Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-09-28
NJ | 5 & T. l. L A y Y
From the Atlas.
The Rock EEarLAaOlicOEs.


A short time since we read in the Pic
toral London News, a very interesting
account Of new musical instrument OF
extraordinary power, called the /" Rock
Harmonious" We have since seen
number Of KEYS of which the Rock Hair
monicon is composed, at the Linn8an COT
fee House, Flushing, l.. |. The proprie
tor Of the article was not 10 the village at
the time; so that we do not know whether
he has all the keys, those that we saw were
Incomplete. The matter is Of so much
interest to the musical world, especially,
that we copy the chief portion Of the art
Gle from the paper to Which we have allu
ded:
An instance Of this kind is found in
the invention before us-Joseph Richd rd-
son, plain, unassumlng man, with no re-
finements of education, but possessed Of
musical talent, while working as mason
in Cumberland, discovered that various
and melodious sounds were extracted from
the rocks amongst which he was accu,lOm
cd TO pursue his daily Iabo:s. 1t then oc-
Cured TO him that fragments might be col
fectcd, and so judiciously arranged, as to
form a musical Instrument OF surprising
sweetness and power. La the year 1927,
being employed in building "a house at
Thornthwaite, and afterwards another al
Braithwaite, in the vicinity of keswick,
he began to collect stones for lis construc-
ton. Those he thus obtained, however,
did not answer his purpose, SO that at the
outset of his undertaking, he lost a large
portion Of time and labor, and suffered dis
appoint nent enough TO discourage an ordi-
nary mind.
But stimulated bv failure TO continue his
research and toll, he found that the stones
best calculated for his design were only to
be met with amongst the rocks Of Sklddaw
and on these expended his future cXer-
tons. Animated now by The hope of sue
c.ss, he bore the masses from the noun
tain on his back to his home at a consider
able distance, and there proceeded to re-
duce them to the shape he considered nee
ccSsary, and to put to the test their varied
tones. This involves an amount OF effort
not easily estimated; it was made alter
many hard days work in the mountain;
and often did Richardson deny himself the
rcpose he required, and pass whole nights
after his family had retired to rest pursu-
ing the object on which his heart was set.
A considerable share Of disappointment
must still have been his LOT; the stone which
promised we'll would not answer the pur-
pose if hammered and chiseled beyond a
certain point; and ii may be supposed there
were times in which his heart failed him,
particularly as family Of eight children
we're dependent on his daily labor for sup
port. and his task was continued amidst
much WEAKNESS and toll.
At length, however his skill and perse-
verance were rewarded and after more than
thirteen years incessant labor, he succce-
ded in constructing musical instrument
Of n very extraordinary character, which
is properly called "The Rock Harmonic
con" 1t consists of rough stones, the lon
gcst of which is four feet, SIX inches IN
length, about three inches in breadth, and
about an inch and half IN thickness; and
the shortest Of which is about six inches
in length, an inch in breadth and half an
inch in thickness. These are placed across
pair Of wooden bars, covered with visit
ed straw, and form the keys; like those oil
piano-(orte; the material of them all be-
ing the mica schist, or as il is commonly
called, in Cumberland and other places,
whnstone. The means employed TO eX-
tract their sounds are wooden hammers;
small, and Of lignumvie, for the treble;
larger, and Of elm or ask, for the middle
notes; and larger still, and covered with
leather for the bass. Sometimes Tor the
centre keys, hammers are used with two
knobs on each, in the form Of a crutch
handle. to strike thirds. Those who are
acquainted with the toy harmonicon, con-
sslng Of pieces Of glass laid on tapes to
be struck with a cork hammer, will readily
form an idea of this singular instrument,
and the mode in which It's sounds are clio
tied.
The pieces Of stone, it should be re-
marked, are arranged in two rows the
lower one being tuned in the diaionic scale
and the upper one containing the flats and
sharps. A piece of music may therefore
be played in any key, with the greatest
facility and fidelity. Three sons Of the
inventor performed on the instrument pie
ces of music in three distinct parts; one
playing the melody, the next executing a
clever working inner part, and the third
the fundamental bass. Its power extends
10 compass of FIVE octaves and Il half.
accompanied by all the semi-tones, tuned
from below the bass stave to G in altis-
simo-extending, in fact, as high as the
warbe Of the lark, down TO the deep bass
tones Of a funeral bell.