Walking on the Ceiling.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 27 November 1890, Page 3

Walking on the Ceiling.

Yet another startling f cat has been devised for the delectation of a jaded public, which is always seeking J something new in its spectacular amusements. This is the performance of a lady who rejoices in the name of " Aimee, the Human Fly," and whose accomplishment consists in walking upon the ceiling, after the fashion of her insect prototype. This is managed in a. comparatively simple manner, The lady is provided with" pneumatic attachments" to her feet, or in other words, jndiarubber suckers 4£ inches in diameter, which act in the same way as the boy's piece of wet leather aud string, with which he manages to lift a heavy stone. In order to procure a specially smooth Barf ace to walk on, » board 24£ feet long is suspended from the ceiling, and near one end of this is a trapeze. The atmospheric pressure causes the suckers to adhere to the boards. With a perfect vacuum the pressure , for the area. afforded by a disc 4£ inches in diameter would amount ' to about 240 pounds, and as thr> ! performer only weighs about 125 pounds, there is a good margin to spare. There is an ingenious contrivance for admitting air under the ■uoker, so as to enable the performer to lift one foot, while she is suspended head downwards, of course ■ by the other. In this way she walks twice the length of the board, first backward and then forward. i