Easy To Eat Fire

The so-ealled fire-eating magician have long plied their trade in defianc of all explications of chemists and phy sicians. A clever prestidigitator, Mr. D Vere, described recently how the trieb for such it is, is done. It is very sim ple of practice, but it necessitates ai apparatus which must be very carefull. and neatly constructed. The flre-eater usually give their performance on raised platform, which hides the sourc of the fire, while it seems only to lif the operator a trine higher from th floor of the scène, and it is ordinaril. covered with a handsome red carpet It contains in the hollow space beneatl it bags of rubber filled with ordinar) illuminating gas and compressed b? weights. The fire-eater has beneatt the sole of his foot an ingenious appa ratus ending in a tube, which fits ex actly into another tube coming ui through the platform from underneath and forming a tight connection when h( steps upon it; very fine rubber tubes of the same color as the magician'! dress, which is usually a diabolical scar let red, run up along his body ar.( along the arms to the furthest end o the index finerers: another ■ tnhA rnn around his neck and up under nis chin which is usually covered by a falst beard, ending at his nether lip. Whei entering upon the stage all the lights are usually turned down to heightei the effect of the performance; the operator steps upon the platform, makel his connection, and'after a sign thai he is ready the gas is turned on frorr beneath. When he feels that it is beginning to escape from the tube at th end of his finger he lights it by means of a little push button, which is conveniently located near by, and sometimes even within his clothes on the inside of the c.Dak. The gas once burning he ïas it entirely under his control, to , ght or turn out any of the various jets he has previously arranged about his body. The jets on th fingers are controlled by pressure oi the thumb upon the thin rubber tube the gas jet on his lip is lighted by a motion of the hand, and he always turna up his face, opens his mouth and pretenda to blow the fíame from his mouth. The appearance is very deceptive, indeed, as the breath blown from the lungs gives much Hfe to the fiame. As the scène is never light while the fire-eaters are at work, their secret has never before been discovèred.