Musical Notes from Outflow of Water

Abstract

EVERY one is familiar with the sounds produced by water running out through a pipe from the bottom of a vessel, when the water-level has got low. The other evening I witnessed a phenomenon of this order, which has, I think, certain interesting features. Desiring to empty my cistern, and the pipes being frozen, I rigged up a gutta-percha tube siphonwise, and brought the water through it. When the orifice of the tube in the cistern got partially uncovered by the descending water-level, a series of rhythmical vibrations was generated, giving a musical note. The plane of the orifice was about vertical; but notes may be had when it is at any inclination with the horizontal water-surface. The intensity of the notes depends, I believe, partly on the difference of level of the vessels; but I cannot furnish exact data as to this, or the way the pitch is affected by various influences (width of pipe, &c.). Would some one proffer an explanation of the “mechanism” or essential character of the phenomenon?