New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-08-31
Music by Steam.

a Yankee genius has succeeded in harneseipo
steam to o musical instrument in such way "A
to secure perfect execution. The name of the
inventor is joshua @. Stoddard, of Worcester.
Mass. The following description will give some
idea Of the possibilities of the invention
The instrument is of simple construction.
and when once thoroughly put together, will
seldom II ever get out Of repair 1t consists of
horizontal steam chest cylinder, some six feet
in length, and from four to six feet ia diame,er.
which is fed with steam from the boiler in the
establishment where it is located. Upon the
| top OF this cylinder is o series of valve cham
bers placed at equal distance from each other.
into which the steam is admitted without Oh.
| struction Each valve chamber, contains a
double metallic valve, with no packing, vet il
hts 80 closely upon its seat to allow no ste am
to escape. To each OF these valves is connected
q very small piston-rod or stem which passes
through the chamber and is operated upon nv
machinery without. W.re it not for this steam
the valve would be simply double balance
valve aud would remain stationary wherever
placed, the pressure OF steam being equal on all
sides; but part OF one end of the valve being
carried outside of the chamber gives it the self
closing power, which is then the incest part of
tue whole invention, and perhaps the best pa
tentable feature, With a slight pressure
against these rods the valve is opened, ana when
the waive Is removed 1t closes as quick as steam
can act, which Is not much behind electr icity.
Directly over each of these valves is placed a
common alarm whistle, constructed similar to
those used upon locomotives, except that=it ad-
mits OF being lowered, to fatten or sharpen the
tone These whistles aremade of different sizes.
so as to produce the desired tone corresponding
with each note, ETC. This completes the ma
chine with the exception Of a cylinder similar to
those used in common hand organ OF music
box. containing cogs, which, when properly ar
ranged, will, when tuned by hand OF otherwise,
operate upon the valves in such manner as to
play any tune desired, by simply changing the
position Of the cogs, which are intended to be
movable.
One of these instruments can be heard from
ten TO twenty five miles on the water, and every
note will be perfect and full, We heardthe in
ventor play, Rosalie on it, and it looked like
agetting off tall notes" mechanically. This in
vention is SO completely under the control of the
operator that, were it arranged with q key
board similar to a piano, it would obey the
slightest touch, and child could play slow
or quick tunes, every note of which might be
heard several miles, = 5.5a
/ 1t is the design Of the inventor to place these
instruments upon locomotives and steamboats,.
1t would appear rather novel to John Bull to
hear ss Yankee Doodle" from one of our ocean
steamers as she was about to enter q British
port, (say twenty miles) and it would remind q
Yankee of his jack knife to hear IS Sweet Home y
from the same vessel on its return to New York
or Boston. This invention, if it meets the an i
pectations Of most who have seen it, will alter
| the tone of public icdemonstration on important
occasions very essentially,
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