New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-25
Tn. /" Rochester Knockinss, Expose.
Phelps House, BoFFALo, Friday, FEB. 2

Phelps House, BUFFALO, FRIDAY, Feo. 81
To the Editors Of The Tribsne'
Knowing that you have taken much interest In
the Rochester X nockings,' so called. and oeliev
ing that YOU together with thousands oil others.
have been grossly deceived by certain members Of
the Fox Family, feel it my duty to make to yoa
this communication. You will have noticed an
article in the Buffalo Commercial Of the nth inst:
headed " Exposition of the Rochester Knockngs,
to which my name, in company with those o.
Profs. Flint and Coventry iSappeaded need not
go over the ground there occupied nor repeat the
mode of removing by which the results were
arrived at nor describe more fully the particulars
Of the case of Mrs P. who has the power Of pro-
ducing the same sounds and by which the truth
of our position was demonstrated. You will also
have noticedin the same paper ofthe 18th a"Csrd'
from Mrs Fish and Miss NJ. Fox inviting US TO
test the truth of our theory, and denying the
charge Of their being impo,tors. On the evening
OF the lsth we accordingly attended at their
rooms, in compliance with the above invitation
Some eight or ten individuals, including three
ladies' friends of Mrs. Fish and Miss +. were
present. and at our request Mr.. n Rogers OF the
Phelps House Mr.. Marshall, Attorney at Law aud
Judge Stow. The preliminaries being arranged,
we asked whether the Spirits would be
present and communicate with US through the
evening" After an interval Of minute or so, "raps
were heard, and continued in quick succession for
some time which Mrs Fish declared TO be an
affirmative answer. This was repeated so that
there would be no mistake as to the Willingness
on the part Of the Spirits to accommodate us This
being settled, Mrs. Fish and Miss Fox were re-
0uested 70 be seated on chairs, their limbs ex'
tended and their heels resting cushions. The
reasons FOR placing them in this position were
stated. viz That we believed in order that the
raps should be heard that the feet should have
some solid support, serving as tuicram else
the contraction Of the muscles Of the leg would
not throw the bone head OF tibial out oil
place or If So no sound would be heard, un.
less the conclusion or vibration which would
be thus produced, could be communicated to
some sonorous or vibrating body. While thus
seated, more than fifty minutes elapsed,
during which no " rsPs were heard, though
the "Spirts" were urged and called upon
by Mrs. f. to manifest themselves part OF
this time, Miss Fox was allowed to seat herself
on the sofa her limbs and feet resting on the
cushions of the same. No sounds having been
heard il was suggested that the ladies be allowed
to take any position they pleased, and see IL any
traps" were then heard. Accordingly they seated
themselves on the sofa their feet resting the floor when
Immediately loud succession OF raps' followed, and
continued for several minutes He then proposed - try an
other seating ourselves before tne ladies' Wo
gr1sped Of their knees firmly 50 as TO prevent any
lateral movement OF the bones the rsps' Immediately
ceased and not heard while the knees sre hed
except ear the close OF the experiment. which continued
once forty minutes, whea two slight sounds were heard,
Ssncv et The heads Of The bones grating Other
and The muscles contracting which, though very positive
kind Of evidence to me, am aware 10 not so Satisfactory
should state that our hands removed SEVERAL mes
from the knees during the trial and rapa were always
heard during interval OF removal Al The close OF mo
sinr e. which continued III past II o'clock, Miss Fox was
much ected and shed many tears, which excited mucn
sympathy on the part of come OF the gentlemen present
need add that our position was trlumphsn'y sas-
tanned and that public opinion here 10 now almost uniyer
| sally on our side.
on the event, Of the 18th party OF ladies and gentle
men met Il house OF Prof F. when Mrs r. Ihe iady
whom we accidentally discovered to have the power OF
tapping in her knees was p9nog ns evening
produced the sounds being exactly similar IN character and
perhaps that the sounds produced, not fret sug.
gesled by the muscles inserted into the upper and inner
Joint being into action so as 70 move the upper
surface OF the bone Just named, seray upon the lower
surface OF the thigh bone !Ihe Tenor giving n.e 70 Par
but the partial dsocaion consists IN the movement OF tho
tbd outward partly occasioned believe by pressure on
the loot being great relax aon Of the sments about
the kneeJont; but chiefly by the action Of the muscles %
the leg below the knee At eas. this Is the fact with regard
10 Mrs for by placing the hand the side OF the joint
the bone he felt at the instant the loud double rap 10
heard slipping oul literally and suddenly slipping back
again. although by effort Of the will II be made 10
gde hack noseisssy, that only rap" 10 heard
Buths be repeated 10 pretty rapid succession for
long time although requires evidently considerable prac
lice 10 attain great skin In this and hitherto mysterious
You NAV very naturally ask why has not this physiology
cal phenomen been kaown to physicians before an
swer that IL has far the smaller Joints concerned.
Every person. almost snap the foger Joints many,
also az Mr. Burr can snap their onts snd their
ankles producing pretty loud rap when placed In con-
aci WIKI some sonofous body; bat he phenomenon
is very seldom met with in The larger joints a. the knee
and when It Is has escaped particular ooserysaon sna
perhaps admits OF medical aid.
But may be said by some that the above explansonn
not altogether satisfactory nasmuch as these rappngV
are tesrd 10 different parts OF the at the same time
sometimes on the table then the door, then ne ~snsd
Fish and Mas ", during which me "Iap. were lnysna
single exception found that In no one instance did the
sounds proceed from the door, unless MISS was
seem 10 proceed from the table, unless she was near
enough the leg Of the table to touch Win Der 100. oa
ri,r sIhoueh de oor could be FELL TO vbrats
dssnce from her just as the whole Table would yofas
he con.on and error on this subject arises doubtless
from ignorance 81 the laws which guste me propsf
ton Of sounds We should recolec that sounds may De
pTopsgated in various ways as .,,.,
Fnst: By reciproa,ion, vibrations are excited Ia
sounding body when il Is capable Of Yielding musical
tone Of definite pitch and another body q The same pitch
made 10 sound hear H. As examples OF this two strings
OF sam length tension be placed alongside Of each
other ard one Of them be sounded with yoin bow the
oer will be thrown into reciprocal Vibration or INC
s seI bS uis or suning The M
sUlt SO sbo glass umblers are made osouna y
m viii soon beat 10 unison when placed near each
Other on the same table Ga the same prncple sonoreus
b .6nsds 10 The same room where sps made
Al some distance from them ard gentleman OF respecta-
bv nG rms me that he has noticed this PHENOMENON IN
he room where the lsdies exhibiting here.
Second: We may have vibrations Of yesonanee whcs
occuT when sounding body placed In connection wllh
any other Here more pars viii be thrown INTO
reciprocal ybI ration even though the tone Of us wise "
ss1ret or il he not capable Of producing definite tone
as II place tuning fork 10 Vibration, upon t1o.s
or tOuI G board find that though ne wnoe nAs
M Sefrt,s Fundamental note 1t will divide itself into
nuber of parts which will eeprocse me Original SOUND
so a. greatly 20 its Intensity sn9 s sns
BOARD will act equal vel for tuniDgfon OF oneIeht oo
g1ees Of pteb although when smaller bodies are usso of
A h essential hat there should DC relation Pc
NOE ard that or the eonorous body
Otherwise no distinct resonance s produced These pnn-
cioes are ri, known scientific music Clans ann they arc
occs,onallv Illustrated ia rooms where these raps are
produced -. 40, s,,,c,lv he .aid IN he nropa,
- v nv yibrsfioss OF condHcttoH and Ia this way,
~ he mos; part the sounds produced by me rap
w W Thna Hhen Mlan Fox Iapg' hef toot