OF

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

OF THE

State of Pennsylvania

AND

AMERICAN REPERTORY

OF

MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE,

CIVIL ENGINEERING, THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES,

AND OF

AMERICAN AND OTHER PATENTED INVENTIONS.

EDITED

BY THOMAS P. JONES, M. D.,
Mon of the Am. Philos. Soc; of the Acad. of Nat. Sei., Philad.; the Am. Acad. of Arts and Sci., Mass.
the Nat. Inst. for Promotion of Sci., Washingion, &c. &c. &c.

COLLABORATORS.
For Practical and Theoretical Mechanics. For Physical Science.
JOHN C. CRESSON, Prof. Mech., Franklin ALEX. DALLAS BACHE, LL. D.
Institute.

SEARS C. WALKER.
For Practical and Theoretical Chemistry, For Commerce and Manufactures.
J. C. BOOTH, Prof. Chem. of the Arts, SAMUEL V. MERRICK.
Franklin Institute.

FREDERICK FRALEY.
JOHN F. FRAZER, Prof. Chem. and Nat. For Ciril Engineering.
Philos.

THOMPSON S. BROWN, C. E.
JOHN GRISCOM, LL. D.

WILLIAM H. EMORY, U.S. Top. Eng.
For Architecture.

ELLWOOD MORRIS, C. E.
THOS. U. WALTER, Prof. Architecture, SOLOMON W. ROBERTS, C. E.
Franklin Institute.

For Mining and Metallurgy.
JOHN C. TRAUTWINE, C. E. & Archt.) THEO. F. MOSS, Mining Eng.

Reporter of American Patents,
C. M. KELLER, Examiner, Patent Office, Washington.

THIRD SERIES.

VOL. IX.

PHILADELPHI.1.
PUBLISHED BY THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, AT THEIR HALL.

1845

JOURNAL

OF

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

OF THE

State of Pennsylvania

AND

AMERICAN REPERTORY,

JANUARY, 1843.

CIVIL ENGINEERING.

Onservations on the Adaptation of Public Buildings to the propagation of Sound, consistently with Speech. By WM. SHAND, Esq.

The following short observations are intended to show by practical illustration, the difficulties that have been experienced in regard to the economy of speech in apartments, and also the rules and means by which this may be effected.

General Remarks. It is remarkable with what devoted assiduity men of science apply themselves to discover the cause of some peculiar phenomenon in nature, which, to many, appears of little importance, and may, by the rudest mechanic, be practically exhibited when the principles, or laws, by which it is produced are understood. When it was discovered that the electric fluid acted by the external surfaces only of conducting bodies, to a superficial observer it seemed of little consequence, but much time and many experiments were necessary to determine this.

When Sir Humphrey Davy discovered what led to the formation of the safety lamp, it appeared a trifling matter, but it cost this distinguished man of science much time and labor. The telescope, which brings so many distant worlds into view, is formed of bodies possessed of two simple properties--the opaque and pellucid-all else is artificial arrangement; and when optics was in its infancy, could Vol. IX, 3RD SERIES. No. 1.-JANUARY, 1845.

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