The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-12
Effect Of Oscillation.

Oscillation has wonderful effect
upon even powerful bodies, II not fire.
quently broken in the vibrStion. 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 ensure
safety.
II is stated, in illustration OF the eff
feet of the phenomenon in question,
that when the first suspension bridge
was building in England, fiddler Of
fered to fiddle II away. Striking one
note after another, he eventually hit its
vibrating note, or fundamental tone,
and threw It into such extraordinary vi
brations TINT the bridge builders had to
beg him 10 desist. Only recently, q
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 yes.
sci, being broken by the frequent rope
tition Of some particular note OF the hu'
man voice. FL.
A correspondent Of the Rdilroad Ga.
.ctie notes the following curious facts,
for which he asks mn explanation: -Four
hundred and fifteen miles Of track, on q
road running north and south, We're laid
between 1850 and 1861 with the fish bar
Joint fastening, similar TO that now in
general use. The difference in eleva-
tons Of tho north and south ends Of the
track does not exceed 100 feet-the
southern end being the lowest-and the
grades undulAte but at no point is
greater elevation attained than 200 feet
above or 1876 below tho 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.
The track has been in use from eleven
TO twenty years, and the creeping OF
both rails Inns been soutliw1rd, and the
western rail lias crept much faster than
tlIeeRstern. Inplaceswerc the grade does
not exceed Ave to eight feet per mile,
for twenty to thirty miles, the joints OF
the western are now opposite to the CEN
ter of the eastern rails, while the latter
have also moved southward. On the
heaviest grades descending northward,
there is little or no tendency to move
down hill or northward. Perhaps some
Of our readers can explain why the
western nails crept faster than the east
ern.
Having seen the above paragrah cop
led into several of our technical jour
nails, without any answer to the query
propounded, We will venture the appli.
cation to the creeping" OF rails on
roads running north and south, the
same theory that is given as u cause for
the more rapid wearing away Of tho
western banks Of rivers, which run
south or north, viz: he rotation Of Nc
earth on ia aris. This movement, be-
ing from west to east, has tendency to
throw the waters Of rivers running par
nllel with the earth's axis against their
western banks and hence the more
rapid wearing away on that side.
So OF railroad train, the eastward
motion Of the earth, in It's daily revolu,
uonb presses tne lllllges VI Tue Vice.
against the west rail, aud causes it ia
move either north or south, according
rs the excess OF transportation is in the
one direction or the other, or MS the
north or south end Of the road is more
or less elevated than tile opposite eX'
IRENE. In the case cited, the southern
end Of the road being some $50 feet
lower than the northern, the rails very
naturally move dOtpa hht The facI
that this motion in railroads, can be ne
curately determined, may he considered
not only ms positive proof on Tho sup
posed action Of the water upon rive
banks, but also OF the truth of the
theory generally accepted Us its cause
San Francisco Scientific Press.