

A STEAM MAN.

A good many years ago what was supposed to be a steam man was exhibited

all over the country, but finally the “steam man” presumably died, as

his remains were seen quite recently in one of the downtown New York

junk stores. The steam man which we illustrate was invented by Prof.

George Moore, who exhibited him very widely in the United States.

In our illustration we show the section and general view of the steam

man. In the body is the boiler, containing a very large heating surface

which is supplied with a gasoline fire. Below the boiler is situated the

engine. While this steam engine is not at all large, it runs at a very

high speed and is of high power, the combination of boiler and engine

giving about one-half horse-power. From the engine the exhaust pipe

leads to the nose of the figure, whence the steam escapes when the

machine is in motion. Through the head the smoke flue is carried, and

the products of combustion escape from the top of the helmet. The steam

gauge is placed by the side of the neck. The skirts of the armor open

like doors, so as to give free access to the engine. The main body of

the figure is made of heavy tin. By reducing gear the engine is made to

drive the walking mechanism of the figure at reasonable speed.

In our sectional view we show the combination of levers by which the

figure is made to walk. The engine imparts a swinging to the whole

length of the leg from the hip; a second swinging motion, from the knee

downward, is accomplished by a similar system of levers and connections;

and, finally, a true ankle motion is given to the foot by the rod

running down through the lower leg. The heels of the figure are armed

with calks, or spurs, which catch on the surface on which it is walking

and give it its power. As exhibited, the steam man is connected to the

end of a horizontal bar about waist high, which is fastened to a

vertical standard in the center of the track. Thus supported, the man

walks round in a circle at quite a rapid rate of progress.

[Illustration: THE STEAM MAN.]

For the last eight years the inventor has been at work on a larger steam

man which he hopes to have in operation sometime. The new one is

designed for use on the open streets, and is to draw a wagon containing

a band. In the upper figure we indicate the method of attachment to the

wagon which has been adopted. By the long spring at the side of the

figure an elastic connection is secured, so that the figure shall always

have its weight supported by the ground. The present man, which is about

six feet high, when in full operation, cannot, it is said, be held back

by two men pulling against it. The larger man, built for heavier work,

is expected to pull as many as ten musicians in his wagon. Our cuts show

the general appearance of the figure, which is attired in armor like a

knight of old, and which appears to be thoroughly operative. The action

is quite natural, and the hip, knee, and ankle motion of the human leg

have been very faithfully imitated. The figure moves at a brisk walk and

can cover about four or five miles an hour.

CHAPTER II.

CURIOUS TOYS.

AN OPTICAL ILLUSION.

[Illustration: X-RAY MACHINE WITH NO X RAY.]

The simple toy illustrated in the engraving has printed on the underside

the rather high-sounding title, “X-Ray Machine. Wonder of the age!” But

it is neither an X-ray machine nor a wonder. It is simply a reduced copy

of an ancient trick. The two cylinders mounted on the base, with a space

between them, are perforated axially and are supposed to represent

coils. When the eye is applied to the end of one of these cylinders,

objects may be clearly seen through them; and when a coin is slipped

between the ends of the cylinders, as shown in the cut, it offers no

obstruction to the light. Objects can apparently be seen through the

coin. Fig. 2 affords an explanation. The hole in each cylinder is

intercepted by a mirror arranged at an angle of forty-five degrees with

the axis of the cylinder, and in the base are two mirrors arranged

parallel with the first two, as shown. A hole extends downward from the

central hole of each cylinder, so that light entering at one end of the

machine is reflected downward at right angles by the first mirror,

thence forward by the second mirror to the third, which throws it up to

the fourth mirror, by which it is reflected to the eye. It will thus be

seen that the light never passes entirely through the cylinders, and the

observer does not see through, but around, the coin.

The old device which preceded this was on a much larger scale, and was

generally used in connection with a brick, which, of course, had the

same transparency as the coin.

THE MONEY MAKER.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--THE MONEY MAKER.]

A few years ago a familiar sight on Broadway was the toy vender who

sells the little machine called the “Money Maker,” the machine

consisting of a pair of rollers in one side of which are inserted plain

sheets of paper of the size of a bank note, and as the rollers revolve,

a bright new bill rolls out from the opposite side; then another blank

sheet is inserted, and another bill rolls out, and so on. To the

uninitiated this operation is a mystery, and to the unprincipled it is

apparently the device long looked for. This machine is certainly as good

as any device calculated to make something out of nothing, but in this,

as in other things, what you get you must pay for.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--CROSS SECTION OF THE MONEY MAKER.]

The explanation of the device is made simple by the enlarged cross

section. To the two rollers journaled in the standards are attached the

ends of a strip of black cloth which is wound around both rollers in

opposite directions, so as to about evenly divide the cloth between the

rollers. The gudgeons of the rollers are squared to receive an ordinary

clock key, by means of which either may be turned. To prepare the

machine for operation, the cloth is wound upon one of the rollers while

it is partly unwound from the other; then the key is transferred to the

gudgeon of the partly filled roller, and as it is turned, crisp new bank

bills are fed into the machine and are wrapped with the black cloth upon

the roller between the convolutions of the cloth; one bill after another

is thus inserted until three, four, or more bills are hidden in the

roll, and the rollers present about the same appearance as to size. This

preparation, of course, takes place aside, and is not seen by the

persons to whom the trick is to be shown. The key is shifted from the

roller containing the bills (the upper one in the present case) to the

lower one. Now, as the lower roller is turned so as to unwind the cloth

from the upper roll, a piece of plain paper of the width and length of a

bank note is inserted at the moment the first bill is about to emerge

from the layers of cloth on the upper roll. The paper begins to be

rolled upon the lower roll under the outer layer of cloth, so that while

the paper appears to be simply rolled through between the rollers,

coming out upon the opposite side a complete bill, it is in reality only

hidden by the cloth on the lower roller. After the first bill is

discharged from the rollers another piece of paper must be supplied in

such a manner that it will begin to enter the machine as the next bill

emerges, and so on.

EXPERIMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND GRAVITY.

The elasticity of torsion and tension, the storage of energy,

centrifugal force, momentum, and friction are all concerned in the

movement of the simple toy illustrated in Fig. 1; and yet, perhaps, not

one in a thousand of the people who see the toy realizes the composite

nature of its action. Barring the well-known return ball, nothing can be

simpler than this toy, which consists of two wooden balls of the same

diameter connected by a slender rubber band attached by staples, as

shown in the lower figure.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--GYRATING BALLS.]

To prepare the toy for operation, it is only necessary to twist the

rubber band by holding one of the balls in the hand and rolling the

other round in a circular path upon the floor by giving to the hand a

gyratory motion. As soon as the band is twisted, the free ball is

grasped in the hand, then both are released at once.

The untwisting of the rubber band causes the balls to roll in opposite

directions in a circular path, and centrifugal force causes the balls to

fly outward. By virtue of the acquired momentum, the balls continue to

rotate after the rubber band is untwisted, so that the band is again

twisted, but in the opposite direction. As soon as the resistance of the

band overcomes the momentum of the balls, the rotation ceases for an

instant, when the band again untwisting revolves the balls in the

opposite direction, and the operation is repeated until the stored

energy is exhausted.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--UNBALANCED BALL.]

In Fig. 2 is illustrated another ball in which the center of gravity is

located near the periphery. The ball, which is hollow, is made of paper.

To the inner surface of the ball is attached a weight which is secured

in place by a piece of cloth glued over it. When this ball is thrown

through the air with a whirling motion, it describes a curve like that

indicated by dotted lines in the upper part of the engraving, so that it

is difficult, if not impossible, to catch it. When the ball is rolled on

a plane surface, it does not take a straightforward course, as would be

expected from a well-balanced ball, but its course is very erratic, as

indicated by dotted lines in the lower part of the figure.

THE MAGIC ROSE.

An artificial rose, which is of paper, is traversed by a metallic tube

that forms its stalk. One end of this tube extends slightly beyond the

petals of the flower, and the other is prolonged in such a way that it

can be held in the mouth, the flower being at a distance of about ten

inches from the eyes.

If the tube be blown into regularly, and a small elder-pith ball, to

which two artificial butterflies are affixed by slender wires, be placed

over the flower, the ball, when well centered in the current of air,

will remain suspended therein at an inch or so from the flower. As the

current of air is invisible, the effect produced is very surprising, and

the butterflies, incessantly in motion, appear to be engaged in rifling

the flower of sweets, after the manner of living ones. It sometimes

happens that the ball revolves in the current and carries along the

butterflies, which thus describe a circle around an axis. It is

unnecessary to say that the blowing must be done with great regularity.

[Illustration: THE MAGIC ROSE.]

ELECTRICAL TOYS.

The vulcanite electrophorus shown in our first engraving consists of a

plate of vulcanite about one-third of an inch in thickness; one or more

small pieces of tin foil about the size of a playing card are pasted on

one side of the plate. The electrophorus is then placed on a table, and

the surfaces are successively rubbed with the palm of the hand. If the

plate is raised from the table and the tin foil is approached by the

other hand, a spark is produced. A number of figures of elder pith

complete the toy and show the phenomena of electrical attraction and

repulsion in the most comical manner. The plate being excited, the small

elder-pith figures are placed on the tin foil, and the plate is lifted

from the table. The figures raise their arms, and the hair of the one in

the center stands out like the bristles of a porcupine.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--ELECTROPHORUS WITH ELDER-PITH FIGURES.]

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--ELECTRIC BOTTLE IMPS.]

Our second engraving shows some electrical bottle imps. A glass vessel

is mounted on a hollow base containing an electro-magnet provided with

battery connections. One or two small figures surmounted by a hollow

glass bulb have a small piece of wire attached to the feet and are

placed in the vessel. The air in the hollow glass bulb will draw them up

to the surface of the water, as shown in the engraving, but as soon as

the current is turned on, the figures will be drawn irresistibly to the

bottom of the vessel; as soon as the current is interrupted the figures

will rise rapidly.

The magic fishes shown in our third engraving depend upon a similar

trick. The electro-magnet is replaced by a small electro-motor which

rotates from right to left, or from left to right, and causes a

corresponding movement in the fishes, as the shaft carries a magnet

which, of course, attracts the fishes and causes them to make a circular

course around the small fish tank.

[Illustration: FIG. 3.--MAGIC FISHES.]

THE ELECTRIC RACE COURSE.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--ELECTRIC RACE COURSE AT NICE.]

Whatever may be the opinion that is held as to horse races and their

moral influence, it is none the less certain that they offer an

irresistible attraction to a large number of persons, and that this

growing passion prevails equally in all degrees of the social scale.

Bold innovators have seen a vein to be exploited in the racing mania,

and the game of the miniature horse race, an always popular pastime at

bathing resorts, is only one of the more happy forms given to true races

with a view of prolonging the excitement of betting, of the unexpected,

and of chance, at times when genuine racing could be done only with

difficulty and would attract too small a number of persons. The electric

race course that we are now going to present to our readers occupies a

place just between genuine races and the miniature horse race. It is, in

fact, a happy alliance of genuine races, the game just mentioned, hobby

horses, and electricity. Taken as a whole, it consists of a certain

number of hobby horses, half natural size, each moving over a circular

track, under the influence of an individual motor, and receiving the

current of a single generator, but in an independent manner; thus

securing a perfect autonomy to each courser, qualified, moreover, by the

surveillance of the electrician who acts as a sort of despotic monarch

over them. The horses are ridden by children and even by grown persons,

and it is in this that they resemble hobby horses, although the

possibility of imparting different speeds to them permits of their being

passed by competitors and of passing the latter in turn, thus increasing

the excitement of the riders. Bets may be made, of which the chances are

just as certain as those of the play of odd and even upon the numbers of

the hacks traversing the boulevards of Paris.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--MECHANICAL HORSE.]

M. Salle’s race course constitutes an interesting application of the

carriage and of the distribution of motive power by continuous currents.

The installation erected in Nice (shown in Fig. 1) comprises a

twelve-horse-power gas engine that actuates a Rechniewsky dynamo with

double winding, which sends the current into six electric motors.

About the motor and dynamo there is nothing peculiar. An electric motor

is arranged behind each horse (Fig. 2). When the circuit of the dynamo

is closed, all the horses start at once and take on relative speeds that

are so much the greater in proportion as the circle upon which they are

placed has a greater radius. The speed of each horse, moreover, can be

regulated at will by means of a rheostat interposed in its particular

circuit. An interrupter permits of stopping any horse whatever without

stopping the movement of all the others. All the motions are controlled

from the post of the electrician, who, standing upon a lateral stage,

overlooks the entire track, and can watch and regulate what takes place

upon it, for upon a horizontally arranged board he has all the

maneuvering pieces necessary for the play. These pieces are, in the

first place, a main commutator that cuts the circuit from all the horses

at once; then six individual commutators for each of the horses, six

rheostats interposed in the respective circuits of the six motors and

permitting of regulating the angular speeds of each horse, and finally

an exciting rheostat of the dynamo machine that permits of varying the

speeds of all the motors at once, in the same ratio.

It is therefore possible, by maneuvering these different pieces, to

regulate the general or particular gait of each horse, and to stop any

one of the horses almost instantly if an obstacle falls upon the track,

or if one of the riders becomes suddenly indisposed.

The driving of the motive wheel by the motor is done by direct contact.

To this effect the large wheel is provided with a rubber tire, against

which the pulley of the motor bears. The friction thus obtained is

sufficient to carry along the vehicle, which, with the rider, weighs a

little less than six hundred and fifty pounds. The mean speed is

thirteen feet per second, but the horses placed at the circumference can

obtain a speed of sixteen or eighteen feet, a velocity that it is not

prudent to exceed, or even reach, on account of the difficulty the rider

would have in holding himself in equilibrium, and the feeling of

dizziness that he might experience.

The vehicle upon which each horse is mounted merits special mention,

because of the arrangements made to prevent upsetting. Each of the four

wheels has a different diameter. Their two axles converge toward the

center of the circular track upon which each horse moves, and the axis

inclines toward the center.

Each pair of wheels, therefore, constitutes a true rolling cone, whose

apex passes through the central point of the track situated upon the

horizontal rolling plane. The inequality of the wheels naturally makes

it necessary to employ but a single driving wheel, and to mount the four

wheels loose upon the axles. Owing to these arrangements no tendency to

derailment has shown itself, even with speeds of from sixteen to

twenty-two feet per second upon curves of thirteen feet radius.

Two small rollers placed upon the track tend to prevent an upsetting

under the action of a lateral thrust or a strong impulsion. The track

consists of a single tram rail, with which engage the two external

wheels. This rail serves as a guide and suffices to prevent derailment.

The current is led to each motor by two rollers moving over two circular

metallic bands in direct communication with the poles of the dynamo,

through the intermedium of the maneuvering board, thus permitting of

varying the speed of each of the horses, and even of stopping the latter

by interrupting the circuit.

MAGNETIC ORACLE.

The toy shown in the subjoined figure, taken from “_La Nature_,”

although far from new, is, nevertheless, ingenious, and cleverly

modernized by the constructor. This is the way to make the oracle speak;

we will afterward give the secret of its accurate answers. We write upon

twelve prepared cards a series of questions relating to history,

geography, science, customs, etc. One of the company takes one of these

cards at random and reads one of the questions: then the card is placed

under the magician’s feet, in a groove made to receive it. Immediately

the oracle turns on its axis, and after some oscillations becomes fixed

in a certain position, its magic wand pointing to one of the numbers by

which it is surrounded. On referring to the corresponding number on a

list, we read an admirably exact and accurate answer.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--THE MAGNETIC ORACLE.]

We may see that by varying at will the cards of questions and answers we

may obtain from the oracle an indefinite number of replies. Nothing

could be simpler than the process by which this result is obtained. The

base of the toy, into which the cards slip, bears a vertical pivot on

which rests the body of the magician, whose robe conceals a vertical

U-shaped magnet, having its two poles near the base, as shown in Fig.

2.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--DETAILS OF THE MAGNETIC ORACLE.]

In each of the cards there is another magnet concealed, a straight rod,

occupying a different position for each of the twelve cards. We see

that, in virtue of the well-known laws of the attraction of magnets for

each other, each time that a card is placed with its magnet in the base,

the figure will turn round this axis and effect a series of oscillations

round its own axis until the poles of the U-shaped magnet holder under

its robe are opposite the contrary poles of the straight rod hidden in

the card. If the base has been correctly marked previously, the divining

rod will indicate the corresponding number of the answer. Any boy with a

little genius and a few tools can make an oracle similar to our

engraving.