New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-07
The Rochester Kneckings-Facts and
Tbeorter.
To n. Editor Of The Tribune:


Having 10 a previous communication shown the
utter inadequacy OF any OF the common theories to
explain the strange Sounds known az the Roch-
ester Knockings" even as the latter are supeyf-
coHy considered, will now, with your permission,
notice an important peculiarly in the nature Of
those sounds, and which seem TO remove them, IL
possible still further beyond the sphere Of ordinary
physical causes. When, for instance, the sounds
proceed from the door, or any other article oflke
nature, they always, to the superficial observer
appear to be made by rapping upon the opposite
side Of it, IT, however, another person is at the
same tine upon the opposite side, the sounds will
10 him appear to proceed from the side on which
The frat person stands. And however the listen
ors may vary their position, the sounds will con-
tinue to appear as though produced opposite to
then, though the position Of the persons whose
presence seems necessary to their production, re-
maine unchanged This fact Of the apparent opp
alton Of the sounds was noticed in a well attested
Ihepomenon similar to the present, which occurred
il the house Of the father of John Wesley.
But more critical examination has disclosed to
n c the fact that the sounds proceed from neither
sde Of the resonant substance bat from VithiH It.
md that they consist OF a conclusion among the
particles Of the substance in which they occur,
slightly resembling an explosion This fact is dis
tincuy perceptbe when the ear is placed near
where the sounds are made, and when these are
comptred With those produced by rap Of the
knuckles. The sounds are characterized by a
hird Of vibrating, sepulchral rumble aud not by
that hard exterior crack which is produced by
f,ribirg the Substance from which they proceed.
They are not, therefore, produced BY trapping
or "knCcking," and cannot be exactly initiated
by that process speak now # the sounds which
occur in ordinary manifestations, and in answering
duestiors, &c. There are sometimes, however,
touI DIS produced evidently b. concession mainly
upon the snrfdce Of the resOundlng substance but
these occur but rarely have beard them on two
different occstOns on both OF which they were as
loud IS if the blow had been struck with heavy
MT flit q mallet.
This interior conclusion Of particles, 30 to speak,
v hich occurs in the ordinary sounds can be at
tIbuted 10 no other cause than the permesilOn and
action OF some subtil essence analogous TO electrl
CITY. Ii is accordingly another important iact that
pertoTs delicate nerves can generally feel 40 IN
dGnt evidence Of the action of such an essence,
" bile the phenomena in question are occurring.
H. for instance, the points of the tingers are placed
near here the sounds produced, slight tingle
will be felt in the fingers, hands, aud arms OF the
susceptible, precisely resembling a slight shock
from a gsvanic battery. gentleman OF intelll-
e6nce and discerBment, before thoroughly skepl
cal this whole subject told me that one day alter
seating bimself in the roo Of the Foxes, he felt
among other evidences of an influence similar to
dat Of electricity as though be had been suddenly
struck the limbs by an electric WHO, if such
a thing could be conceived Of To lady OF my
acquaintance, the action OF this sub,il essence
when the sounds are made near her, is sometimes
even painful and she declares that she can geney
ally feel the action which produces the sound, an
instant or two before the latter is heard.
But we must rot from these facts hastily con-
clude that the immediate agent OF these phenoHe
ne is electricity at least in the form ia which that
principle is commonly known in the scientific world.
TIE following experiments would seem to show
that con mon electricity, or electro magnetism has,
indeed nothing TO Go with these manifestations
The writer placed delicatey poised magnetic
needle directly over point on q table where the
sounds were being made, and moved it about into
various relative positions, but not the slightest de-
Election was perceptible. The young ladies were
then caused TO present the points of their fingers
to the needle while the sounds were being pro
duced but still the needle exhibited no attraction
or repulson. The sounds were then requested
TO be made on the floor near the feet Of the ladies',
and while they were being made, the needle was
held in various positions their feet; bat still
their was 10 DETECTION. The writer then took
small and very light ball made Of a conducting sub
stance, and suspended by slken thread, aud
csuted the young ladies' 70 closely approach il with
the points Of their 6nge while the sounds were
being made. Had there been the slightest derange-
ment of the electric equilibrium between the ball
and the systems of the girls, the ball would have
been instantly attracted to their fingers and then
as instantly repealed but no such phenomenon &C.
cured. To test the question whether these three
ter nj
in ard explode 1t from their systems and thus pro
duce the sounds they had previously and frequent
y twice In the writer's presence) been placed on
insulated stools. but still the sounds were heard as
usual and on the floor.
lnasmuoh os the experiments seem 70 prove
that common electricity is in no way particularly
involved IN the production Of the phenomena in
question We are left still further to inquire what is
the ebuie OF those apparently electric sensations
often experienced by the sensitive while the phe
nomera are occurring in their presence! And as
about every other conceivable theory has baen ap.
pesed 10 in vain to explain this and other features
IN this general phenOmc non, we will no try the
spiritual theory and see how it will do.
Ii Is admitted by physolosists in genera, thstthe
nervous ,ys;em OF man is peTysded by a su1V
fluid or cGserce, which, being the medium OF the
viii, Is the direct Instrument Of muscular contrac
tiCn, and consequently Of all human mechanics
action upon things in the outer world /. lis gener.
eig otHtttt titt tue interior lFlhg pflu pie OF
man, considered as an independent aa1 conscious
entity survives the dissolution OF is bodily en-
csfeneIt II We consider this IS & Ga5ltaati.l
orr anic ScmdtHg, ard not a mere intangible ies-
y We think much Of the thcalty which stands
IN the way Of true conception Of the case be 'Jre
us vii vanish This Interior living principle,
'hcn, c0rtista Of al the nervous and physical es
senoes which low perya1s aud aninste tue body,
NJ d COZ stitute the real man At the death o. the
BODY, this Interior priGci pie is liberated ia lis or
GAME form, and constitutes the personal structure
whM we understand as q spirit. The spirit, then,
siter us deverenoe from the gross body, preserves
. ior long time, IN it's own organism, what we now
know as the nervous f'uid, ard this in a state Of
saoVhty pot much greater than its present Tina
what the seSress OF Provost and other German
Clairyoy ants have called the Nerve Spirit" and
t2ese and other seers and spiritual philosophers
have declared the; by its means the spirit can ac,
upon grots matter whenever il is enabled 70 come
+ IN connection with IT, producing various sounds
moving furniture &c, and even attracting mate
rails from the atmos phere and constructing for il.