Scan 64
The American history and encyclopedia of music .., 1908
4 lines. Read by computer on 8 September 2026. Printed page 40. See the scan on archive.org.
1pronounces a syllable in a large, empty room having bare walls, the sound of his voice will be returned to him after a short period in a repetition of the syllable. In a succession of words this produces a very confusing effect, and many public speakers affect a slow enunciation in order that one sound and its echo may die away before a new vibration is produced. Caves, tunnels, and irregularities in the outlines of buildings also create echoes. The distance of the reflecting surface from the speaker has a peculiar effect. If the distance is about one hundred and ten feet the sound is repeated once, but if this distance is doubled, the repetition will occur twice, and in like ratio up to about five repetitions, when the number will be limited by the time required for sound to travel. When there are several reflecting surfaces, the echo will be a multiple echo, that is, the sound may be repeated as often as forty times, although it has been observed that the number depends somewhat upon the condition of the atmosphere; for instance, more will occur at night than during the day. The causes of echoes are not thoroughly understood, and they cannot be made to order. An Englishman took great delight in an echo which was produced in an European country house, and he determined to carry it home. Complying with his orders, the building was taken apart, each piece marked and carried to England, where they were set into place again, but the echo was missing. In some minute detail the structure had been changed and the power of reflection was lost.
3In whispering galleries the sound vibrations are not only reflected, but they are increased in amplitude, so that a whisper inaudible to some one a few feet away will be very distinct at a distance of a hundred or more feet. There are a number of famous structures which have this peculiarity, among them the dome of St. Peter's at Rome. The Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah, is perhaps the most striking. The lines of the walls and ceiling are curved, and when the building is empty a whisper can be heard the entire length, over two hundred feet. The ear trumpet is a
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