The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-01-28

AIRY "a 1865.
Air. JAMES. shall occupy the aenton Of this Senate
but for few minutes As u Is subject which there
has been much controversy and great difference Of opn
lon think Il would be we 10 state briefly, the facts Of
the
Mr. President the construction OF room combining AN
the principles which shall render il the advantageous
the time for Speaking hearing and ventilation
difficult in lis details that rooms Of any CON
siderable magnitude the desired effects have seldom IN
been produced In the OF the Capitol extension
II has been the object OF those gentlemen having charge
the work 20 avail themselves Of ali past experience and
calling TO their aid phosophic principles and numerous
experiments conquer the difficulties far possible
aud furnish for the of the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatves halls nearly perfect the nature of cir
eunstances will permit From what have learned of the
plans and details adopted with regard these halls my
belief is that the efforts expended upon them viii prove
eminently successful.
Sir would first attention 10 the forms of these halls
which 10 my opiniqn shs ees, fos lbs purpose thar
could have been devised For the accommodation OF The
Senate and House of Representatives limited their
present numbers of larger than those of the
occupied by these bodies evidently required
and when consider that the number Of members of each
house OF Congress continually the increase the
Of additional space becomes still apparent The crowd
ed state of galleries too renders It highly expedient
that the accommodations for ysers should be enlarged that
tllowcitzens who assemble here from every part Of
the Union from time 10 time may be enabled with
fort to listen TO the debates in Congress and witness its
proceedings Due attention has been paid both these
objects in the construction Of the legislative halls in
consequence Of which the Senate chamber contains
Of about nine thousand square feet and the Representative
chamber an area of about twelve thousand square feet 10
accommodate these large spaces TO the human voice and
the human is the object with which the forms and finish
Of the walls enclose these spaces have been studied and
adopted The forms Of both chambers oblong the
Senate chamber being hundred and thirteen feet three
inches long, by eighty feet wide and the Representative
chamber hundred and thirty nine feet long, by ninety
three feet wide cubca contents Of Senate chamber two
hundred and fftysix thousand eight hundred and sixty
feet cubical feet of House Of Representatives three hum
dred and nneysx thousand five hundred and feet
The spaces thus confined within these walls appear,
the first thought to be large TO be filled with an ordinary
human voice But experience-which by the way, is tM
best and only estshows that all other crcumsan
ces being favorable larger spaces easily filed
while others Of much smaller Dimensions under circnm
of unfayorable character present far greater
difficulties In the largest theatres for instance where
there distractions to sound the lowest and sofes
Of voice from the stage distinctly heard in every
part of the house while in many halls and churches of
limited Dimensions it is with much difficulty that the
speaker fill the space with his voice. and himself
to be distinctly heard and understood In the former case
the high and properly arched and without coli
umns panels &C. to break the volume of sound
its reverberaton In the smaller perhaps these low
ceilings groined arches ornamented with panels block
work boh and supported by heavy columns, all OBJ
sruct the volume of sound and break into fragments
Perhaps also, by having the walls themselves improperly
constructed improper materials sound
reverberae and thus very much enhances the evil Sound
like liquids and solids is subject TO the laws of motion and
the laws of proecle and somewhat in accordance with
those laws aided by experiment and experience should
eyhing pertaining to for public speaking be calcu
lated
The propulsion of the human voice may be considered a.
analogous of OF from the pipe OF
FIRE engine Soon after ii has been propelled from the pipe
it begins expand and like the projected stream of water
the volume Of sound projected from the lips though un
tions and win be distinct to the farthest limits to
which its proecle force throw at the point from
which projected provided there be distractions
impediments in the way On the other hand, where OH
sructons mpedments intervene will either rebound
and thus produce embarrassing echo be broken up
perhaps and produce several echoes and render the ar
uation of the speaker ndstnct ard be productive of as
many different and probably diacordant sounds as there
various distractions and mpedments in the way.
Sir it frequently happens that architects rejecting
philosophical principles and the lessons of experience labor
embellish and ornament rooms designed for public
speaking with the view rather architectural elegance
than to the laws Of acoustics Hence the complaints so
general OF rooms hard to speak in and which difficulty is
frequently attributed the large dimensions Of such
rooms instead Of the Probably there few
any rooms in existence large that speaker may
he distinctly heard in any part OF them while speaking in
ordinary tone of voice in which the effect Of the voice
destroyed impaired by architectural means Rows
of columns paneled walls and ceilings with deep ndenta
tions projecting block and groned arches all sepa
rate or combined break the volume Of sound into
fragments which renders it extremely difficult for the
heaer understand while 1T embarrasss the speaker and
painfully enhances the labor OF uerance These difficult
ties well those originating in dsagreeabe reverbe
ration of sound, be avoided only by the rejection OF
those architectural embellishments that are calculated to
produce them and by the adoption of walls of plain and
simple style, and composed of suitable materials have,
sir examined plans the designs and the drawings for
the intended to be occupied by ths two houses OF
Congress which are now in process OF construction and
speaking and hearing concerned all that could be de-
sired.
Those be encountered either With columns
groned arches deep ndentatons bold projections The
whole though elegant would say magni6cent-will be
plain and simple the ceiling OF glass and iron and the
walls Of brick faced with marble For this there
will be nothing to break the volume of sound and
reason doubt that the representative chamber
with its large dimensions viii be hne to speak
in other In the country Besides ths the
rangeents of the corridors such that all sounds from
without win be absolutely and entirely excluded, and thus
ell interruptions and embarrassments from that pre-
vented.
Mr. President much has been said in connexon with the
Capitol extension the subject Of ventilation and doubts
raised and objections stated to the mode that has been
adopted Ventilation ia . difficult affair 70 manage in
large those intended for the Senate and House
Of Representatives and requires great deal Of study the
exercise of sound judgment and close calculation There
but three modes Of ventilation which would probably
suggest themselves First by of doors and windows
opening into the exterior atmosphere second by forcing
air into the upper part Of the and third by sup
plying the fresh air by Of air chambers beneath
II will at once be SEEN entirely inpracticable To
tempt ventilation in this way would be 70 admit into the
the exterior air. which would also admit with all
exterior sounds causing great embarrassment and
Besides horizontn draugbts through always
dangerous health and In cold wet weather when ii
would be necessary have doors and windows closed the
atmosphere Of the would become extremely impure
oppressive and unhealthy OF these facts have su1
cen evidence from experience in this 1sm, without
resorting 10 speculative philosophy
OF the second mcthodthat OF forcing pure air the
upper portion OF The roomhough considered BY many
entirely practicable and efficient have entertained some
L.~u 4l.n