524 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



appeared to have been made to vibrate through an opening- about one-half 

 the h^ngth of the pipe, but which had been broken oflF near the screw. — 

 They liad borrowed this pipe from a singing-master in Boston, and wished 

 to have Mr. Bazin repair it, and make several more like it." Froin this 

 statement it is evident that Mr. Bazin' s improvement consisted not in first 

 making a free-reed but in arranging a number of these reeds together so as 

 to form a complete chromatic scale, and in applying a bellows to operate 

 them, for it seems that previous to this time the reed had been set into vi- 

 bration only by means of the human breath. 



To illustrate the exact situation of this class of instruments in Europe, 

 in 1830, we have concluded to present the following from a lecture on the 

 subject, delivered at the Royal Institute by Professor Faraday, during that 

 year. He spoke of the desirableness of connecting the springs with the 

 mechanism of an organ or piano-^^orte, and described such an attempt 

 nearly as follows: " It was found that the steel springs might be made to 

 yield any note within the compass of a keyed instrument, while that for 

 the lowest note was not more than four inches in length, and one in breadth; 

 so that the mechanism would occupy less space than the smallest cabinet 

 piano-forte. Some difficult}^ attended the accomplishment of the design, 

 for the springs, under certain circumstances Avere bent, by the mere vibra- 

 tion, beyond the elastic strength of the metal of which they were composed; 

 the consequence was the gradual disintegration of the metal, and an alter- 

 ation of the tone, which increased until, at length, the springs were actually 

 broken ofi' by use. Another formidable difficulty arose from the tardiness 

 with which the vibrations of the spring commenced when the air first acted 

 on it; so that a note, when struck, did not immediately yield its sound. 

 Means were, however, adopted that completely obviated both these defects, 

 and, in 1829, the Society of Arts presented a medal to Dr. Dowler, for an 

 instrument constructed on this principle with keys. The bellows were 

 placed underneath and the springs arranged over a continued wind-chest, 

 furnished with a valve to each note. The springs, or, as they have been 

 called, the tongues, with the exception of the highest octave, were made of 

 an alloy called German silver, or electrum, which is composed of a mixture 

 of copper, zinc and a little nickel. The springs of the remaining octave 

 were manufactured from extremely thin sheet steel, imported into this 

 country from Switzerland. This instrument was tolerable of its kind, but 

 inferior to one that has been made by Mr. Da}'^, an ingenious mathematical 

 instrument maker, who has considerably improved the manufacture of the 

 springs." This was about the state, in Europe, in 1830, of an instrument, 

 which, by subsequent improvements, has attained the name of serapliine, 

 melodeon, etc., in later times; but, at the period alluded to, there was a 

 great inequality and harshness of the tones, which caused the lecturer to 

 doubt whether, without great improvements, it would ever become a popu- 

 lar and useful instrument. We will here remark, that, in our own minds, 

 we have no doubt of the fact — which truth, by an extensive rescarcli, could 

 probably be demonstrated — that the free-reed originated in Germany; but 

 like many other important inventions we could cite, it owes its thorough 

 adaptation and value almost solely to the ingenuity and skill of American 

 mechanics and artisans. And our remarks hereafter will be expressly in 



