Show Home Made Chimes Here Is a simple experiment by which you may imitate the sound of or cathedral bells in your own room and perhaps one of the strangest things about it Is that no one but yourself I will b be bey able to hear them ri ringing ging Pro Procure ure a yard of twine and loop it about in the middle as shown in figure figure fig fig- ure 1 In the illustration tion Slip the loop around the handle of a poker and draw it taut Grasp the fre free e end of the string in either hand Wind some of at It around each of the index fingers Now press these thes fingers against st your ears shutting out all I sound and swing the dangling poker until it dashes against the wall You will be surprised to perceive a series of heavy chimes such as ring out from a cathedral clock as it it booms out the hour yet while the room may be crowded no one but you will be a listener to the mysterious peals peal unless he tries the same ment But what causes this phenomenon This is answered best by describing a certain kind of toy noisemaker which most boys have seen or made at some time or another It Is known by various names perhaps the team teim devil fiddle is its most common common common com com- mon term It is very easily constructed construct construct- ed by knocking out one end of a tin can and then puncturing the closed end with a tiny hole just large enough to Insert a piece of at twine through through the the twine knotted at its end so it cannot be pulled entirely through the hole Grasp the can in one hand and holding a piece of well rosined leather in the other pull the string through the folded up leather or slide the leather along the string This will result in a most grating discordant sound altogether out of proportion to what you would expect expect ex ex- from such an action So from this the extraordinary fact is established established established that that It is the employment nt of the tin can which causes the great increase increase increase in in- crease of ot sound It Is the hollow cavity In the can which is really responsible responsible responsible re re- for this and so it is with the ear The hollow cavity in the ear enl enlarges the volume of sound emanating from the poker along the string thus acting on the same principle principle principle prin prin- ciple as the can cavity which increased ed the sound produced on the string attached to It |