The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-07
ACOUSTIC TEMPLE.

ACOUSTIC TEMPLE.
| The wcr!d has been anon;ii,eh h- that curl
Gus ;>;cce &C nechsu!n the I.-ifbic l9Ir. A
trail volume HIS lately been pubihed at Bni-
ton, entitled Tbe ErbcEtor. or n,~ur Mrfericr
n'raS'siied, which explains the princires OF
this, and ione ether phoromena. Tire fol-
/ lowing extracts, relative to the acounic tenn.
| pie, will fhew the authors ability for folvine
the rryfteries alinded 70.
n. 4. Daily. 1idq'.
! The acoufic 20 much cNoemed, and .vhore
! performances have afoaiil,ed all Europe, re-
! fponds b. the ailiitance oe tubes throu'-h which
the Pounds are conveyed. To iimplify this !:
/ The form ofthe railing, you TO doub, recnIect,
has been mentioned as being Diagonal, contain
{ ing eight pots, connected by bars from Pce 70
pot (See Plate, Fig. ~ Four of thefe DoGs d.
I arletrically oppofite each other are excavatsd,
| as ALTO their four connecting bars: Theie exc,-
waited potts contain tin tubes, running TO the
middle of their REFLECTIVE connecting bars
The tubes in the bars communicate the found.
on that iide OF the bar next the Temple, by an
inciiion made in the tube. Have fpecia care
that the ends ofthefe tubes be cloftd, ard tie
fide ofthe bar at the nciion in tie tube cut wa
fer thin, about the bignefs of the nciiion, ard
, there perforated full OF frlaii holes made with
needle. At the bottom ofthe four excavatcd
potts are four tin elbows, connected with the
tubes in the potts; to theie add length of
! pipes continued TO dnance fiisficient to pre-
! vent the Agents natural voice being heard by
+, the company; maxi Z directions of the four
tubes, between the floor and ceiling, By the
help of elbows to where the agent is concealed
Here is concavity of tin into which the four
/ pipes enter, made in the form of common tin
tunnel, its outward circumference about two
feet: From this concavc the Agent receives
the queition put to the Temple, and returns
the anfwer by fpeaking in the fame. This pre-
pared, flfpcnd the Temple TO the four fold
potts, with the four trumpets towards the
four mouths of the tubes in the perforated
bars. Then quciton put to either of thefe
trumpets will appear AS proceeding from
the Chef of the Temple and will be diff
timely underfood by the perfon fecreted at the
extremity of thefe tubes. He putting his ear
at the orifice of the concave to which the four
tubes join, and by fpeaking in the fame, the
anfwer will appear as proceeding from the
chef.
The faculty of the Lady's apparently fleeing
is all that now remains unexplained. This it is
that evades the refearches of philofophy; for
Whit the fight is conidercd rs the faculty of
the fame Object from whence proceeds a voice
70 loud and dGin6, it has and will elude all
poftive deciion. For inftance fuppofe the
Ptricn, WHO AXIS ana relolVeS the Que1tIon6,
was difpofed in fuch manner as that the fight
S'ight be made practicable to him, his nearnefs
tbthe Afiemby would caufe his natural voice
e5 I've heard. To perfect this deception, there
fore, two perfons are neceGary the one to fee
whatever is prefented to the globe on the top of
the dome of the Temple, the other to inform.
For this purpofe, two GiraudoIes with lattice
work are placed in the exhibition room oppo-
fife each other; or Transparent Paintings will
anfwer the fame purpofe: Thete Girandoles or
Paintings are confidered by the conpanymere-
ly as ornaments. Behind one of thefc there
is a fmall aperture, through the partition to an
adjoining room, where the perfon appointed
to fee whatever is prcfentcd to the ball takes
his ftaton. His bn!inefs is to communicate,
in whifper, to the pcrfon who is to inform
the company of what is prefcnted TO the ball,
or incomprehenible mirror, 70 termed, on the
top of the dome. To effect this, there is
pipe FOR the purpoft of conveying this nforma-
ton leading from the apartment of the fpeeta-
tor to the perlon clofe.ed for fpeaking, fingine,
Sc. who, when afked what is held to the ball,
claps an ear to the communicating pipe. The
one behind the Girandole whifpers, n Goid Ring,
or whatever happens TO be held. Then the IN
vihble aniwers, GoN Ring, to the aitonil-
men. Of the company.