638
THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.
in the accompanying plan will give the reader an idea of the modern improved organ, its wonderful mechanical and acoustic features, which involve such interesting complications of pipes, sound-boards, bellows, and draw-stop, mutative stop, manual and pedal action, through which one individual—the organist—can control a great domain of musical resources at one time.
The present organ is in singular contrast with the organ of

past centuries. As a musical instrument, presided over by one mind, it is incomparably ahead of any other musical medium known, in the extent of its development, aside from its capacities in the artistic sphere. To dwell for a while upon its construction: Pipes in the organ are of two kinds, wood and metal, and of two acoustic classes—namely, reed and flue. The grouping and arrangement of the huge body of pipes which enter into the compo-