Smyrna times., 1873-05-14
Effect of Oscillation.


Oscillation has wonderful effect upon even
powerful bodies, if not frequently broken i'll the
vibration. We have frequently seen notices
placed at the end of large suspension bridges, |
that professions must break step in crossing |
this has to be done to insure safety
1t is stated in illustration Of the effect of the |
phenomenon in question, that when the first |
suspension bridge was building in England, a
fiddler offered to fiddle it away. Striking one
note after another, he eventually hit its vibra
ting note, or fundamental t0ne and threw it
into such extraordinary vibrations that the
bridge builders had to beg him to desist.
Only recently, bridge went down under the
tread of infantry, in France, who had not
broken step, and three hundred persons were
drowned. The experiment Is well known of
tumbler or small glass vessel, being broken by
! the frequent repetition of some particular note
OF the human voice.
A correspondent of the RpHroqd Ga-ettc
notes the following curious facts, for which he
asks an explanation: -Four hundred and fifteen
miles Of track, OH a road running north and
south, were laid between 1850 and 1851 with
the fSh.bar joint fastening, similar to that now
in general use. The difference in elevations of
the north and south ends of the track does not
exceed $50 feet-the southern end being the
lowest-and the grades undulate; but at no
point is a greater elevation attained than 200
feet above or l25 below the southern end. On
about one half the distance the track was laid
with both rail joints on the same tie, and the
balance with "broken joints" The rails were
not ''slotted," neither were any stop chairs
used to prevent the track from Creeping. "
5 The track has been in use from eleven tC
twenty years, and the creeping of both rails
( has been southwark, and the western rail ha:
crept much faster than the eastern. In places
S where the grade does not exceed five to eigh
s feet per mile, for twenty to thirty miles, tn,
r Joints of the western are now opposite to th
IS center of the eastern rails, while the latter hav
e also moved southwark. On the heavies
p grades descending northward, there is littl
:, or no tendency to move down hill or north
e ward. Perhaps some Of our readers can ex
e plain why the western rails crept faster tina
n the eastern.
Ie Having seen the above paragraph copie
Of into several of our technical journals, withou
n- any answer to the query prOpOunded, we Wi
to venture the application to the Creeping" {
id rails on roads running north and south, tn
ut same theory that is given as a cause tor tn
g. more rapid wearing away of the western banl
ir of rivers, which run south or north, viz: Il
n rotation of the earth on its driS This NOV
tn ment being from west to east, has a tendenC
e, to throw the waters of rivers running parall
to with the earth's axis against their weSte
be banks; and hence the more rapid wearing ava
mt on that side.
,r So of railroad train, the eastward mott,
of the earth, in its daily revolution, presses Il
hangcs of the wheel against the west rail- al
he causes it to move either north or sout
Ter according as the excess of transportation is
the one direction or the other, or as the nor
,ry or south end of the road is more or less elev
in ted than the opposite extreme. In the ca
ut cited, the southern end of the road being sol
ew $50 feet lower than the northern, the rails ve
EAR naturally move doWa hill. The fact that Il
ly. motion in railroads. can be accurately det
ks. mined, may be considered not only as positi
,de proof on the supposed action of the water up
on river banks, but also of the truth of the thee
Ike generally accepted as its cause.-San Fro
lar cisco Scientific Press.