Tricks of Echoes

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 October 1915, Page 4

Tricks of Echoes

——■■ The best time to study echocs is in the early nruiuiing, or just before a rain ■or an electrical storm. The ntnioshere is then heavy, and the echo seems to be louder and more easily located. | The "whistle of a locomotive often causes a pleasing echo, 'which call be heard by patsseugers on the traan. There : is an instance recorded in 'which the . echo of a locomotive whistle came so distinctly from a direction opposite to t'hat of the actual sound that a man was misled by it, and was killed by tXjo .! train. i It is interesting to hear cattle or dogs i raising their voices in answer to what they suppose to bo the cry of another animal, when it is really only an aelio. ' Echoes are common : in the city as well as in the country. The shape and size . of buildings, and the width and the angle of streets and alleys, 'will often produce 'interesting echoes, which are easily studied, A good way -to study these phenomena in the city is to remain at the open widow and listen for the. ec-lio of a sound made by someone else. Tho peculiar whir of an electric car as it approaches a corner is often echoed by some building, until the car sg ems to bo coming from some other direction. The puffiing of a'locomotive as it moves along tho track often makes an' -interesting echo, that suggests the presence of several locomotives. In certain localities heavy rain clouds will send back an echo. Huclr >of the rumbling of the thunder during a',storm is the echo'of the first report, the £rea.t sound -waves striking both the hillsi ..and heavy clouds, and being reflected baok.

In many deep canyons in the mountains, and in isomo caves, tlhore are -wort-

| derful echoes. In some-of thesfc placcfe ' a single word or a revolver shot wil?J be..repeated Kimdrecls ot times.; ipitv 'of 6Qurids.j,