Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-05-22
PUzzL|NC ECHOES.
The Riddle Of the Gardens of Aux
Rochers In France.
MYSTICAL TRICKS OF SOUND.

A Spot Where an Almost lnaudib's
Whisper Becomes Curious'y Trans.
formed Into Thousands Of Kissing
Responsss-Othsr Famous Echoes.
Some echoes in their mystic charac-
ter would seem to approach the do
main Of psychic phenomena. which are
| ellciting so much and such puzzled at
tcntion. One Of these ghostly tricks
| OF sound is to be found in the gardens
Of Aux Rochers in France, which
was once the residence Of Nine. de
| Sevigne. The chateau is situated near
! the old town Of Wire. A broad gravel
| walk on n dead level conducts through
| the gardens to the house. In the GEN.
| ter OF this, on a particular spot. the
listener ia placed at the distance OF
| ten or twelve yards from another per-
son, who addresses him in a low and
| almost inaudible whisper. when imme-
diatcly, as from tens Of thousands OF
invisible tongues, starting from the
| earth beneath, or as II every pebble
was gifted with powers of speech, the
words are repeated with a slight hiss
| ing sound. not unlike the whirffng OF
| small shot through the air. On remov-
ing from this spot. however trifing
| the distance. the intensity Of the repeti-
| ton is sensibly diminished and within
a few feet ceases to be heard. Under
| the impression that the ground beneath
was hollow the soil was recently dug
up to a considerable depth. but with.
out discovering any ciew to the mys.
terry. 7'" <~' H."
Although the weird echoes Of statu.
airy hall in the capitol at Washington
| have been somewhat subdued since the
| structural notifications Of the roof.
| they still haunt the chamber which
was once the house Of representatives.
| The capitol guides used to take great
pride in the mysterious echoes Of stat
uary hall. and they deplorc their par
| tial elimination. 1t will be recalled
| by many that there is a dagstone IN
the floor Of the hall marked by a small
| black hole about as large as an uln-
| brella end, on which. If a person stood
| and uttered a word. he heard a repeti-
ton Of his voice proceeding apparently
from the basement Of the building just
below him. An appreciable interval
| elapsed between the utterance OF the
sound and its echo. a circumstance
| that rendered the effect almost I'M
| canny. 10 laugh was to prove a mock
ing rejoinder. and many persons. say
the guides. were persuaded that a trick
was being played or them. The same
effect was noticeable on that part of
the floor adjacent to the ]agst0ne men,
toned. but the farther away from the
latter the less distinct became the
echo until. at a certain distance. 1t was
not %perceptible at oil.
Some Of the most curious and beau
tiful echoes in the world are to be
| heard in the Luray caverns, which are
only a few hours journey from Wash
ington. Numerous Of the huge stalag.
mites here. when only gently struck.
| give forth tones that in some instances
resemble the Ginning Of great. sweet
toned bells or a long melodic note like
| that of a church organ. A famous vio-
linist Is said. when visiting Washington.
to have journeyed to Luray in order to
test the effect Of the playing Of his in.
strument amid the singular acoustic
surroundings. The tones Of the violin
are described as having been wonder
fully enhanced both in sweetness and
in volume.
Among the wonderful rock forma.
tons Of the far west, notably In the
IGund Canyon Of the Colorado. are said
to Turk many marvellous echoes. The
same IS true Of the great Niagara
gorge, and. though few are aware Of
the fact, it il said that any n Jour-
ncying to the falls and taking in the
gorge-a superb piece Of natural seen.
cry in itself-will be we'll rewarded
by stopping at Inspiration Point. walk
ing forward to the edge Of the cliff
hand here waiting until the first train.
on nearing the level crossing. blows
its whistle. The sound is caught up by
m%ultitudinous echoes until one would
fancy that 1t was resounding through
the universe.
One Of the most famous echoes is to
be heard in Woodstock park. Oxford.
shire. England. which is said to re.
peat seventeen syllables by day and
twenty by night. Although this state
ment is to be found in various stand.
ard textbooks and treatises on the
subject. it has lately been contradict.
ed by an Investigator. who remarks.
however, that the diminution Of this
classic echo is probably due to the re.
moval Of various buildings in its neigh.
borhood.
A most striking interior echo is a
feature Of the Mormon tabernacle In
Salt Lake City. When this hall is
empty and quiet the ring Of a pin fall.
ing on the floor can be heard from all
points, and ever the faint. rasping
sound produced by rubbing the hands
together is perfectly audible from one
o,,I 80 <hr h,,i113rr ~ Tho nth0r