The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-25 00:00:00

ACOUSTICS.

M. Valerius, professor of natural philosophy at
Ghent, has invented an apparatus for analysing
sound by means of interferences. This analyser
consists in a fixed brass tube A, composed of two
parallel branches united by a transversal one, per-
pendicular to the two former, each of which, more-
over has, about its middle, a part bulging out and
supporting a small straight tube, the axis of which
is perpendicular to that of the corresponding branch.
Let us now imagine a second tube, B, composed of
three straight branches, arranged like those of A,
with this difference that the two parallel ones are
shorter than the corresponding ones of the other..
The branches of B are made to slide in those of A.
This arrangement being understood, we may con-
ceive the whole apparatus to form a rectangle divided
into two symmetrical parts by the prolongation of
the axes of the small lateral tubes. If, therefore,
before the orifice of one of the latter, there be a
sonorous body, the vibratory motion it produces
will spread right and left, and issue from the second
little lateral tube, after going through equal spaces
in each of the two symmetrical parts of the appara-
tus. The vibrations will therefore increase in
strength on arriving at the second lateral tube, and
it will be sufficient, in order to catch the transmitted
sound, to apply the ear to the second lateral tube; or
else to fix to it an indiarubber tube, the other end
of which is applied to the ear, the first latbral tube
being closed with a cork. In this condition the
apparatus is at zero ; but if the tube B be dis-
placed, so as to lengthen out the rectangle, the two
paths followed by the sound will cease to be equal,
and the excess of one of these two paths over the
other will evidently be equal to twice the longitudi-
nal extension given to the instrument. If this be
equal to half a length of undulation of the sound
transmitted, the two vibratory motions will destroy
each other at the moment of their meeting, and the
ear will catch no sound, or at best but a feeble one.
In order to make an experiment, the apparatus is
first put at zero, a sound is transmitted, and its exact
pitch noted down. Now let the tube B slide slowly,
by means of an endless screw working in a rack, to
another position, and the same sound, again trans-
mitted, will undergo a modification; for one of the
elementary sounds will have been extinguished, and
the length of wave will be obtained by multiplying
the length of the tube B displaced by 4. In this
way the experiment may be continued indefinitely.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

LONDON, Jan. 25.—Wind this day at noon—North-
Westerly ; moderate breeze, and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.

PLYMOUTH, Jan. 21.—Wind S.W.—Arrived.—Marie
Nielson, from Cape Hayti for Hamburg.
DARTMOUTH, Jan. 24.—Wind N.W.— Arrived—Cam-
brian, screw steamer, from Southampton for the Cape of
Good Hope.

SHIELDS, Jan. 24.—Wind S.W—Sailed—St. Paul, for
Bombay.

MILFORD, Doc. 23.—Wind N.W.— Arrived—Alma, from
Swansea for Cadiz.

(Br TELEGRAPH.)

GRAVESEND, Friday Morning.
Arrived, Jan. 24 —Pass-13y, froth St. Michael's.
Arrived, Jan. 25--Zebra, steamer, from Antwerp.
Passed (in tow)-- DEAL, Friday morning.
for London. --Ntagpore (supposed), from Calcutta,

MURDER AT BRISTOL.---Early on Tuesday morn-
ing a brutal and premeditated murder was perpe-
trated in the streets of Bristol, a quiet and inoffensive
man, named Samuel Sinnott, a hawker by trade, having
been attacked by a shoemaker named Ware, who beat his
victim about the head with a gun and inflicted such in-
juries as caused his death a short time afterwards. The
only reason that can be given for this attack is that the
deceased and the accused had quarrelled about two months
ago and fought, and since that time Ware had cherished a
feeling of revenge. A post mortem examination disclosed
the fact that death had resulted from concussion of the
brain, caused by a blow upon the forehead. After a
lengthened and patient investigation the jury returned a
verdict of "Wilful murder against Henry Ware," and he
was committed to take his trial at the next Bristol assizes
The prisoner on being removed to Badmen was mobbed
and pelted with mud.