Evening star., 1896-10-06
YOU CAN SEE SOUND.
| marvellous Experiments With the
Photographic Lens I'm New Fields.

Marvellous Experiments With fbe
Photographic Lens in New Fields,
Fitm the New York Herald
If the human eye goes on increasing in
usefulness as it has been doing Of ia.e II 4.
not at all improbable that eyesi2nt will
usurp the functions of hearing In the past
sound has been heard" only Marvel
Gus TO relate, 1t has been found possible
10 see sound and to photograph it in it's
course. This discovery, following closely as
II has upon the X ray and other remarkable
discoveries has set the scientific world 10
thinking what new problems IRE left for
men TO solve
his latest sensation in science according
tc the Vaughn and Cornish NJ Sc. shows
that If Photographic lens be turned on a
Aaruhl bullet In It's flight through the air
the Photographic plate shows that q dark
line OF compressed air can be seen in front
OF the ball. In the path of the bullet on
Whlch lens was turned, in the course Of
series of exhaustive experiments lust
made public, the hole cut in the air Nv The
proJectile could be distinctly seen closing up
as the atmospheric waves subsidized, and the
separated air came together aga.n. IL teing
necessary TO bring some sort of light to
bear upon the bullet in its flight IN eIec-
tric spark was formed by an ingenious
method, and 10y sending the bullet Past two
wires that completed an electric curront a
photograph was obtained by the light of the
spark thus created.
Photograph of the HummfnS Sound.
This showed an interesting state of ;hings.
Besides the dark line formed by the piled
up atmosphere in the front of the bullet ard
the smokelike air waves in the rear there
appeared on the plate an arrow-lcaded
wave that was caused by the hum of the
bullet. This hum broke the atmosphere in
to arrow-headed sections that could be dis
tlnctly seen on the plate.
y comparison with the time when the
sound was heard with the time when the
sound could be seen on the Photographic
plate proved that the soldier who ducks
when he hears the whiz OF bullet is vast
ing energy, for the bullet has paSsed when
the sound is heard. Experiments with hull
lets OF greater velocity showed that The ar
tow-heaoeo alr waves were always of the
same shape but with an Increase OF impact
| they became sharper at the point.
The difference between waves Of the sea
ana sound waves, as shown by these inter-
esttng experiments, is that there is no Iolsy
moving backward and forward and tossing
tumultuousIy as with water. The air par-
| tlcles, burst asunder by the impact Of the
pro)ectlle, scatter into the atmosphere thus
producing a greater density. This action
goes on continuously in front of the bullet
and on either side.
The air wave transmits its energy to the
ne-ghboring layer Of air, which, being thus
| front
The air waves, now that man can see
| tfem by the aid of Photographic lens are
SHOWN to be regular and systematic in their
habits. When distributed by the flight Of
| the bullet they scatter in arro,y-headed
| waves until the disturbing element has
| passed on, when the layers of air r.col spfo
| tneir former position. The motion Of the
| AIR particles was found to be wholly fur-
ward and back to rest along the same
| path.
| sound Waves From a Piano.
| experiments made to ascertain W hat con-
| ditioa OF the atmosphere caused The sounds
that are made by the striking of a piano
| Key revealed the fact that the vibration
| sent out succession of pulsations of the
! atmosphere, each of which is an elastic air
| wave Independent of those which precede
! and follow 1t.
| The Photographic lens showed t,,at the
| sounds seen were waves, of which tie
| crests are separated by distances of about
iour and half feet. The particles of air.
| IL could be seen, Were caused TO make a
| forward and backward swing. During tie
| former the air is compressed; during the
| latter ii is rareied, each pulse of compressed
air being followed by one of rareied air.
| Experiments with the vibration of a violin
| string showed that the air IS compressed
and released very suddenly. which gives the
sharper sound of the violin as compared
| with that of the piano.
| An atmosphere disturbance on a large
| scale has very different form of wave
| front. The eruption of a volcano, If the
| Photographic lens could be turned on il,
| would show a great ring-shaped wave front
| radiattng out to all points of the compass
and going half way round the earth. Then
| this wave would contract when relieved OF
the pressure and return to the region of the
| volcano again.
| From observations made during the final
paroxysms of the Krakatoa eruption, Mr.
Cornish is of the opinion that the great all
waves, If photograph apparatus could he
constructed that would take them rs il does
| aerial disturbance made a
would show that the waves spread out with
diminishing intensity at each journey until
they had made several complete circuits OF
| the globe.