The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-27

A New MUSICAL 1NSTRUMENT.-Fromt the
Cincinnati COnlinerciat.--Among the pat
eutS issued llst week was one to MIR. ThCs.
Atkins, of this city. for new musical i'll
strllment. A working model Of this instru-
ment can he seen and heard at the piano
rooms of Atkins 81 Co., 16l 4th street. 1t
presents externally somewhat the appear
ance Of an upright piano, and has similar
Keyboard and action, including hammers
and damper. In other respects it differs
from the piano, having no strings, no ten
sion, and consequently neutrality-suspicious.
The tones are produced by the hammers
striking upon steel hooks of Il peculiar con-
struction. These hooks have three prong>,
the centre one being used to attach the
hook firmly TO metallic support. The
outer prongs differ i'll length, and herein
lies the value of Mr.. Atk!ns's discovery.
We speak OF it as discovery, not in
invention. Mr.. Atkins, who is both
an excellent musician and an inge-
NOUS mechanic, has devoted years to the
construction OF all Instrument that would
obyate some of the iu>upcrube imperfec-
tloES of the piano. III the process of ey-
pertinent he hit upon the hook OF the form
described, and upon testing il, discovered,
TO his deilght, the development of a new
acoustic principle, the only like discovery
mlde in nearly thousand years. When
struck, the hook gives out not only pure
sustained tone, but Il perfect harmonic. 1t
would he long to tell how nauy years hayc
been wasted br musicians iii reaching after
the effect which Mr.. Atkins produces by
this contriyancc. List hln:elf spent some
years in experimenting with tunlng-!ork>,
but found himself limited 10 scale
of about four and Il half octavcs.
Others have tried, and alter tedious
labor have met with no better sue
cess. The attempts TO construct L
kcycd instrument out Of steel have hithcr-
| TO been failures. Now, imagine Mr.. Atkins
seated at this novel instrument. 1t is rs il
Il musical box fifty times enlarged were
pluvin.. The high notes have all the bril-
/ iiancy of strings, but in descending the
scale the tones approach lhc Gnl6re OF wind
instruments, like the organ. Tue purity Of
tone throughout nlakcsoLher musical sounds
comparatively coarse. 1t is continued and
singing, and its volume Is regulated by The
touch of the player and the pressure OF he
pedal its only harmonic s.the octave. 1t Is
u wonderful success, considering the steel
hooks were forged upon al ordinary anvil,
and have tl1ws aDd lmpericctiOns that will
he avoided when they are cut by the pro-
Der machinery. Doubtless thcic will be
many notifications and improvements, but
there can be none in the accoustlc princi-
ple developed. Theoretically its power is
without limit. it would be rs easy to give
it range of ten octayes as seven, and Its
volume may be vastly increased by greater
bulk I'D the steel hooks. Chimes could be
az readily constructed as an instrument for
the concert-room or parlOr. AS there is no
tension, it cannot get out OF tune, aud no.
thing about it out of order but the action
Its simplicity, its durability, its quality OF
tone, its possible cheapness OF construc'
tion. roint it out as the instrument on
which the emusic OF the future" will be
played in nearly every house in the coun'
try.