The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-05-16
PUzzLINC ECHOES.
Why Run the Risk of Spelling Food
The Riddle of the Gardens of Aux
RoCherS In France.
MYSTICAL TRICKS OF SOUND.


Responses-other Famous Echoes.
Some echoes in their mystic charac- |
ter would seem to approach the do /
main of psychic phenomena, which are |
eliciting so much and such puzzled at |
tention. One of these ghostly tricks |
of sound is to be found in the gardens
of Aux Rockers 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 a dead level conducts through
the gardens to the house. In the cen
ter of this, on a particular spot, the
listener is 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
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 a slight hiss
| ing sound, not unlike the whirling of
! small shot through the air. On remov-
! ing from this spot, however trifling
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 clew to the mys-
terry.
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 deplore their par
tial elimination. 1t will be recalled
by many that there is a flagstone in
the floor of the hall marked by a small
black hole about as large as an UNI
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 appreciate interval
elapsed between the utterance of the
sound and its echo, a circumstance
that rendered the effect almost I'M
canny. To laugh was to prove a mock
ing rejoinder. and many persons, say
the guides, were persuaded that trick
was being played on them. The same
+ effect was noticeable on that part of
t the floor adjacent to the fagstone men
, toned. but the farther away from the
, latter the less distinct became the
p echo until. at certain distance, it was
not pereeptible at all.
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
G ington. Numerous of the huge stalag
mites here, when ONLY gently struck
= give forth tones that in some instances
n resemble the Ginning of great. sweet
4 toned bells or a long melodic note like
that of 4 church organ. A famous VIC
linist is said, when visiting Washington
to have journeyed to Luray in order Il
test the effect of the playing of his in
Z strument amid the singular acoustic
{ surroundings. The tones of the violir
h are described as having been wonder
It fully enhanced both in sweetness and
d in volume.
II Among the wonderful rock forma
tons of the far west, notably in thu
Grand Canyon of the Colorado, are salt
to Turk many marvellous echoes. Thu
-. same is true of the great Magyar;
gorge, and, though few are aware o
the fact, it is said that any one jour
neying to the falls and taking in tn,
= gorge-a superb piece of natural seen
IN H.,
- by stopping at Inspiration Point, walk
ing forward to the edge of the elf
and here waiting until the first train
III on nearing the level crossing. blow
its whistle. The sound is caught up b.
multitudinous echoes until one woul
+ fancy that it was resounding throug
the universe.
One of the most famous echoes is [
be heard in Woodstock park, Oxford
I'd shire, England. which is said to re
peat seventeen sylables by day an
~ twenty by night. Although this state
he ment is to be found in various stand
of ard textbooks and treatises on tn
m subject, it has lately been contradic
ed by an Investigator. who remarks
however, that the diminution of thi
1ldSSlC SOnO IL DIOUdUlg uue W the II
al moval of various buildings in its neigl
borhood.
40 A most striking interior echo is
- feature Of the Mormon tabernacle j
~ Salt Lake City When this hall
IN empty and quiet the ring of pin fal
ne ing on the floor can be heard from a
points, and even the faint, raspin
sound produced by rubbing the hand
together is perfectly audible from OF
he end of the building to the other.
In the cathedral of Girgenti, in 81
50 lily, the slightest whisper is borne wit
perfect distinctness from the region
the great door to a location in the u
per part of the church about $50 fe