t is easily started flying from the ground by laying
it with the head toward the operator and pulling it up into the
wind.
--Contributed by Chas. B. Damik, Cooperstown, N. Y.

** The Levitation - A Modern Stage Trick [459]

This illusion has mystified thousands of the theater-going public,
in fact, it has been the "piece de resistance" of many illusion
acts. The ordinary method of procedure is as follows: The person
who is to be suspended in the air, apparently with no
support--usually a lady--is first put in a hypnotic (?) sleep. She
is placed on a couch in the middle of the stage, and in most cases
the spotlight is brought into play. The performer then takes a
position close to the couch and with dramatic

[Illustration: Raising the Subject in Midair]

effect makes a few hypnotic passes over the subject. She then
slowly rises from the couch until she has attained a height
varying from 4 to 5 ft. above the stage, as shown in Fig. 1. The
couch is then taken a way and a hoop is passed over the floating
lady. The performer now causes the lady to float back to the couch
or board that she may have been resting on, after which the
so-called hypnotic spell is withdrawn.

In spite of the claims that the illusion owes its origin to Hindoo
magic, it is nothing more nor less than a clever mechanical
contrivance, the construction of which will be readily understood
by a glance at the accompanying illustrations.

The bottom of the couch, if one is used, contains a cradle-like
arrangement which fits the recumbent form of the lady and is
connected to a heavy sheet of plate glass by means of a rod, D,
Fig. 2, attached to one end, and running parallel to the side of
the cradle. When the glass is lifted, the body of the subject is
also raised, seemingly at the will of the performer. This is
accomplished by the aid of an assistant beneath the stage floor.
The plate of glass, E, Fig. 3, passes perpendicularly through the
stage down to a double block and tackle. The end of the cable is
attached to a drum or windlass and the plate glass held steady
with guides at the sides of the slot in the stage floor, through
which it passes. The winding up of the cable naturally forces the
plate glass and cradle up, causing the lady to rise.

Some illusionists place the lady on a board on two ordinary
trestles and cause the board to rise with the lady

[Illustration: Direction the Hoop Takes In Passing over the Board]

on it, as shown i