The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-05-22
WHAT THE TELEPnoNE can


New and Interesting Discoveries
...JViII Il EnOble People 10 Con.
verse Through 5000 Miles of
Salt Water?
From the Springfield Republican,
Those who witnessed the exhibition Of
the telephone Of Prof.. Bell in this city,
Westhell and PittsGeld, may we'll remem.
Der henceforth that they assisted, while
yet II was new, in one OF the miracles Of
our most miraculous age. The instrn.
ment Of Prof. Bell Is extremely simple.
1t consists Of an ordinary electro. magnet,
mounted before membrane OF steel in
a sounding-box, and connected with q
telegraph wire. II can be used, and was
used, the other evening, in connection
with battery, transmitting music from
telephone organ by means OF small
steel points touching the reeds Of the In.
strument, and each communicating with
the wire. By this means musical tones
land chords) are produced at the receiv.
ing end OF the wire used. But its disLin.
gushing achievement requires no bat
terry, and could not, in fact, be attained
with one.
To send the tones Of the human voice
the instrument ia disconnected with the
battery, and the circuit made through
the earth. The message is then uttered
in u funnel leading into the sounding-bo1,
and the sound.waves Of the voice, strik.
ing upon the membrane within, are in
simultaneously converted into magnetic.
electric vibrations along the wire, and at
the other end Of the circuit are repro.
duced with distinctness, and with their
characteristics so preserved that the
speaker can be recognized. The things
We have briefly mentioned were done
Saturday night over distance Of fifty
miles; but some Of the public trials have
been at longer distances; and in private
experiment conversation has been car.
ried on between New York and Boston,
through 25S miles Of wire. The most
remarkable test so far occurred IN New
Haven, in company including mem.
bers Of the faculty Of Yale College. In.
stead Of making connection with the
earth, n second wire was used for the re-
turn circuit, and these wires were ex.
tended from a telephone through several
apartments into room were sixteen per.
soma stood in two ranks the first person
in each rank took the end OF one wire,
and the eighth person in each touched
wires attached TO the magnet Of n second
instrument, and the tones OF the voice
were sent with entire success through
these sixteen human bodies. After this
Prof. Bell may reasonably anticipate
talking across the Atlantic. The resist.
auce experienced in sending an electric
current through the cable is placed at
1000 ohms (lhe ohm ia the unit Of resist
ence in the techniC phrase OF electricians)
while that Of the human body is estimat.
ed at about 5000.
The practical uses Of the invention are
suggesting themselves already. Among
the purposes to which 1t will be applied
first are for conveying intelligence in
mines, which is already under considers
ton; communicating from one. office with
a large number Of factories, for which q
prominent New England manufacturer
intends to utilize it as soon as may be
and for the benefit OF divers beneath the
ocean. The size Of the telephone sound
ing.box is Of small consequence, and q
complete instrument may be made moi
larger than the palm Of the hand. Such
q one could easily be attached to the
divers armor in way to allow him al
any time to speak with his assistants
above; and its value in that instance i,
plain. We do not understand that it i.
Professor Bells intention rs yet to man
ufaCture the instruments, but it vii
eventually have to be done.
One OF the strange incidental expert
encGs Of the telephone indicates, in {
manner actually wierd and magical, i
possible entrance into the new penetrnlia
Tor in listening there comes to the car in
explicable noises, like the bubbling o.
water, or like the cracking Of fire, OF
sometimes like the hum Of a crowd, and
then anon like the grathering Of storm
noises not Of the nature Of that dull hun
which comes when one applies u sea-
shells lips to the ear, but wild and in
comprehensive, and suggesting that ma
tures elemental forces are surprised at
work.