The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 4Poe, Edgar Allan
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The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 4
Poe, Edgar Allan
American fiction -- 19th century; Fantasy fiction; Horror tales, American; Short stories
9. When, in exhibiting the interior of the box, Maelzel has
thrown open the door No. I, and also the door immediately behind
it, he holds a lighted candle at the back door (as mentioned
above) and moves the entire machine to and fro with a view of
convincing the company that the cupboard No. 1 is entirely filled
with machinery. When the machine is thus moved about, it will be
apparent to any careful observer, that whereas that portion of
the machinery near the front door No. 1, is perfectly steady and
unwavering, the portion farther within fluctuates, in a very
slight degree, with the movements of the machine. This
circumstance first aroused in us the suspicion that the more
remote portion of the machinery was so arranged as to be easily
slipped, _en masse, _from its position when occasion should
require it. This occasion we have already stated to occur when
the man concealed within brings his body into an erect position
upon the closing of the back door.
10. Sir David Brewster states the figure of the Turk to be of the
size of life—but in fact it is far above the ordinary size.
Nothing is more easy than to err in our notions of magnitude. The
body of the Automaton is generally insulated, and, having no
means of immediately comparing it with any human form, we suffer
ourselves to consider it as of ordinary dimensions. This mistake
may, however, be corrected by observing the Chess-Player when, as
is sometimes the case, the exhibiter approaches it. Mr. Maelzel,
to be sure, is not very tall, but upon drawing near the machine,
his head will be found at least eighteen inches below the head of
the Turk, although the latter, it will be remembered, is in a
sitting position.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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