Visitors to Peabody Museum Yesterday Disappointed--Baskets From Borneo Had Ceased Their Revolutions

The Peabody Museum's famous Borneo baskets which have kept scientists mystified for over a month now, gave their followers a new start when it was found early yesterday morning that their motion had stopped. The twin baskets have maintained a slow twirling motion, except for a brief interruption two weeks ago, since they were first hung up last October. Numerous attempts had been made to explain their motion, which seemed perpetual, visitors flocked daily to the Museum to see the University's modern wonder. Then yesterday when people came in to watch them at their expected rounds were astounded to see them motionless. They still hung, however, in their usual case just as before; here was another mystery greater than the first.

Careful inquiries later in the day revealed the fact, however, that the cause of the new phenomenon was to be sought for below the realm of the super natural. In fact the baskets had been stopped the night before by the two young scientists who are gathering data on them. A small kink in the wire near the nail from which it hangs had been enough to halt the gyrations of the delicately balanced baskets.

Several causes are now assigned to the uncanny revolving of the strange receptacles, among them nicety of balance, vibrations, air currents, and a particular penchant which the baskets themselves seem to possess toward a revolving life.

The piece of cardboard which was tried in their place was an immediate failure according to Mr. S. J. Gurnsey, Assistant Director of the Museum, who also expressed his fear lest the tinkerings of the present investigators might bring a permanent stop to the perplexing but immensely popular course of these strange importations from the South Sea Isles.