Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-05-10

ether, so making silence. Its with sounds
or vibration of the air. exactly as in the
case of the waves of tue sea. One wave
may join another in such manner as to
ride triumphantly on its crest; or il may
Just fill up the others trough, and so stop
the motion Of both. At one point on the
coast of Ireland there is no tide, because
tho waves of the Irish sea and the Atlantic
ocean unite in the latter way.
1t has been found that the Davy lamp,
invented for colliers TO take into the mines
is not always safety lamp. for very
loud noise, like that of blast in coal
mine, may cause such an increase of vi
bration that the flame and the outside gas
will meet. The effect of firing a pistol
near Davy lamp was tried, and It was
found that the report caused the flame and
the outside gas to meet.
At Manchester, in Massachusetts, there
is wonderful singing beach; for, owing
to some popularity of form, the vibration
Of the sand on this beach is keenly music
al.
There is also on the peninsular of Mt.
Sinai hill called Gibel Nakus or Mount
ain OF the Bell, where musical tones are
distinctly heard, and have excited much
curiosity and have given rise to various
speculations concerning their origin.
Some years ago Lieutenant Newbold, of
the Madras army, visited this curious hill.
Setting off from Wadi Tor, latter two
hours riding and short walk of half an
hour. he reached the place, which he de-
scribed as bell.shaped hill, from three
hundred and fifty to four hundred feet in
height. On its western side, which faces
the Red sea, is a slope of about eighty
feet. covered with q very fine Quartzose
sand, varying in depth from five to six
inches to as many feet, according to the
form of the sandstone rock which it cov-
ers. This is the spot from which the mys-
tcrious sounds issue. Not the slightest
noise was heard; but their Arab guide,
desiring them to wait still at the bottom
OF the slope, began to ascend, sinking to
bis knees at every step. The travellers
soon heard faint sound resembling the
lower string of violoncello slightly
touched; and being disappointed at the
result, determined to ascend themselves,
in spite OF the intense heat of the sun and
the extreme fineness of the sand. On
reaching the summit they sat down to OBJ
serve the effect. The particles of sand set
in motion agitatcd not only those below
them, but. though in less degree those
all around them, like the surface of water
disturbed by stone. In about two min
utcs they heard a rustling sound, and then
the musical tone above alluded to, which
gradually increased 10 that of deep mel
low church bell, so loud that it recalled
the rumbling of distant thunder This
occurred when the whole surface was in
motion, and the effect upon themselves,
tho travellers compared to what they sup.
posed might be felt by persons seated up
on some enormous stringed instrument,
while n bow was slowly drawn over the
chords. They descended while the sound
was at its height; and soon after it began
TO lessen with the motion of the sand until,
at the end of a quarter of an hour, all was
perfectly still again"
There are also what are called singing
fames;" for two or more flames burning
within tubes will vibratc in unison as
long rs they are kept apart. and by means
of them music can be produced that sounds
surprisingly like that of the human voice.
lfa tuning fork, while vibrating, is held
near a certain kind of flame its vibration
will be caught up by the flames, and by
the aid Of u special contrivancc can be
seen. This brings us to visible music, real
art now, and highly interesting and en-
ioyablc one, but we must not enter upon
1t in this paper.-liary Granger Chose, il.
PoHer's Monthly.