THE TOWN HALL "ECHO."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1215, 25 August 1911, Page 4

THE TOWN HALL "ECHO."

A REPORT ON THE ACOUSTICS,

At the City Council meeting Inst OTCilin», the Town Hall "echo" was tho subject of a special report by tho City En-ginc-cr (Mr. W. H. Morton). "During the recent performances oi Sousa's Band it was clearly demonstrated that when the hall was filled there was nothing to complain of.' When the hall is but partially filled tlioro is n very distinct echo, and a. nelson sitting in the body of tho hall, after hearing the direct sound from tho platform, hears an echo after tho sound waves have, traveled from tha platform, and then from the ado walls or ceiling to the back wall and forward again to the body of tho hall. "In my opinion, the most satisfactory way to obviato the trouble would be in hang a curtain at the back of the hall from the coiling to about tho level of the top of tho cornice; also to fill in tho imnris between tho columns with frames covered with suitable material which would absorb the sound waves. It would alffl be, nn advantage if for small (iltcndaners a curtain in sections can bo linnet nndenienlli Iho balcony at tho soul horn end of the hall. This could h> easily removable when laruo nftendnnces were expected. To carry out the above would cost about ,£SO. , "Great benefit would bo derived Jl the seats under the south ba'e"ny wero covered with mrlt and uplmWe-ed seals iikhl instead of ekt'rs. Tlir« wnld, however, run into eonoidnraliV oxivmn(nr«, which at nrwnt T fin no! thtnV is warranted. T M to l.r-at (lie «iii-thern eiwl "f {he hall in th'« mennor vouW ch-P very iim-b lvM«r 'o»ii'H thnn IIIV M ..-v«, r>f ir''r : "-. -s "tiiVivliltlK , Ihi* re>-"rl)orali'.in is ca\i«"d by "'aves frnw O'i« bnrk walls of the buildine towards tl-e nl.i.lf-vn«. In rerlv In a nnodinn by r-niHllnr ■pv'elicr Iho jravnr (l;a* t'r Connril nin«<l>fv wMilrl nl.cn vxn'v? !>Hnnriin. The rennvt was mlotitwl, and the exiienditure of XSO authorised-