128 REVIEWS. 



instrument apartment, and most of the valuable instruments. The 

 offices in the towers, and the originals of the private records and 

 archives of the Institution, Were destroyed. The top of the principal 

 tower and several of the battlements fell. The conflagration was 

 nearly altogether confined to the main building, and above the first 

 story. The latter contained the Museum, which was damaged more 

 by water than fire." 



We know not whether the lost records and archives referred to 

 included Smithaon's papers and other personal efiects; but, from the 

 position of the Eegents' Eoom, adjoining the centre of the main build- 

 ing, and above the ground floor, it is to be feared that the materials so 

 essential to any minute biographical record of the founder of the 

 Institution have perished, along with the valuable ethnological 

 picture gallery, and so much else which has fallen a prey to the 

 devouring flames. 



In an early volume of this Journal*, a valuable paper, from 

 the pen of Professor Henry, was printed, devoted to the subject 

 of Acoustics, as applied to public buildings ; and an interesting 

 communication was contributed to a subsequent volumef by the 

 learned professor, with views and ground plans, illustrative of the 

 manner in which the principles and conditions previously investi- 

 gated by him, along with his colleagues. Captain Meigs and Pro- 

 fessor Bache, had been practically applied in the lecture room of 

 the Institution buildings. In adapting this to the special require- 

 ments of a public theatre for the display of scientific experiments, 

 and the delivery of lectures to large audiences, the principles of 

 acoustics had been applied with rare success ; so that a lecturer 

 could address an audience of upwards of two thousand persons, and 

 make his voice heard distinctly in the remotest corner without efibrt. 

 This admirably constructed scientific theatre, we regret to see, has 

 perished along with other parts of the main building. But the 

 principles on which it was so successfully adapted to the required 

 purposes, are, happily, beyond the reach of such elements of de- 

 struction ; and have been applied, with equally satisfactory results, 

 in some of the recently completed legislative halls in the new wing 

 of the Capitol, at Washington. 



In some respects the news of the destruction, not only of the 



* Canadian Journal, Vol. II., p. 130. 

 t Ibid, Vol. III., p. 110. 



