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Show j WALKING ON THE CEIUNQ. . It Apprr startling, bat U Not DUBcnJI 1 to Pr(uri. There are today at least fifteen persons who perform the novel (eat of walking Dead down along tbe full lea gib of a great board and who are known as ceiling walkers. There an lady and geutleiuiru performer, their perioruianees being confined almost entirely to tbe variety istie. Th effeot is startling : as one of them movies along underneath the j t-oard, far above, the floor of the) stage, their full form extending downward. Until re- eently the ciuuj ;ier of performing the feat whs a guarded tx'ret VY bile there is a general gen-eral diilfreiiee as to details the principle ln-volvt.'Hi ln-volvt.'Hi in ktvpiog the walker suspended is practically tbe same. It U the becret of the ability of the fly to walk over a ceiling. Tb board used is a heavy plank about flf-teru flf-teru fe-t long and three feet wide. This is rendered almost perfectly smooth by beiug ; rub twxi down with pumice nloua. Near each end of the board is suspended a trapeze, to 1 which tbe performer hangs, head down, as he presses his (wt to the board above him wbeu MtMxUng upon his walk. Underneath is stretched a largo net. An ordinary pair of 8t.t shoes will answer the purpose. To the bottom of these are fastened circular, 1 concave arrangements of gum, a sort of i bowl shajMxl shoes, a bo at six and one-balf inches in diameter, and it is these, press! I against the board atwve, that holds thewalker f atiseided. The material of which these bowl shaped shoes is made is of the same thicknessandsp-pearance thicknessandsp-pearance at that used in heavy firemen's . hose. In the center ou the concave side of ; these shoes is a thick piece of steel, circular ! in form. To this plate is riveted on the cou- vol side of the shoes a small iron framework. From this frame work friend two iron rods, I shaped like the handles of the instrument j used in toasting or broiling. By tbe frame work tbe bowl shaped shoes are fastened to the regular walking shoes. The rods referred to extend toward the toe, resting underneath the ball of the foot. A pressure exerted upon that portion of the foot will press out the rods and permit the air to rush into the concave con-cave gum siioes just at their center. Everything in readiness the performer sits upon t he trapeze and adjusts the concave ar-raug ar-raug omenta to his shoes. Then be swing around, head down, holding on to the trapeze, and presses the bowl shaped arrangements arrange-ments on his shoes against the board above. As he presses tho air is driven out of the ' bowL A vacuum is created as the gum Is pressed all tho tighLer against tbe board, becoming be-coming flattened out. Tho atmosphario pressure pres-sure on each one of the shoes used will exert a power or carry a weight of about fifteen pounds to the square inch. Then the trapeze is let go of. The performer hangs suspended. A pressure upon the ball of the left foot operates oper-ates the iron rod which opens a small arrangement ar-rangement at tbe convex center of the coo-cave coo-cave shoes. Air rushes in and the shoe becomes be-comes loosened. Hanging by the right foot, j the one loosened Is thrown further along on the board. Tightly It is pressed against the j board until It fastens. Then the left is oper- I a ted in the same manner, and so it contlnuas , until tbe stage is crossed. Cincinnati Kn- , quirer. I |