NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 155 



exact unison with the intonations of the only instrument, except the 

 violin, which approaches perfection, viz. the human voice. The 

 power and volume of sound issuing from pipes of a given size are also 

 increased. 



The new organ remains in tune for a remarkable length of time. It 

 seems as if there were some power of self-correction and adjustment 

 in it ; as if the little derangements caused by the changes of the at- 

 mosphere were set right by merely playing on the instrument. The 

 error produced by change of temperature is so slight, that it is cor- 

 rected by the action of the pipes upon each other. Common organs 

 require to be tuned as often as four times a year, but the new organ 

 was built a year ago, was voiced and tuned when it was set up, and 

 has never been tuned since, with the single exception that the reeds 

 were lowered a trifle in the winter, and have been raised again since 

 the warm weather returned. It is in perfect tune still, notwithstand- 

 ing it has been taken down, moved thirty miles, and set up again, in 

 the course of the year, without being tuned. 



The advantages of this organ then are, 1. It gives, perfectly, 

 every musical tone in all the keys for which it is constructed, thus 

 creating a new delight in listening to all music, whether melody or 

 harmony ; for, practically, no music has hitherto been performed on 

 an organ or a piano-forte in perfect tune. 2. It harmonizes exactly 

 with the human voice, which no other organ and no piano-forte, as 

 now tuned, can do. 3. It increases the apparent volume of sound, 

 i. e. a given number of pipes opened in this organ, in perfect tune, 

 will have more power than the same pipes in a tempered organ in 

 imperfect tune. 4. It makes pleasing, and even delightful, many 

 musical combinations, or chords, which are painful when produced on 

 a tempered organ. 5. It keeps itself in tune in a very remarkable 

 manner. 



The particular mechanical contrivances by which the object is at- 

 tained are, of course, not visible on the outside ; and, however diffi- 

 cult it may have been to invent them, they can, no doubt, be easily 

 copied and multiplied by mechanics of no unusual skill. All that ap- 

 pears on the outside of the organ-case which differs from other organs 

 is a row of pedals, very like the pedals of a sub-base, except that they 

 stand out a little more from the organ. These are pedals which are 

 adapted to the different keys ; and when one is put down, it remains so 

 as long as the player chooses ; and it opens all the pipes suited to that 

 key, in all the stops ; or rather it allows them, and them only, to be 

 opened on the application of the hands to the key-board. In order to 

 change the key, another pedal adapted to the key desired must be put 

 down ; and in doing this, the pedal first put down is raised to its place 

 by mechanism, so that the organist has only to touch one pedal in 

 order to loose the pipes of the new key, and close those of the other at 

 the same instant. The organ is played in all respects like a common 

 organ, except that for changes of key the proper pedals must be put 

 down. There is room enough for the sub-base pedals also. 



The only objections to this organ are, the difficulty there is in 

 playing very elaborate pieces, but these are not the sort to be desired 



