Re: Oh look at the spectacular lightning!

On 2006-07-28, Robert Sneddon <fred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

An old fairground show I heard about back in the post-WWII era involved
a sword-swallower doing his schtick with a neon or fluorescent tube,
giving the audience a delightful view in a darkened tent.

So that the electrical contacts were both at the same end, they tended
to use neon tubes that were bent into a U shape.

The tubes used
were rather delicate though and the failure modes somewhat nasty if the
performer, for example, coughed at the wrong time.

s/nasty/fatal/

If part of the tube shatters whilst it's in you, you ain't pulling it
out!

For a rather readable novel that features this subject, check out
"Memoirs of a sword swallower" by Dan Manix

-Paul
.

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