The state herald., 1892-03-11
MUSIC BY ELECTRICITY.
Church Organs Worked by Means of The
Electric Fluid.

There are half dozen pipe organs in New
York City operated by electricity. One OF tho
best of these Is the Dutch Reformed Church
at Fifth Avenue and Twcnty-ninih street.
The pipes In the ordinary organ are worked
by trackcs. which consist Of long. thin strips
OF wood, connecting the key with the pipe
palate. BY pressing down the key the tracket
dlsplaccs the palate and udmIts the air
pumped from the bellows Into the pipe, thus
producing the sound.
II Will readily lie seen That thi. device,
which Is purely u mechanical one, will not nj.
nit OF much elaboration. II Il necessary To
have Ms little friction as possible III order TINT
the keys may be played with minimum
amount OF effort. This ncccssltates the con.
struaiIon Of the body Of the organ IN the i'm.
mediate ncighborhood Of the keys, for each
foot OF distance means an Increase In the pres.
SURE required 10 bc cxcrtcd by the performer.
liy means Of electricity distance ps factor
10 he taken Into consideration III constructing
the instrument Is entirely done away with, An
Ing down the key circuit Is closed which
open. the pipe valve as quickly Ms the press.
Ing Of m electric button rings bell.
The organ Is located In three cdifirrrnt marta
Of the church. The most remote md largest
Is In the gallery, nt n distance Of the entire
length OF the building from the keys. All
therc three pnrts, each OF which has the NJ.
vi ~ rtptfuNf IL uIlffutgI
from tho small key box, barely i've feet high,
aud not much larger than mn ordinary roii
desk. IN fhef, II Is In the concentration of all
the mechanism into 40 small a ,pnc, that
makes this particular electrical organ superior
10 any other.
The electric current Il eommnnI Gated 10
each OF the separate departments by means oi
cables, encii cable containing nil tho wires
necessary 10 work any one part, There arr
i've cables leading FROM the KEY boz 10 the gal.
lefy organ, aud four 10 the chnnool organs,
which constitute the other two The rlcc.
ticity used In ihrsc cables Il derived frum a
storage battery located In the chanccl bellows
room, hnd hn,lng mn electro motive force of
eight volts This Is fed over the same wires
.nh, supply ,hc currents for lighting tho
church aud running tho motors.
when TIE current II open, or, In other
words, when none of the keys arc depressed,
thi. bellows Il IN Its normal conditlon-cs.
pandcd. When, however. the Circuit Il closed
by pressing down n key, u coll Of wirc around
q corr Situated directly beneath the bellows Il
mngnrtlyrd. The magnet attracts n metal
,alyr IN The bellows, aud acts 10 that the Wind
Il allowed 10 escape.
Tho pressure of the air IN thl. wind cheat
causes the bellows 10 collapse, thereby pulling
down wire connecting with the palate of tho
sound pipe.
Thus, all that the electricity does Ia 10 open
n valve In this Inner bellows. The beliowr,on
colinpsinR, removes the stopper, or palate, II
the organ pipe. Tho Wind from tho large
pumping bellows bcing then admitted the
pipe performs it, duty.
Tho mcthcd by which the three distinct or.
gana arc played, separately or together a. tho
orgnnist may wish, consists of M or,,Irary
switch, such na is used IN the killing by rlrc.
triclty Of criminals nj Sing Sling. 'ihc main
Wires from the battery before entering ihe
mercury irguphs nrc passed through three.
point switch. when the switch liver touches
one of these points the current |. allowed Ia
reach every contact IN the organ IN another
position NIL communication with tho gallery Ia
thut on, ahd IN n third position, this romin,,pI.
cation Ia restored, while NJ the same tluc ths
current !. Interrupted on lis way 10 tho chan.
eel otgan.-Are iork pust