The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-11-26

The November Atlantic Monthly
contains a most graphic description, by
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Of the great
Boston organ, now being set up in the
Music Hall in that city. We extract
the following:
The great organ Of the Music Hall
is a choir Of nearly six thousand vocal
threats. Its largest wind pipes are 81
feet in length, and man can crawl
through them. It's finest tubes are too
small for baby's whistle. Eighty
nine stops produce the various changes
and combinations Of which its immense
orchestra is capable, from the purest
solo Of a singing nun to the loudest
chorus in which all its groups Of voic-
es have their part in the full flow gifts
harmonies. Like all instruments Of
its class, it contains several distinct
systems Of pipes, commonly spoken Of
as separate organs, and capable Of be-
ing played alone or in connection with
each other.
-Four manual or hand key-boads,
and two pedals, or foot key-boards,
command those several systems, the So
10 organ, the choir organ, swell organ,
and the great organ, and the piano and
forte pedal organ. Twelve pairs Of bel
lows, which it is intended to move by
Water power, derived from the Cochit-
uatc reservoirs, furnishes the breath
which pours itself forth in music
Those beautiful effects for which the
organ is incompatible, the creScea3o
and dinaiz1uelad0-the gradual rise of
the sound from the lowest murmur to
the loudest blast, a nd the dying fall
by which it steals gently back into 81
lence-the dissolving views, SO to
speak, Of harmony-are not only pro-
yided for in the swell-organ, but may
be obtained by special adjustment from
the several systems Of pipes and from
the entire instrument.
The structure is of black walnut, and
is covered with carved statues, masks,
and figures in the bolde8t relief. In the
centre a richly ornamented arch con-
tains the niche for the key board and
the stops. A colossal mask of a sing
ing woman looks from over its summit,
The pediment above is surmounted by
a bust Of Johann Sebastian Pach. Be
hind this rises the lofty central diyi5-
ion, containing pipes, and browning it
Is beautiful sitting statue Of St. Ce-'
ella, holding her Tyre. On each side
Of her a griffin sits as guardian. This
centre is connected by harp chapel
compartments, filled with pipes, to the
great round towers one on each side,
and each of them containing three CO.
lossal pipes. These magnificent tow
ers come boldly forward into the hall,
being the most prominent, as they are
the highest and stateliest part of the
.facado.
At the base of each gigantic half
caryatide, in tie style Of the ancient
harn20e, out finished to the waist bends
Beneath the superintendent weight,
like Atlas under the globe. These fig
ures are Of wonderful force, the mus
cuIar development being almost ex-
cessive, but in keeping with their SUI
perhuman task. At each side Of the
base, two ion-hera0ae shares in the
task Of the giant. Over the base rise
the found pillars which support the
dome and enclose the three great pipes
already mentioned Graceful as these
look in their position, half dozen men
might creep into one Of them and lie
hidden. 4 man SIX feet high went
up ladder, and standing at the base
ofone of them could just reach to put
his hand into the mouth of the lower
part above the conical foot.
The three great pipes are crowned |
by heavily sculptured, ribbed, round
ed dome; and this is surmounted, on
each side by two cherubs, whose
heads almost touch the lofty ceiling. |
This whole portion Of the sculpture is
Of eminent beauty. The two exrlis-
lite cherubs Of one side are playing on
the Tyre and the lutte; those Of the 9th
er side on the flute and the horn. All
the reiefs that run round the lower
portion OF the dome are Of singular
richness. We had an opportunity Of
seeing one Of the artists photographs, !
which showed in detail the full length
figures and the large central mask Of
his portion of the work, and found
them as beautiful on close inspection
as the originals at distance. Two
other lateral compartments, filled with
plpe2., and still more suggestive of the I
h,up in their form, lend to tlie square
lateral towers. Over these compart- !
ments, close to the round tower, sits !
on each side a harper, man on the c
right, a woman on the left, with their a
harps, all apparently of natural size.
The square towers, holding pipes IN a
their open interior, are lower than the y
round towers, and tall somewhat back L
from the front. Below, three colossal i
ternlae OF Ssbyl like women perform Ii
or them the office which the giants and
he hon-silapes perform Tor the round >
overs lie pillars which rise from h,
he base are square, and lie dome tn
which surmounts them is squ.ue. also. m =,
Above The dome is a vase ike sup !"
'ort, upon which The disposed figures tn
+ the Tyre aud other musical sym N
oils. an
The whole base of the instrument ~ !,
n the interval Of the figures described, tn
) covered with Elaborate carvings to