The Ringing of House-bells without Apparent Cause

Abstract

UNTIL I read the two letters in NATURE of July 22 and August 12 I had no idea that the ringing of house-bells without apparent cause was so fascinating a subject, as my own experience of it has been rather prosaic. One of my bells occasionally rings when no one is in the room, but it is entirely due to bad workmanship. The strength of the spring which draws the wire back after it has been pulled is only about equal to the friction of the wires, and the result is that, though it generally draws the wire back immediately after it has been pulled, yet it sometimes fails to do so at the time; but after some time, it may be hours, owing to some change in the conditions, it succeeds in drawing back the wire, when the bell again rings when no one is touching it. The bell thus rings once when it is pulled, and a second time when the spring succeeds in drawing back the wire.