Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-09-06
OUR FAMOUS ECHOES.
REMARKABLE PHENOMENA. IN
BUILDINGS AND VALLEYS.
Slight sound. Audibly Repeated In the
Great Tabernacle at Salt Lake City
Wonders of statuary Hall In the capi-
toI at Washington Are Exaggerated.

In this country there are many Well
known buildings noted for their echoes,
and of these perhaps none is more re-
markable than the tabernacle In Salt
Lake City. When this hall is empty
and quiet, the ring Of pin falling on
the floor can be heard from all points
and even the feeble, rasping sound pro-
duced by rubbing the hands together
is perfectly audible from one end OF the
building to the other.
A better known, but really less Won
derful, example of audibility within
building is found in the national hall
of statuary in the capitol at Washing
ton. The phenomena manifested here,
which are genuine and interesting
enough, have been somewhat over
stated. have spent a long morning
in this hall studying the matter criti-
.cally and having obtained due per-
mission have questioned the various
groups of visitors while being placed In
chosen positions by the guides to hear
the marvellous reverberations of sound.
The guides certainly make the most
of their opportunities for impressing
visitors-but when guide retreats to q
distance to whisper you may observe
on approaching him with due caution
that his whisper is of the "stage whis-
per" sort and calculated to carry with
great distinctness under any conditions.
The chief acoustical peculiarities of
the chamber are clearly due to the fact
that the roof, which is partly domed,
is not symmetrical with respect to the
floor, so that complex reverberation
is the consequence.
Natural echoes unsurpassed in Won
derful effect are not far to seek in
America. Probably Irish Killarney it.
self does not hide away more striking
echoes than lurk within the famous
Colorado canyon, and it would be rash
to assert that these are quite the most
wonderful to be found among the rocky
retreats of the far West.
Deep ravines being the recognized
haunt of echoes, 1t may be taken fol
granted that many exist in the great
gorge of Niagara, and anyone journey
ing to the falls by this approach will
be well rewarded by stopping at In
spiration Point, walking forward to the
edge of the cliff, and here waiting til
| the first train, on nearing the leve
crossing, blows it's whistle. All the
| deep glen takes up and carries on the
warning shrek.
| The musical chord blown so constant
ly by railway engines often meets will
a beautiful response from the surround
ing country. This is very noticeabl.
round the lake of Geneva, Wisconsin
when the listener is standing on higl
ground and trains are threading thei
way through the woodlands below
These effects are due totthe uearnes
of extensive pine forests to the railroat
tracks.
Many who visited Wadesboro, N. G.
to observe the total eclipse of the SUI
from the observation station there las
year noticed that the organ-like pipin,
of the trains, when two miles distan
in the broad, wooded valley below
would give place, without sensibl
break, to an echoing reply. drawn ou
in prolonged strain, which slowly an,
softly died away like the wild notes o
some gigantic harp.-Pearson's Maga
zine