“AN ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS.”
The designer describes this effect as follows:
“In describing the window as seen through the plate glass, one can easily imagine he is looking at a bit of nature, only in a miniature form. In the foreground, moored to a dock, is seen a gondola, majestically rising and falling upon an effect that looks precisely like a deep, clear body of water, with a slow, even motion so perfect that it is impossible to determine when it begins or stops. In the distance old Vesuvius is belching fire and lava, which looks so real it is hard to believe it is only an illusion.”
The drawing will at a glance give a fair idea of the mechanical contrivance used to obtain these effects.
DIAGRAM SHOWING MECHANISM OF THE VOLCANO AND MOON EFFECTS’.
The rising and falling motion to the water effect was made on the plan of scale beams, as can be seen in drawing. Cords were fastened to ends of levers marked ‘B’ and passing them under rollers ‘E’ and hooking the other ends to crank-wheel ‘C.’ As wheel ‘C’ would revolve it pulled levers down, causing center, containing water effect, on which was placed the gondola, to rise, and in turn the weight of the gondola would cause the center to fall when levers were released by wheel. I used window weights to balance it, allowing center to be heavy enough to sink of its own weight.
