The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-06-29

ton, which are apparently most inseparable is
afforded IN John Metcalf, or, as he was com.
monty called, Blind Jack, a well known char
acter, who died only few years ago. This
person was a native OF Manchester, or the neigh
borhood and MIR. Bew has given an account
of him. After telling US that he became blind
at very early age, SO as to be entirely igno.
rant OF light and its various effects, the nara.
tive proceeds as follows: "This man passed
the younger part of his life as a WAGNER and
! occasionally as guide in intricate roads during
the night, or when the tracks were covered
with snow. Strange as this may appear to those
who can see, the employment he has since I'M
dertaken is still more extraordinary it is one
OF the last to which we could suppose blind
| man would ever turn his attention His pres-
ent occupation is that of protector and survey
or of highways in difficult and mountainous
parts With the assistance only of long staff,
have several times met this man traVersing
the roads, ascending precipices, exploring val.
( leys, and investigating their several extents,
forms, and situations, as to answer designs.
| and the estimates he makes are done in meth
cd peculiar to himself, and which he cannot
| well convey the meaning of to others His
abilities in this respect are nevertheless so great
that he finds constant employment Most of
the roads over the Peak in Derbyshre have
been altered by his directions, particularly those
in the vicinity of Buxton and he is at this
time constructing new one betwixt Winslow
and CoAgleton, with a view to open commu.
nlcation to the great London road, without be-
ing obliged to pass over the mountains" Mr..
Bew adds in a note" Since this paper was
written, and had the honor of being delivered
| 20 the Society, have met this blind protector
OF the roads, who alone as usual; and
amongst other conversation, I made inquiries
concerning this new road. 1t was really aston.
tn hoa with hat l.
ed the courses and the nature of the different
| soils through which it was conducted Having
mentioned to him DOGGY piece of ground it
passed through, he observed, that " was the on.
y place no had doubts concerning and that
he was apprehensiVe they had, contrary to his
directions, been too sparing of their materials"
ACCOUNT OF TWO VERY INTERESTING ECHOES
In the Cathedral of Cirgenti, in Sicily, the
slightest whisper is borne with perfect distinct.
ness from the great western door TO the cor
nice behind the high altar, distance of $50
feet. By most unlucky coincidence, the pre-
else focus oil divergence at the former station
was chosen for the place of the confessional
Secrets never intended fer the public ear thus
became known to the dismay of the confessor
and the scandal Of the people, by the resort of
the curious to the opposite point (Which seems
to have been discovered accidentally till at
length one listener having had his curiosity
somewhat over gratifed by hearing his wifeis
avowa! of her own infdelity, this telI-tale pecu.
liarity became generally known, and the con.
fessiona! was removed " Beneath the sus-
pension bridge across the Menai Strait IN
| Wales, close to one eff the main piers, is re.
markably fine echo. The sound of blow on
the pier with hammer is returned in success.
sion from each of the cross beams which sun
| port the roadway and from the onnosifa r;ar
at distance SIG feet, and in addition to this.
the sound is many times repeated between the
water and the roadway. The effect is a sc ries
OF sounds which may be thus described. The
first return is sharp and strong from the road
way overhead, the rafting which succeeds dies
away rapidly, but the single repercussion from
The opposite pier is very strong, and is succeed.
ed by faint palpitation, repeating the sound
at the rate OF twenty-eight times in five sec.
onds, and which, therefore, corresponds to a
distance of lS4 feet, or very nearly the double
interval from the roadway to the water. Thus
IT appears, that in the repercussion between the
water and the road way, that from the latter
! only affects the ear, the line drawn from the
auditor TO the water being too obIique for the
sound to diverge sufficiently in that direction.
Another peculiarly deserves especial notice.
namely, that the echo from the opposite pier is
best heard when the auditor stands precisely
opposite to the middle Of the breadth of the
pier, and strikes just on that point As it de-
vlates TO one or the other side, the return is
proportlonably fainter, and is scarcely heard by
him when his station is little beyond the cx-
IRENE edge OF the pier, though another person
stationed ION the same side of the waterl at an
equal distance from the central point, SO as to
| have the pier between them, hears it we'll"
HerScheUS Treatise on Sound.