The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-11-29
THE pHoNoaRApH.
The Tone Of the Human Voice to be
Reproduced Years after Death.
Now York Sun.

Aeproouceo Years aIter Ueatn.
Now York Sun.
The Scientific American of this
week contains the first announce
ment of what may be termed the
most wonderful invention of the
day
Nothing could be more incredi-
bic than the likelihood of once more
hearing the voice Of the dead, yet
the invention of the new instrument
is said to render this possible here
after. 1t is true that the voices are
stilled, but whoever has spoken or
whoever may speak into the mouth
piece of the photograph, and whose
words are recorded by it, has the
assurance that his speech may be
reproduced audibly, in his own
tones, long after he himself has
turned to dust. A strip of indent-
ed paper travels through a little
machine, the sounds of the latter
are magnified, and posterity centu-
ries hence hears us as plainly as if
we were present. Speech has be-
come, as it were, immortal. The
Scientific American says:
The possibilities of the future are
not much more wonderful than
those of the present. The orator
in Boston speaks, the indented strip
of paper is the tangible result; but
this travels under a second machine
which may connect with the tele.
phone. Not only is the speaker
heard now in San Francisco, for ex-
ample, but BY passing the strip
again under the reproducer he may
be heard tomorrow, or next year,
or next century. His speech in the
first instance is recorded and trans
mitted simultaneously, and Indefi-
mite repetition is possible.
The new invention is partly me-
chanical-no electricity is involved.
1t is a simple affair of vibrating
plates, thrown 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 possibilities other than those al
ready noted. Will letter writing be
a proceeding of the past? Why
not, if By simply talking into a
mouth-piece is recorded on paper,
and our correspondent can by the
same paper hear US speak? Are we
To have new kind of books? There
is no reason why the orations OF
our modern Ciceros should not be
recorded and detachably bound so
that we can run the indented slips
through the machine, in the quiet
of our apartments listen again, and
as often as we will, to the eloquent
words. Nor are we restricted to
spoken words. Music may be crys
talized as well. Imagine an opera
or an oratorio, sung by the greate>t
living vocalist, thus recorded, and
capable of being repeated as we de
sire.
A description of the phonograph
is contained in the following letter
To the Editor of the Scientific
American:-In your journal of No.
vember 3, page 273, you made the
announcement that DR.. Rosapelly
and Prof. Marcy have succeeded in
graphically recording the move
ments Of the lips, of the veil of the
palate, and the vibrations of the
larynx, and you prophesy that this,
among other important results, may
lead possibly to the application oi
electricity for the purpose of trans
ferring these records to distant
points by wire.
Was this prophecy an intuition
Not only has it been fulfilled to the
letter, but still more marvellous re
suits achieved by Mr.. L. A. Edison
the renowned electrician of New
Jersey, who has kindly permitted
me to make public not only the fact
but the naodWs opsr0ndi. Mr.. Edi
son, in the course of a series of ex'
tended experiments in the produc
ton of his speaking telephone
lately perfected, conceived the bolC
and highly original idea of record
ing the human voice upon a strip o
paper, from which at any subse
quent time 1t might be automatic
ally re delivered with all the voca
characteristics of the original speak
er accurately reproduced. A speeci
delivered into the mouth piece o
this apparatus may fifty years hent'
long after the original speaker il
dead-be reproduced audibly to al
audience with sufficient fidelity K
make the voice easily recognizable
by those who were familiar with th,
original. As yet the apparatus il
crude, but is characterized by thai
wonderful simplicity which seems
to be a trait of all great invention,
or discoveries.
Danville Va Times: There il
man living near the railroad il