National Republican., 1873-12-02
Lincoln HsIl.
ACOUSTICS.
Heury scnvic's Views Before tho American
Iustltste Of Arrhleerts

Ns"sSAhSSs
Beuvy scavie's Views Before tho American
1astitute OF Architects.
The American Institute Of Architects lately
held Q convention at Chicago, and among other
papers read there was one on Acoustics" by
our townsman, Mr.. Henry scarle. lie states that
he has made this subject q study during tho
whole OF his professional life especially as mo-
chanically applied to building. and, while there
has been great deal written upon the subject,
II has all been Of scientific character, and that
he has not been able In any work 10 and any
thing that told how 10 construct room good to
speak and hear In. He says that which comes
the nearest TO II Ia Q paper written by Professor
Honry, OF the Smithsonian Institution, aud pub
llshed In his report OF 1885, and also two lectures
BY Mr.. W. Fletcher Barrett, OF tho International
College, Springfield, England.
We make the following quotations from Mr..
Scarles paper:
Sound Is formed BY tho vibration Of the air
ear giving through the beautiful organization Of
no auditory nerves sensation Of perception TO
AIR is Of curious mechanical construction
a, u combines several mechanical qualities. II
10 very elastic. IL can be compressed into COM
psrstiyely small space. When compressed u pro-
bounds from hard surface the same a. ball.
y has the wave motion Of water, not on the sur
i.ss.o! iase only, ess the waves take ne form Of 2
break and return or form ripple along the face
Of wall the same as water. And ali these dlf-
fersnt qualities have e oo taken Into considers.
good TO speak In. Within the reasonable mean
ing Of the-uori Auditorium am satisned that
y z not & the proportion or shape that makes 4
Construction.
THIS he illustrates bya tent, which he claims
not good for sound, for reasons which he gives,
And n buiI ALI IL ,<.l
sound waves, "all mixed together to make the
Oa Ss Or s ss n. N z
sound waves take the form OF . sphere, and mot
being confined 10 requires The speakerto make
sets sad fson M, avn ~ Ss r0 S .ns
ments am satisfied the whole question In this
| matter IL how 10 construct room In such q
sound waves snail be confined or retained, they
| shall net be absorbed, broken, returned ~ re-
| bounding, or be reflected" Mr.. searie then goes
on @ e ~ ai,s nc construction q room, in Ensisnd,
gives the action Of sound waves under different
circumstances, and gives his reason why drspery
and upsSssy n rsSms Is no, good He state.
| the best substance known for retaining sound.
He claims that walls should be furred, and goes
on 70 describe how . rec n should be constructed
reasoning, and the fact that he has constructed
rooms which are good; he says windows gener-
ally arc no objection, especially II loaded, same
| a. the ordinary stained glass In church windows.
Resonance In room 70 . certain extent is .
benent, but may be Of that extent 70 be worse
than echo-examples Of which he gives. As the
| furrinRs Of the walls with wood might be OBJ
Jectionable, he describes how Iron construction
could be used with good effect, and closes by
saying: "As l stated at the commencement,
| Intended only TO present practical ideas, and
therefore will not attempt more. From my ex-
perisnce and Observance am satisned that In
the mechanical construction almost entirely lies
the whole secret Of acoustics, and instead OF lis
/ being deep scientific calculation Of Reometri-
cal proportions, shapes and angles OF rejection,
| 10 resolves itself into the observation Of o few
| facts OF simple philosophy In the constructionof
| buildings. IL have been as fortunate a. 70
start some one else 70 thinking, or II have In
| any way helped TO add interest TO our conyen-
ton have succeeded TO my satlafaction.r