The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-11-22
Echoes of Dead Voices.

The scientific American records an invention
somewhat in the telephone line, but hardly cacu
lated to benefit humanity much as the tee-
phone in its perfected state. The following quo
tation will give an idea of what the instrument
assumes to do: The possibilities of the future
are not much more wonderful than those Of the
present The orator i'll Boston speaks, the lhdent
ed strip of paper is the tangible result; but this
travels under second machine which may con
meet with the telephone. Not only is the speaker
heard now in San Francisco, for example, but by
passing the strip again Under the reproducer he
may be heard to morrow, or next year, or next
century. His speech i'll the first instance is
corded and transmitted simultaneously, and in
definite repetition is possible
The new invention is purely mechanical--no
electricity is involved. 1t is simple affair of vi
bratng plates, thro "n into vibration by the human
voice. 1t is crude yet but the principle has been
found. and notifications and improvements are
only matter of time So, also, are its possibil
tiles other than those already noted. Will letter
writing be proceeding of the past Why not, if
by simply talking into mouthpiece speech is
recorded on paper. and orr correspondent can. by
the same paper, hear us speak! Are we to have
a new kind OF books There is no reason why the
orations of our modern Cceros should not be
corded and detachably bound that can run
the iDdented slips through the machine and, in
the quiet of apartments, listen again and
again. as often as we will, to the words Nor are
we restricted to spoken words. Music may be
crestallzed as well. Imagine all opera or an ora
torio sung BY the greatest living vocalists. thus
recorded. and capable Of being repeated we de
sire.
description OF the monograph is contained in
the following letter:
To the Editor OF the Scientific American: In
your Journal OF Nov B. page 273, you made the
announcement that DR.. Rosapelly and Professor
Marcy have succeeded in graphically recording the
movements of the lips, OF the veil OF the palate
and the vibrations of the larynX. and your proph
esy that this among other important results, may
lead possibly to the application of electricity for
the purpose Of transferring these records to distant
points by wire.
Was this prophecy an intuition Not only has
it been fulfilled to the letter, but still more
vellous results achieved by Mr.. Thomas A. Edison
kindly permitted HE to make public not only the
course of series of extended experiments in the
fected conceived the highly bold and original idea
paper. from which at any subsequent time it
might be automatically redelivered, with all the
vocal characteristics Of the original speaker accu
rately reproduced. speech delivered into the
mouthpiece Of this apparatus may Do years hence
long after the original speaker is dea1-be re-
produced audby to an audience with sufficient
fidelity to make the voice easily recognizable by
those who were familiar with the orr ginal. As vet
the apparatus Is crude but is characterized BY that
wonderful simplicity which seems to be trait OF
all great invention or discovery. 1t has a dla
phragm and Reproduction, and is operated by cleo
trcity to some extent, being fashioned largely II
a principle similar to that which operates the hu-
man