The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-07-29
WHOLE NO. 6IO.

VI wei nnger over tnln pancl OF WOOD.
Among the structural advantages Of the Ter
podon may be mentioned the simplicity Of lis
action, and lis consequent illiability 10 derange.
ment, and lis permanency of pitch, resulting
from the slight effect Of varying temperature
on the material OF which its vibrating strings are
composed. lis chief musical advantage is the
admirable crescend0, prodacible by increase of
pressure on MS keys alone, on which point il is
decidedly superior 10 any of its pseudo organ
competitors. A little practice will be found ne
cessary for the proper handling Of this power.
since pressure increased beyond certain limit
appears 10 suspend all musical vibration and
substitutes loud and harsh screaming this,
however, IS consequent on the nature Of the in
strument, and may easily be avoided An ex-
celent illustration of the unique property of the
Ierpodion above described, may be observed
during the neat performances of Mr. and Ma
dame Buschmann, in which we frequently hear
harmonies sustained pianissin,o, while melo-
dies, executed with the full power of the instru-
ment, surround and even pass through the ac-
companying chords without disturbing their re-
latlve strength of tone-an effect of which no
other instrument is capable, except an organ
with two or three claviers
On The whole, it's avery gratifying exhibition,
and without any drawback save the Snowman
like announcement which prelaces the perform
ance, and which, after a rambling description of
It's structure, informs the auditors that the Ter
podion "has as much power as an organ of a
sixteen feet pipe" This statement has. strictly
speaking, no meaning; but as, of course, its de-
signs to compare M. Buschmann's instrument
with such an organ as usually contains Gee
pipe, we must unhesltatingly contradict il the
power OF the Terpodion, although considerable,
bears no more comparison with that of such an
organ, than does a violin quartet with full
md If r,,ll,
not easily reconcieable with German straight
iorwardness of characteristic less so with the
objects OF a scientific institution and as the in
ventlon Will really stand very well on its own
merits, such a system of flourish ought to be
abandoned.
The second instrumental novelty we have TO
describe Is OF far more unsophisticated kind
than the foregoing sit is, literally speaking,
trough from the quarry" and this circumstance
combines with the unexpected nature of The re-
suits TO render the whole but more surprising
1t is called ''The Rock Harmoncon ;"-the
source OF its effects is implied in its name and
thus for the first time, are we made aware that
after forcing all manner Of treasures from the
bowels OF the earth-that after successfully ran
sacklng stones Tor fuel, precious gems, not less
precious metals, and even sermons there is still
music to be won for the trying The inventor
OF this curious instrument is Mr.. Joseph Rich
ard, native of Crossthwaite, in Cumberland,
and by trade mason Masons there are not,
as WIN US, mere carvers of such gentee blocks
as are supplied for the fashionable buildings of
London; they are, like their olden prototypes,
genuine hewers Of stone in the mountains,
where, with blast and wedge, geology Is practi-
cally discussed oy tons weight at once Z; and Mr.
Richardson informs Us, among such scenes as
these was his attention first attracted 10 the mu
scal tones emitted by certain species of rock
when struck in the course of his labors But
MIR. Richardson was not mere craftsman-not
exclusively man Of chsels and gravels he
treasured up his observations, he had musical
feeling exciting wish 10 turn them TO account,
and enthusiasm of purpose for the completion
OF his project. We have beside us an extract
from the " Cumberland Packet" which so gra-
phcally, and it would seem, automatically, de.
scribes the progress of this work, while il reads
profitable lecture on the sure success of we'll
aimed determination, that we cannot forego the
pleasure of quoting -
In the year 1887, the inventor of the Rock
Harmonlcon was employed in building house
at Thornthwate, and afterwards at Braith-
waite, in the heighborhood of Keswck, and he
them for the first time, began to collect the stones
of which the Rock Harnonicon was intended
10 be composed. The stones which he first
collected however, did not answer his purpose.
and thus al the very commencement of his un-
dertakng large portion oftime and labor were
necessarily lost. This would have been almost
sufficient to have dspirted an ordinary mind
but II only served TO increase Mr.. Richardson's
efforts, and TO convince him that with industry
and perseverance, success laid within his reach.
Having discovered that the stones best cacua-
ted for his purpose were only to be met with
amongst the rocks of the mighty Skiddaw he
began to explore the mountain in search of the
treasures which il contained The in
ventor bore these stones from the mountain to
a considerable distance home upon his back he
had afterwards to reduce many Of them, TO
shape them, and try their varied tones, before
he could pronounce favorable opinion on their
merits. This was work of immense labor and
time, and required much determination and in
dustry Tor lis accomplishment; and after MANY
hard days labor IN the mountains, Mr.. Richard
son denied himself the repose which exhausted
nature required, and spent whole nights, after
his family had retired to rest, in hammerng aud
chIsellIne the rough stones and in selecting and
arranging them, ere he brought to its present
state the sweet toned instrument which cost
him thirteen years of unwearied labor and per
severance under circumstances such as few
minds, not possessed of uncommon fortitude
could have surmounted"
The Rock Harmonlcon as now completed,
consists OF large oblong framework, support
ing below, wooden box, intended as an acous-
teal assistant TO the vibrations OF the stones,
and, above, two tiers of rails covered with straw
bands, on which rest the stones themselves, in
number sufficient for a complete compass of five
octaves and half. These are OF close, black,
whin stone, extremely hard, brittle, and full of
metallic specks; the largest (FFF) is about four
feet long, by about three inches wide and one
inch thick, and the smallest &C sharp in altissi-
mol is about six inches in length with other III
mansions proportonate. The value of the bass
notes is considerable, since, from the required
shape and the brittleness of the material seve.
raj hundreds must necessarily break in the pro
cess of chipping into tune.
When the instrument is arranged for the kew