97 
Mr. Goldingham's experiments, &c. 
3. “ That the times in which sound is heard are proportional 
to the distance ; that is, at a double distance it is heard in 
twice the time ; at a triple distance in thrice the time/' & c. 
This, however, is not supported in all points by the experi- . 
ments I am about to detail ; nor indeed could we expect it 
would be, from the manner in which sound is conveyed ; as 
this leads us to the conclusion, that the more dense, and the 
less elastic, the atmosphere, the slower sound would travel. 
The velocity of sound has been variously given by diffe- 
rent philosophers, as the following table,* originally from 
the Philosophical Transactions, will tend to show. 
D. Is. Newton, Eq. Aur. 
Pedes. 
968 
Prin. Ph. Nat. Math. L. 2 Prop. 50. 
Nobilis D. Roberts - - 
1300 
Philos. Transact. No. 209. 
Nobilis D. Boyle - 
1200 
Essay of Languid Motion, p. 24. 
D. Walker - - - - 
I 33 8 
Philos. Transact. No. 247. 
Mersennus - - - - 
1474 
Balistic Prop. 39. 
D. Flamsteed and Halley 
1 142 
Florentini celebres - - 
1 148 
Exp. per Acad, del Cimea p. 141. 
Galli celebres - - 
1172 
Du Hamel Hist. Acad. Reg. 
To these may be added the following results of more mo- 
dern experiments and calculations. 
In Chili the thermometer 73,5, barometer 27,44 in. sound 
was found to travel 1227 feet in a second. By Mr. Mil- 
lington 1130 feet. 
Mr. Richard Van Rees has shown theoretically that the 
velocity of sound in common air is 341, 54 metres in a second. 
Mr. Bengenberg at Dusseldorf, by experiment, 333,7 
metres, about 2 feet and a half more, it is stated, than the 
velocity obtained at Paris by experiment. 
* Being a portion of a dissertation by Mr. Derham, who, if I recollect right, 
makes the velocity the same as Flamsteed and Halley. 
o 
MDCCCXXIII. 
