Later Day Tricks
A. Roterberg
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The Glass Cylinder and Water Trick
A GLASS cylinder, which is about six inches long and nearly two inches in diameter, is given for examination and found free from preparation. The performer then takes a small sheet of dampened paper and holding it against the bottom of the cylinder, completely fills the latter with water, pouring it into the open upper end, over which he then places a similar sheet of paper.
Removing his hand from the bottom of the cylinder the water remains suspended in the latter. The conjurer now peels off the bottom paper and to every one's astonishment the water, instead of spilling out, still remains suspended in the glass tube. Placing his hand on both ends of the cylinder, the performer turns the latter upside down and remarks that the most difficult part of the experiment is about to come, and proceeds to remove the paper from the bottorn, which, as will be remembered, occupied the top a moment ago, when again, contrary to the spectator's anticipation, the water remains in the cylinder, being apparently held by nothing. Holding the filled cylinder at some little distance above a glass pitcher or bowl, the conjurer commands it to empty itself, which it instantly does, and if desired, can once more be given for examination.
The secret of this novel trick depends upon the use of two discs of mica or isinglass of the same circunference as the outside of the cylinder. By means of a drop or two of water each disc is stuck to the rear side of the small squares of paper used for covering the ends of the cylinder. In placing the papers on, the conjurer takes great care that the mica rests evenly on the ends of the cylinder. The rest of the trick will now appear easy to my readers, as all that the performer has to do is to quickly but carefully peel off the papers as described, the mica discs which remain on the ends of the glass tube and which are not noticeable, producing the result as described in the effect of the trick.
The emptying of the cylinder at the word of command, is accomplished by slightly lifting the upper mica disc with the finger nail, whereupon air enters the cylinder forcing the water out and causing the mica at the lower end of the tube to drop with the water into the pitcher or bowl. The upper mica disc is easily palmed off, and all evidences of trickery being thus removed, the cylinder can once more be thoroughly inspected.
The method just described is a simple one, adopted by American conjurers. Their European colleagues go to a little more trouble in performing the trick, by using, instead of the mica discs, two glass discs with a shoulder at the bottom, which fits partly into each end of the cylinder. Besides in the upper glass disc is drilled a small hole, which allows the performer to pass a knitting needle into the cylinder at any time, the knitting needle being also used to cause the emptying of the filled cylinder, by being simply pushed far enough into the cylinder to force out the bottom disc.
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