Well known photos of Lincoln delivering his second inaugural address in front of the Capitol building before a huge crowd led me to wonder about this and similar occasions throughout history of famous orations before the use of loudspeakers. How many of the large audiences were able to actually hear the speakers words (apart from such occasions occurring in amphitheaters, senate chambers, etc. Similarly fiery exhortations by generals to massed troops before major battles.

Considering our pollution now in the atmosphere, it is kind of like pea soup which probably doesn't carry sound all that well, plus the noise of jets, buses, trucks and cars and people yelling, (long sentence sorry) because the air was cleaner then and there wasn't extraneous noise levels.

I think that's a pretty good explanation, rather proud of myself, really, and is really my own opinion coming from a realistic attitude.

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