Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-14
r YELEN KELLER is the worlds
II most famous deaf and blind

r YELTN KELLER In the Worlds
- most famous deaf and blind
a. woman. Enrico Caruso Is
the worlds most famous tenor
singer.
When the newspapers the other
day reported that Helen Keller had
put her fingers 10 the lips and
throat Of tho great caruso during
the Metropolitan Opera Company's
recent engagement In Atlanta, and
had heard him sing the Lament Of
Samson" from the opera, samson
and DelIlah"--the New York car
specialists shook their heads.
Through the medium OF her mar
velous fingers the matchless voice
of the great tenor was said to have
been transmitted to her eoul--this,
the experts say, Is impossible.
With her sightleas eyes. wet with
tears. she listened and declared she
heard the melody, and whispered
over and over again, Wonderful
Wonderful" But the scientists
assert with positiyeness that this
was a delusion.
When Miss Keller. overpowered
with emotion. almost collapsed At
the effect Of the great tenors
voice--this. the specialists declare,
was simply the result OF over
wrought emotion, and not caused
by any melody which entered the
brain OF the deaf girl.
Exactly what Helen Keller imaK-
fined she heard through her finger
tips cannot be very definitely ex.
planned by the New York special
lists. But in a general way II may
be said that the vibrations of the
lips and throat on the supersensi-
tive nerves of the blind woman's
fingers produced emotional images.
but not any true conception OF
sound, no conception OF melody,
tone or pitch OF Caruso's voice.
The connection between the vi
hrating lips and throat OF the
singer, II was pointed out, and the
deaf mute's aural mechanism was
entirely too remote. These vibra-
tions which Miss Keller felt with
her fingers had to travel up her
arm 10 the shoulder. through the
collarbone and it's connecting car
iilages and, encountering soft It's
sues on its travels, passed on to
the bony structure surrounding the
ear cavity OF the skull.
4 Scientific Analysis
of the Facts.
No such vibrations passing along
such a route could survive TO roach
the skull as sound or music waves.
They would be absorbed by the
eartilagea and softer tissues
II YOU put your finger on the VI
bratlng hood OF an automobile your
brain viii record through your nm
ger tips and connecting nerves the
vibrations. But your brain will
gather no impression as 10 the
noise made by the engine Helen
Keller, therefore. no matter how
highly organized we're the Anger
nerves. could not hear Carubo'p
song in any such way Nobody,
whether with ears or without ears
can hear sound in this way.
A much more efficient test. 4
was explained. might have been
made In a different way. Every
body understands that vibrating
tuning fork which makes no audi
hls Noise can hn heard " u u
Placed hetwnen the teeth, This Il
caused hy the direct vibrations
which travel along the henea o.
the skull % the ear cavity and
akllatn the delicate mechanism o.
the ear
N CArnan had pressed the cenir'
II hla forehead. AZ me point whefs
n i0ius tha bridge ~ the nose ans
contains The feaanatlnK chamber
II Ma vocal Appafatnas hEslns
ilsisa kelleFa iaw, thaFe weall
have haNH ttReA tifNAh VT w
eoufta nf he vibrations
In ihis eay iha vibrating henei
~ Nafuaa'a head mifkt transmit
ihs Sound vibrations AlnnK Ma
helleFa Mw Through TIE elaAe mas
lola connection dlFeft ~ hsF aafk
eavltF ~ thia meaHs lhe tlbga
tiahs ~ Ne Halrm maahss theatatl
Ca'lYs HAYS reached he heaFinl
rNAtfa q lhn hfaia Possibly. lhen
Nha nlifht haFa actually haafl
FAfusa tuiFa
Nat talA "a HNt what wts aane
kia understanding $40 rflefiFia
gf raftlfa asa FtyaialnEF uhi4l
ApEl she eMufi Maa made - FArfl
ths slhFaiiahs et lAnasaa Fola
ltfesGh ika taft l'ssuss ei Ai.
hRi'efa haNofA Rhd AFm
h BE- alsn palAiet 0ai thAt sihfa
tieas yaflirg u fniumf eua inisr