Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-10-21
An Important Invention.

Auumber Of gentlemen interested in
scientific matters assembled at the Office of
the Dominion Telegraph Company on
Tuesday afternoon to witness some very
wonderful experiments on en- apparatus
which has been invented by Mr. A. Gra-
ham Bell. son Of Prof. A. NJ Bell. of
Tutelah Heights. This gentleman claims
to be able to transmit musical sounds over
a telegraph wire A person singing or
speaking, for example, at one end OF the
wire. every note or word will be distinctly
heard at the other end-not only the
words would be heard but the tones Of
the voice also would be recognized by any,
one who had heard them before. Another
very important improvement which Mr..
Bell claims to be able to put into use may
be described as follows: A man wishing
to send q message to Hamilton, for in
stance, writes it on shellac paper. 1t isre-
ceived by boy, who puts it into q ma
chine made for the purpose. The mes
sage is received in Hamilton by an
other boy, who brings it forth
from similar machine copied upon
piece of shellac paper in teleg.
raphic impressions or written like
copper-plate Pictures drawn in shellac
can also be sent and received in the same
way. If tins system can be put into use
and worked efectually il will do away
with telegraph operators altogether But
the most important feature which Mr..
Bell claims Is that he can transmit
thirty or more messages over q single
telegraphic wire at one and the same time.
The way he proposes 10 do this is as fol-
lows: On wire running from, say, Brant
ford to Toronto Mr.. Bell would place
thirty or more instruments at Brantord
Office. All these instruments will be
tuned to different pitches. A correspond
ing number of instruments TO be placed in
Toronto office, each of the instruments
tuned in unison with the corresponding
instruments in Brantford. An operator
can then transmit a sound on any one of
these instruments and none but that at the
other end of the line which is in unison
will correspond. Therefore, thirty or
more operators can work together on the
same wire without in any way affecting
the others. This seems very wonderful,
but Mr.. Bell claims to be able to put it
into practical use, and II he succeeds it
will certainly be the greatest mechanical
discovery made since the invention OF the
telegraph itself
Mr.. Bells explanation and practical ex-
periments were very satisfactory, and
every person present seemed convinced
that he had got hold of a good thing, and
one which only required time to bring it
into general use. Strange to say, two
other gentlemen, enc an electrician named
Gray, of Chicago, and the other scientist
in Copenhagen, have hit upon the same
ideas, but it appears Mr.. Bell was ahead
of them both, and got his discovery en-
tered in the Patent Office at Washington
ere they appeared upon the scene. He is
backed by Boston and New York capital
lists. The way in which Mr. Bell first got
his idea was in blowing on single cord
inside piano. He noticed that all the
other cords which were in unison were
affected thereby. A gentleman present
when Mr.. Bell was explaining said that
when the whole thing was put into work
ing shape concert given in San Fran
cisco could be easily heard in New York.
-Braayord (Ontarto) Erposstor.