Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-16
A. Magic Concert.


wears since q Paris socdnt astonished
number Of his friends by inviting them to
a concert performed by musical instru-
nents whose keys were obviously un-
touched by human hands. The invita-
lions were accepted; and at the appointed
time the guests, most Of them of skeptical
tendencies, assembled at their hosts apart
ments, where they were ushered into
drawing room Of very modest dimensions,
and presenting a perfectly ordinary APP
nearance. In one corner of the room
stood small piano; and in the centre,
Kissed on wooden supports, were placed q
harp, q violin, and violoncello. The
visitors were requested to examine the
walls and the adjoining rooms, in order to
satisfy themselves that no musicians were
concealed in them.
When all were convinced that no impo-
sition of any kind was possible, the host
proposed that the concert should begin.
Taking conductors baton in his hand,
he struck one of the supports with it, and
then began to beat time-one, two, three.
Instantly the windows shook, the room
trembled, and the audience rose stupefied
and bewildered The instruments were
untouched, yet the sounds they produced
we're deafening; the effect being that of
su entire orchestra playing in the room.
The overture to ~ lillian Tell was per-
formed with the utmost precision, to the
extreme amazement of the hearers.
"That is more noise than you like, per-
hapsg" suggested the host. If you prefer
il You shall hear a quartette." The signal
was given by the baton, and beautiful
cuartette was exquisitely rendered by the
piano. violin, violincellO, and voice.
One of the guests inquired if the must
clans were hid in the rooms either above
or below that in which they were assem-
bIed. Permission to investigate was i'm
mediately granted, and search followed,
which was utterly unsuccessful One fact,
indeed, was then ascertained-namely,
that the music, which was heard so dis.
tinctly in the drawing room, was inaudible
elsewhere in the house. This one little
room alone possessed the power of pro-
ducing these mysterious sounds.
"In order to prove that these sounds are
really engendered here, l have had these
instruments placed as you see them. You
shall now hear them play alternately"
Scarcely had the saDa1t uttered these
words before the harp and violin-stand-
ing on their wooden suppOrts-began one
of MendelssOhn's "Leider Ohne Worte,"
arranged as duet Their exquisite har-
monies were hardly ended before the
piano began the overture to 'Tannhauser,"
which it performed in an animated but
somewhat noisy style. The effect was
magical, and the guests were utterly
astOunded.
The philosopher next proposed to do
something still more marvellous.
81 can, if you wish II" he said, "even
make these little boards perform. This
plank can, at your desire, sing, recite,
beat drum, or initiate any musical
sound"
The piece of wood was scarcely placed
in the position previously occupied by one
of the instruments, before the loud beat
ing of drum-as if it were calling an
army to assemble preparatory to charge
was heard in the room. On the plank
being removed, the sound ceased; but on
its being replaced, the drum beat as loudly
assever.
The plank was then caused to speak,
which it did with the harsh, grating tones
Of ventriloquist. Its shouts of laughter
filled the room On its being removed
from its place, there was perfect silence,
but when it was returned to its former po-
sition, it made the air resound with mock
ing and derisive laugh.
These extraordinary phenomena were
frequently repeated in the course of the
evening, and, on each occasion, with in
creased success. The host had thoroughly
fulfilled his promise. He had unquestion-
ably accomplished what most Of his guests
had previously considered to be impossi-
BILE.
The auditors, aided by heated imagina-
ton, were only too ready to attribute these
phenomena to the Intervention of some
supernatural agency; while, in truth, the
whole secret Of the wonderful performance
was to be found in well-known acoustic
laws 1t was based on the fact that sound
travels with much greater rapidity through
solids than through air. Under ordinary
circumstances sound will travel through
about 372 yards Of air per second; while
through the fibers of piece Of wood in
the same time, it would travel nearly
1850 yards. The rapidity of its transmits
sion varies considerably in the different
kinds Of wood. Thus, through acacia, it
passes at tn, rate of 5, 142 yards per Sec
ond; through deal, $3.50 yards; through
poplar, 1910 yards; through oak, 1900
yards, and through ash, 5000 yards in the
same time. Through some metals the
IdpiQlty Ii Stlll gIcdtcI. AL IIUu wife, loI
example, transmits it at the rate of 1858
yards, and cast-steel at the rate of 5,438
yards, per second, while through brass its
velocity is only 3,8SS yards. In conse-
quence of this rapid and accurately deter
mined transmission of sounds through
solids, the slightest vibratcry motion APP
piled to the end of piece of wood is in.
stantly communicated to its other extrem-
ity. The fact of the ticking of watch,
held at one end of piece Of wood, being
distinctly audible at the other end, suffices
to illustrate the principle.
Two persons at q considerable distance
from each other can carry on converse
ton, without even raising their voices, by
means of a wire or wooden rod, if the
ends are held between the teeth of the
speakers. Herhold, a Dane, frequently ex-
cited the curiosity Of his friends by
enabling them, with their ears stopped, to
hear music from harmonium played $50
yards distant from them. This he sue
ceeded in doing by stretching wire from
the instrument to the nearer, who had to
hold it in his teeth.
Laths Of wood transmit sounds commu-
nicated to them, not only with great rapid
lty, but also without the slightest modif-
cation of pitch. Thus, if lath ten yards
in To- = ~ E-o-H - -