Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1833-03-14

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the baser passions, invested in the hue APP
proprIate to pourtray it.
In word, the manner in which sound
IS propagated, has been Justly compared to
the circular waves which spread from the
central point, where stone is thrown into
the water. The vibrations of sonorous
bodies create similar waves, which, as they
expand, communicate sound onward until
they meet the ear.
10 convince you that air is vehicle of
SOUND, 1t is only necessary to repeat well
known experiment. The sound of IA PEN
dulum, striking bell in the exhausted re-
ceiver OF an pump, grows feebler in pro-
portion as the air is exhausted. You still
see the wheels move, and the hamme.
strike. But the silent bell no longer re-
peals the hours. Who can imagine the
horrible silence which would prevail in
world without air The higher we ascend
mountains, the more rare the air becomes
and III the same proportion air loses its
force. Saussure fired pistol on the sum-
nit OF Mont Blanc, and only heard feeble
report like that of the breaking OF a walk
ing stick. On the contrary, the deeper
the air, and the louder is sound heard
Father kircher af1irms, that in the wells of
FnIda, which are of immense depth, a stone
falling on their bottom produces report
like that of a cannon. Fhe intensity OF
the sound results from the pressure Of the
air in these depths, causing il to reverbe-
rate as from the tense surface ola drum.-
Morland, kircher, and Poxta, each claims
10 be the inventor of the speaking trumpet.
Neither, however, did more than restore
to use a forgotten instrument. Grecan
history makes mention of the famous trum-
pet of Alexander the Great, with which no
collected his dispersed army, issued his or
ders, and proclaimed his purposes as if in
presence ofeach individual soldier.
The mechanical formation of speech
merits moments attention. y The glottis
is an oval cleft, by which the air passes in
to the lungs. The CLOTHS presents two lips,
the movements of which, more or less close,
produce all sounds, from the gravest to the
most acute. Thus, by Il mechanism like
the turning hammer of an instrument, the
sound of speech is formed before it reach
es the mouth.
The manner in which sound is commu-
nicated, will enable you to comprehend the
cause Of echos. When the waves Of air
encounter an obstacle, there is repercus-
sion of the sound emitted that is to say,
the waves are reflected, and the undula-
lions carry back the sound to the point
whence it departed. Vaults of an ellipti-
cal figure have a singular property. Let
the vault be of great span, two persons
placed at the two foci of the ellipse, car
converse with each other before a crowd
Of spectators without being overheard
The undulations move in the line of their
natural tendency; and echo alone remains
in the confidence. There was an echo of
this sort in the great church of Agrigentum
in Sicily. If we may credit Brydone, this
phenomenon, for long time unknown to
the multitude, was the cause of many adj
ventures. The persons, who came to con-
fession, were placed at one focus Of the
ellipse. Persons in the secret of the echo
placed themselves at the other, where they
lost not word either Of the confessions of
the penitent, or the avarice Of the confess
sor. In this way the most secret intrigues
were speedily divuIgcd. There was no
talk in the city, but of fortunate lovers, and
the misadvcntures unhappy husbands
The ladies, afirightened at the terrible &C.
lebrity of their loves, changed both their
lovers and confessors. But the new in
trigue was equally followed by new de-
velopement. Finally, the church Of Agri-
gentum became the palace of truth and
perhaps there would not have remained a
single happy family in the city, if chance
had not discovered the mischievous inven-
ton of the architect. The confessional
was arranged in another part of the church,
and every thing returned to its customary
order. You have, no doubt, read the
touching anecdote of the two lovers, whose
parents lived or the opposite sides of a
river and, irreconcilably hostile to each
other, rigidIy interdicted the intercourse OF
! their children. The constant lovers dis
covered the secret that sound commitment
ed to one extremity of the bridge, on the
| principle just recited. was conveyed to an
ear placed on rhe other extremity. BY
these means they conversed across the riv-
err; and the slightest whisper Of love, pro-
nounced on one shore, was swallowed by
the listening and confidential ear on the
other. need only add, that their ingenu-
ity and fdelity met its reward.
| A phenomenon of another kind takes
place at the castle of Simonette, near Mi
TLo sI;ohtost chloride tiaare Orodure