Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-05-15
The Telephone.

Inc lcttINOHcs
In The wonderful progress Of science
the time has come when, by the aid OF O
telegraph wire stretched upon poles in
the usual way. individuals may converse
with each other in audible tones although
separated by hundreds of miles OF space.
A man in Boston may sit at his desk in
State Street. and converse with his part
ner or friend iu Wall Street, New York.
with as much ease and facility As il they
were sitting side 10y side. This is in.
deed stupendous achievement, and
affords evidence that the hidden powers
of nature are competent. when under
stood. to bring all tho nations OF the
earth iu:o instantaneous verbal commun-
,ca,ion with each other.
The telephone is the invention OF Proi
\. Graham Bell OF Boston. and mas re-
suited from a course OF inluctive reason
ing, growing out OF 3 careful study oi
the philosophy of sound. - related to
ware motions in air. and IN metals
when induced GY electrical oxcitatlon.
The instrument is exceedingly simp.e
aud inexpensive, and oa,i!y unier'iood.
|, consists Ia attaching To the terminals
II the ordinary telegraph wires between
any two points pow compound
magnets. with coi.s Of wire connected
In front OF the poles. surrounded 10y
these coils of wire is placed a diaphragm
OF iron a mouth piece 10 corerge the
sound upon this diaphragm oS,antlA"y
COMPLETES the arrangement. When the
human voice causes the diaphragm TO vi
bra,e. closing and breaking the circuit
with zach vibration. electrical undG.&-
tions are induced in the coils precisely
analogous 10 the undulalions oi the nir
produced by that voice. These coils are
connected with the line wire, which may
be Of any length. provided the Insulation
be good. The undula,ion induced in
these coils travel through the line wire.
and passing through the coils OF an 10
strument Of precisely similar consiruc-
ton at the distant station, are again
resolved into air undulations by tho dia-
phra; IN of this iush umeot.
In order TO attach this device TO any
lines OF telegraph. it ID only necessary
to remove connection with the batteries,
close the circuit, and ihe work is done.
The wire serves the purpose OF speak
ing.tube, and when cities and towns are
connected the results are the ue as
il the most perfect tubes were in use Tor
the purposes OF communication. How
far this result can be made to reach is as
vet undetermined, but experiments show
that the communication is perfect through
wires two hundred miles in extent.
There is no reason to doubt that IL the
sounds are clearly transmitted between
Boston and Portland, and Conway. n.
H., thousand or more miles will offer no
obstacles. 1t is indeed probable that
Europe will soon be within speaking
distance OF US, and that the LCudoner
NAV be able To 10 form his New York
friends by word of mouth what ha has
upon his Breakfast table as he sits down
to the meal.
The most Interesting experiments with
the telephone were made on Monday
evening, February 12Lh, between Boston
and Salem. distant eighteen miles. Tne
wires Tero brought into the hall of the
Essex Institute at Salem. and large
audience was present 10 witness the
proceedings. Professor Bell briefly ex-
planned the construction of the iDstru-
ment, and then sketched his studies OF
the system OF transmitting sounds. An
intermittent current was first sent from
Boston 10y Mr.. L. A. Watson, Professor
Bells associate. This caused noise
from the telephone very simila- TO that
OF horn. The Morse telegraph alpha
bet was then sent by musical sounds,
and conld be heard throughout the bali.
A telephone organ was then nut into
operation in Boston. "Should Aud Ac-
Quaintanoo be Forgot" and Yankee
Doodle" were readily heard thronga The
hall and heartily recognized. A this
point Professor Bell asked Mr. Watson
tor song. and Aud Lang Syne CANT
from the mouth-piecs Of the instrumea,