PULLING THE WORLD'S LEG.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 2053, 9 December 1924, Page 6

PULLING THE WORLD'S LEG.

HOAXERS WHO HAVE DECEIVED CONTINENTS. From time to time the whole world is stirred by some amazing item of news. It becomes the chief topic of conversation. Then, with startling suddenness comes a bombshell. The story is a “fake.” A clever schemer has hoaxed the world. Something of the sort happened recently. One day it was announced mat the “lost books” of Invy had been found. Livy was a. famous Roman historian, and a certain part of las work has been missing for a thousand years. The news itliat this missing part had been found caused great excitement among learned men all over the world. Then the finder an additional sensation by disappearing. The frontiers were watched and the closest search was made for him. He reappeared, only to confess that his story was untrue. The world’s “leg had been “pulled,” A WATER-POWER WONDOR.

A few days laiter it was reported in London that King Boris of Bulgaria had been assassinated. Nothing definite could be learnt. All day long the telephone of the Bulgarian Legation rang. The greatest anxiety was felt. Then it was learnt thalt the King was alive and well. A Bulgarian newspaper had been hoaxed, and the stoiy had been copied by newspapers all over the world . • Curiously enough scientists and other intellectuals seem to be among the easiest to hoax. There is the instance of the “Keely motor.” An inventor declared that lie bad discoveied a new force, more powerful than any power then known. By means or this invention, he stated, a quart of water could be made to exert a force of one thousand horse-power. There was intense excitement over this announcement. Twenty thousand pounds was raised by a public fund; the inventor was hailed as the greatest scientist of the age. The inventor produced a machine—a baffling tangle of pipes and tVabes—and invited scientists to witness a test. Unfortunately for him lie bungled l 'the affair and was seen to slip in a reservoir of compressed air—the only power his “invention” possessed.

BLEW UP THE WRONG BOAT. Another hoax deceived scientists and some of the greatest naval experts. A certain “professor” stated that he had discovered a ray which would blow up ships that were lying five or more miles away. He gave a wonderful demonstration in the presence of wellknown people. He had, of course, discovered no ray at all. The. ships were exploded by a charge of dynamite placed on board, and ignited by an electric cable arranged by two accomplices. On the occasion of a second test something went wrong, and instead <tf the ship being blown up, the fate befell the boat containing the “professor’s” assistants. One of the most amazing hoaxes on record is that of the American explorer, Peary, who reported that he had found 1 a channel at the north of Greenland. This was supposed to prove that Greenland was an island, and the channel was marked on American Navy maps. It was not unltil six years later that another explorer reported that where the channel was said to be was a range of hills, free from ice, and where game abounded. THE CROP THAT FAILED. Peary also claimed to havo discovered a tract of land called Crocker Land. Subsequently, other explorers established the fact that no such land existed. Peary’s “discoveries” have been deleted from naval maps, and much doubt has, consequently, been cast upon his statement that be discovered the North Pole. Some years ago a .letter was received by an important newspaper declaring that the greatest sufferings were being experienced by the inhabitants of certain parts df Italy owing to the failure of the macaroni crop. An article was actually published on the subject and a relief fund suggested. Macaroni is noft a plant, but an article manufactured from flour!