The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-10
HAVE
MUSICAL NOTE
Scientist Discusses Unique
Question of Harmonies
TEST OF STRUCTURE
Why the Organist Must Avoid Strik-
ing a Certain Key on One of
fhe Great Organs in
Cincinnati
from the New York World.
~ 49,.

from the New York World
Do sl<yscrapers sing?
An eminent engineer SAYS they do and
he suggests catching the song and maxi
ing a practical use of it.
The engineer is II. NJ. Hover, and he
calmly raised the point at the recent con-
building of the Internat ional Association
FOR Testing Materials. His audience was
made up altogether of the kind of men
who are far from inclined toward the
fanciful and unscientific.
IF by tapping rail- said Mr. Hover,
we can tell, from the pitch or timbre.
or volume of sound produced, whether it
has any hidden defects, why not apply
this test to an entire structure?
Why not to skyscraper specially
when they reach the 100-story stage?
Each skyscraper will have a different
note, depending on its size and shape just
as each different sized rail will give forth
a note of its own
1T Will be necessary to invent a delicate
instrument which viii register the yibfa-
tory song of the building-lilSe the earth
fully records a tremor In the earth 5000
miles away.
I'VE are going to do these marvellous
things continued Mr.. Hover. "Thev only
seem marvellous to us now. Every period
IN the past Is years has seemed modern
in itself
IF remembering the wonderful prog
ress made, we admit that progress is
accelerating and that this acceleration
will continue; that men will continue to
dominate the earth, not for centuries. but
for millions of years. that the Middle
Ages are not behind but far ahead of us;
then we may recognize that the methods
our present ignorance and crudeness
have evolved are mere temporary make
Shifts
Alfred G. Robyn, the well known organ
ist and composer, answered readily when
the query was put to him.
This is not fanciful," said he. Every
tang sings-to the musician
Blind Fiddler and Bridge
You viii recall the legend of the blind
fiddler and the bridge. He listened pa
tiently at the structure till he caught its
vibration or note. Then he reproduced
this same note on his violin and fiddled
away till he so increased the vibration
of the bridge that it shook itself TO
pieces and fell with a crash.
That is only legend. But here is a
fact:
you have perhaps noticed that when
low note of a church organ is sounded
the pew you sit in will tremble. In Gin
cinnat in the Music hall there that con-
tains one of the biggest pipe organs in
the country, there is one low note which
the organist dares not sound. 1t causes
the entire building to vibrate to such an
extent that in the estimation of engineers
the safety of the structure would be
threatened.
Now there you have concrete in
stance of the musical note of building
This low note of the organ was exactly
the note of the building. And. as in the
case of the fiddlers bridge. the playing
of it had a serious disintegrating effect.
ain giving concert always first look
carefully over the room. Once. while
playing in private home, ! found on
testing the piano. that it was "tinpannny''
on one note to an amazing degree. The
hostess was very much put out thinking
the defect to be in the piano. But |
found loose chandelier which responded
exactly to the note in question. and the
return vibration of which deadened this
note.
'These instances are very common.
II should say that every scyscraper
had a note of its own. And it only re-
mains to have an instrument big and
powerful enough to make the building
yibrate to its sympa thetc note.
For instance, 1t /. is conceivable that a
great steam whistle blowing continuously
in the key of nearby skyscraper would
have some dsintegrating effect upon it,
especially upon a very high structure"
This principle of vibration is an ele-
mentary one" said Prof W. W. Sitter
of the University of Physics Columbia
university.
I'm lecture experiments we use COM
monty the two tuning forks with a COM
mon pitch. One set in vibration makes
the other sing. Then, If you stop the
first, the other will set 1t back into
vibration again.
'1f you We're to take very delicate
glass goblet get its note and reproduce
this note upon a violin. you could shat
ter the glass.
Everything in Vibration
everything Is in vibration-this Ia
BILE here, this entire building. This is a
physical law--that nothing is at rest.
I'm some instances it becomes a Sc
rious matter The vibration of a bridge,
fc~ instance. must be carefully guarded
so that it will not increase to the dan
ger point. When an army moves over a
bridge the ranks break step; otherwise
the rhythmic movement would get the
bridge to swaying till it might fan
apart l understand that when the big
circuses go over the Brooklyn bridge 1t
lis customary to have the elephants
break step.