The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-06-06
The Riddle Of the Gardens Of Aux
RoCheFs In France.
MYSTICAL TRICKS OF SOUND.

Of Aux Rockers In France, which
was once the residence Of Nine. de
Sevigne. The chateau IL situated near
the old town of vitre. A broad gravel
walk on q dead level conducts through
the gardens to the house. In the cen.
ter Of this. on q particular spot. the
listener IL placed at the distance Of
ten or twelve yards from another per
son. who addresses him in q low and
almost inaudible whisper, when imme-
diately, ~ from tens Of thousands Of
invisible tongues, starting from the
earth beneath, or az II 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 trining
the distance, the intensity Of the repet-
ton is sensibly diminished and within
q 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. .x
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. It will be recalled
by many that there Is q 1agstone in
the floor Of the hall marked by a1small
black hole about as large as an um-
brella end. o. which, IL 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 it's echo. q circumstance
that rendered the effect almost IN.
canny. To laugh al to prove a mock.
ing rejoinder. and many persons. say
the guides. were persuaded that a trick
was being played On them. The same
| effect was noticeable on that part Of
the door adjacent to the lagstone men,
toned. but the farther away from the
latter the less distinct became the
echo until. at a certain distance. It was
not perceptible at all.
Some Of the most curious and beau
dful 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 OF 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 f0rma-
lions Of the far west. notably In the
Grand Canyon Of the Colorado. are said
to lurk many marvellous echoes. The
same IL true Of the great Niagara
gorge. and. though few r aware Of
the fact. It II said that any one jour
neying to the falls and taking in the
gorse-a superb piece Of natural seer.
cry In itself-wll be well rewarded
By stopping at Inspiration Point. walk
ing forward to the edge Of the clin
and here waiting until the 6rst train.
on nearing the level crossing. blows
its whistle. The sound Il caught up by
muatitudinous echoes .until one would
fancy thaf II was ~resounding through
the nniyerse
One Of the most famous echoes il to
be heard in Woodstock park. Oxford.
shire. England. which 10 said to re.
peat seventeen syllables BY day and
twenty BY night. Although this state
ment u to be found IN various stand.
ard textbooks and treatises on the
subject. II has lately been contradict.
ed by an Investigator. Who remarks.
however. that the diminution Of this
classic echo IL probably due ia. the 10
moval Of various buildings 10 its neigh.
borhood.
A most striking interior echo 10 .
feature Of the Mormon tabernacle in
Salt. Lake City. When this han IL
empty and quiet tho ring Of I pin fall
ing on the door can be heard from al
points. and even the faint. rasping
wound produced By rubbing the hands
together Is perfectly audible from one
end Of the building to the other.
n the cathedral Of Girgenti. IN Sic
ily. thu. slightest whisper II borne with
perfect d~istinctness from the region Of
the great door to . location IN the up
per part Of the church about $50 feet
distant
Although acoustics would seem to
account satisfactorily Tor many echoes.
there vet remains much that II mys-
tefious and 30 ming concerning them.-
=. n. Collins II Chicago Researches.
~.