The Washington times., 1901-07-28
THE DECEPTION OF SOUND
Echoes That Have Made Certain
Spots Famous the World Over.
Marvellous Acoustics of Stntunry
Hall at the Capitol, Where "a Whis-
per Is Repeated With Distinctness
An Attraction for Visitors.

Hall at the Capitol, Where "a Whis-
per Is Repeated with Distinctness
An Attraction for Visitors
Most persons who have visited this
city, as well as the residents thereof
have probably listened with wonder to
the weird echoes to be heard i'll Stat
uary Hall, or the old chamber of the
House of Representatives, at the CAPT
tol. There is a certain fiagstone in the
floor of this apartment marked by a
small black hole about as large as an
umbrella point upon which, II per-
son stand and utter a sound, he hears
a repetition of his own voice proceed
ing apparently from the floor directly
beneath his feet. An interval elapses
between the utterance of the sound and
its echo, and this makes the effect all
the more extraordinary, in so much that
many persons who hear the echo for
the first time are persuaded trick is
being played upon them. The same eff
feet is noticeable on that portion of the
floor adjacent to the flagstone men
toned, but the farther away from the
latter the less distinct the echo. until,
at a certain distance. it is not distin-
guishable at all.
The angular extremities of the hall
(Which is semicircular in form, with
a domed roof are capable of one OF
those wonderful acoustic effects which,
like that of the repeating nagstone. are
met with but rarely and which have
never yet been accounted for in sat
isfactory manner. If two persons stand
at these extremities, which are fully
$50 feet apart, and one whisper in
tone that would be inaudible two feet
away, the other, by leaning his ear to-
ward a narrow space between the wall
and a plaster, will hear distinctly the
voice of his companion, spoken into
a similar space on the opposite side,
and which will not be affected or over
heard by anyone else in the apart
ment. no matter how crowded the lat
ter.
These and similar strange tricks of
sound are experienced in various
places, though, as before mentioned.
they are exceedingly rare. In the gar
idence of Madame de Sevigne, Is
remarkable echo which finely illustrates
the conducting and reverberating pow
ers of fiat surface. The chateau is
situated near the old town of Nitre.
A broad gravel walk on dead level
conducts through the garden to the
house. In the centre of this, on par
a. ic nla of
the distance of about ten or twelve
yards from another person, who, SINH
larly placed, addresses him in low,
and, in the common acceptation of the
term inaudible, whisper. when imme-
diately, as from tens of thousands of
invisible tongues, starting from the
earth beneath, or as If every pebble
was gifted with powers of speech, the
words are repeated with slight hiss
ing sound, not unlike the whirling of
small shot through the air. On remov-
ing from this spot, however trifiing the
distance. the intensity of the repetition
is sensibly diminished, and within a
few feet ceases TO be heard.
Under the idea, evidently, that the
has been dug up to considerable
depth, but without discovering any clue
to the solution of the mystery.
An echo in Woodstock Park, Oxford
shire, England, repeats seventeen sylla-
bles by day and twenty by night One
on the bank of the Lago del Lupo, |
above the fall of Terni, repeats fifteen. |
nf he rly hi
known is one on the north side of Ship |
ley Church, in the County of Sussex, |
which repeats distinctly |
twenty-one syliables. In the Abbey |
Church of st. Alban's is a very curious
echo; the tick of watch may be heard |
from one end of the church to the 9TH
er. In Gloucester Cathedral, a gallery |
feet across the nave. IN
the Cathedral of Girgenti, in Sicily, the
slightest whisper is borne with perfect
iistinctness from the great door to the
cornice behind the high altar, a dis
lance of ESQ feet. 1t is said that this
led to the removal Of the
from its position near the
|
IN accidental discovery of the peculiar
acoustic effect, and consequent TRACE
iy in which love, jealousy. and man
slaughter figured Jointly. In the whis-
pering gallery of St Paul's, London,
he faintest sound is faithfully convey
I'd from one side of the dome to an
1ther. but is not heard at any inter
mediate points.
In the Manfroni Palace at Venice is
I square room. about twenty-five feet
high. with concave roof, in which a
person standing in the centre and
stamping gently with his foot .on the
loor hears the sound repeated great
number of times. but, as his position
ieviates from the centre. the reflected
sounds grow fainter and at a short dis
ance wholly cease. The same phe-
occurs in a large room of the
library of the museum at Naples.
AMERICANIZED ENGLAND.
Rrftisl JouruaI Talxes m I,oolr Vnfo |