Wonders with the Whip.

Hastings Standard, Issue 3, 29 April 1896, Page 4

Wonders with the Whip.

A decided sensation has been treated in Vienna by a man who : robably stands alone in the world in his particular line of . performance. This gentleman's name is Piskslug, r.ncl he is an Au s tro-Hungarian by ' irth. He is an expert, or, rather, a phenomenal artist, in the use of the whip. The first thing he does is to take a long-lashed, stout-handled whip in each hand, and, with orchestral accompaniment, proceed to crack or snap them at a terrific rate. The sound made by his whips in this manner is graduated from a noise like a riile report to tire, sort click of a billiard ball. It makes a eJteiotis sort of music, and serves to show hc^ r he can regulate the force of each stroke. More interest, however, is evidenced when he seizes a vicious-looking whip with an abnormally long lash. It is provided with a very heavy handle of medium length. This is his favourite toy, and what he can do with it is really wonderful. He first gives an idea of what fearful force there lies in a whip lash in the hands of an expert. A large frame, over which is stretched a calf or sheepskin, is brought on the stage. This is marked with dots of red paint. The man with the whip steps up. and, swinging the lash round his head lets fly at the calfskin. With every blow he actually pulls a piece right out of the leather, leaving a clean-cut hole. These pieces are distributed among the audience to show that there is no trickery about the performance. After thia he takes a frame with three shelves. On these there are a dozen or more of medium-sized apples lying very close together and provided with large numbers. Anyone in the audience may designate which apple he wishes struck, and the unerring lash snatches it out like a tlash. A still more difficult feat is the snapping of coins from a narrownecked bottle. A pieeo of silver about the size of a half-crown is put over the cork of the bottle, which stands on the edge of a table. The whip artist, without appearing to take any sort of aim, sends the long lash whizzing -Jhroufh the air and picks off the coin without jarring the bottle, much less b:eikmgit-