New Britain herald., 1922-11-18
Hiram Percy Maxim Fore casts an Age When Ob. jectionable Sound Will Be Silenced.

Thirty-one billions of millions of molecules of nitrogen, eight billions of millions of molecules of oxygen, four millions of millions of molecules of nrgon, i6 millions of millions of mole- cules of carbonie acid gas, 100000 millions Of molecules of neon, 40 thousands of millions of helium and several thousands of millions of hy- drogen- ammonia, nitrogen oxides and water vapor combined, make one cubic millimeter, or about one-half the size of an ordinary grain of rice, &C., cording to Hiram Percy Maxim, in- ventor of the Maxim Silencer and President of the Maxim Silencer O., who addressed the New Britain branch of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at the New Britain club last evening.
 MT. Maxim, admittedly the worlds greatest authority on questions of noise and sound waves, spoke for more than four hours, in which time he lectured on Noise Reduction Problems" illustrated by series of very remarkable photographs of sound waves, and spent at least half that period answering questions.
 Only when it was long after II o'clock and the noted inventor began to show signs of weariness did the engineers consent 10 cease asking for further information.
 MT. Maxim described the cubic mil limeter, outlined above, as the medium whereby the volume of sound is measured. He explained that wave lengths act upon the elasticity of the air and bound and rebound accord f ing to conditions.
 | Sound Reflections.
 The ear drum was described as a delicately tuned instrument much like a fine steel spring. Sometimes the little molecules of sound bound back and forth against the walls and sides of a room a dozen times before they strike the delicate ear drum.
 Although there it little diminution of energy in sound waves. because Of 1 this reflection he explained how the voice would sound differently II the room were upholstered or padded with soft draperies. There would be little or no reflection and only por- ton of the sound wave would strike the ear drum.
 Bad Acoustics.
 On the other hand he explained how, if the room were filled With hardwood furniture and glazed tile, there would be so much persistence in sound reflections that confusion would follow and people would say 'The acoustics we're bad
 How sound waves are reflected was illustrated with case of glass mar ble and a stone slab. The marble bounces on the slab. The stone slat gives slightly, so does the glass mar ble. but the reflection is great enougf Ito send the marble almost all the way back to it's starting point BS uniting a mat over the stone the re- fection is diminished, most of it goes into the mat in the form Of neat ana the marble bounces probably ho' more than an inch, making an in- efficient reflection, which the inventor says is what is needed in the reduc- tion of useless noises today.
 I Referring again to the reflection ot sound waves, he spoke of the reflec- ton of ,ight. "If there were no air on inc earth. the sun would only cast h,ack shadows" he said, and the only things visible would be. those III 1he direct sunlight. Reflection makes white light. Sound is q white noise.
 Me!bas Throat
 "Nrelba's throat mechanism was-so j perfectly formed that every vocal i cord vibrated in unison and 1oade a perfect sound. he said
 Sound waves which are audible travel at ,he rate of HOO vibrations ! a second when they become musical notes. Sounds which vibrate at the rate of 10000 to 60,o00 per second mass out of audibility and can not be 1 heard. In other words 1t is possible to make a noise so loud it sounds like silence. he explained This is because the sounds are experienced by dell cate membrane of the eardrum &C., cordjng to it's vibrations. Vibrations of so,o00 a second are so rapid the 1 membrane cannot respond qu1ckly enough and therefore is held station ' ary.
 What Does The NIicrobe Hear?
 Noises perfectly audible to the hu- man ear sometimes cannot be heard by the elephants ear, he explained while the mouse can hear sounds in l audible to the human car and the tiny insect in turn hears noises even the mouse cannot hear. So finely graded is this distinction that woman cal hear slightly better than man, he informed his audience. because her car drums are more delicately attuned
 Noise, he explained, is wave mo lions projecting themselves through l the air at velocity of 1,10o feet a second. The bringing of two bodies together violently creates small zone of compressed air which by vibrating the live membrane in the ear drum creates noise
 "If a great tree Salls in the forest with resounding crash, and there is no living thing present to hear 1t, there is no noise" he replied in an swer to a question. There can be