Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-04-20
The Telephone.
From the st. Alblns Messenger.
NLw YORK, April ID, Is

AVE-" iphNs -hfiii ~. 40 .
Sometime during 1915 or lS4G gave
lecture on the Magnetic Telegraph at the
old Broadway Tabernacle in this city. At
that time there were no telegraph wires
running into or out of New York The line
from Philadelphia had only been completed
to Newark. n j., miles distant On the
afternoon of the day of the above lecture
Prof. Morse went to Newark and had ames-
sage sent from Philadelphia less than half ar
hour from the time of the commencement of
the lecture. lie jumped on an engine and
was brought to Jersey City, hurried to the
Tabernacle and handed me the message Just
as | was going upon the stage. read it to
the audience stating the moment it started
from Philadelphia. The message was this
"Canst thou send lightnings, that they may
60 and say unto thee, here we arc" This was
received with the heartiest applause. 1t
was the first positive demonstration that the
telegraph accomplished what was promised.
There have been many Improvements in the
apparatus and working of the telegraph lines
since then; but nothing to compare with
that which Prof Elisha Gray, of Chicago
has demonstrated in, what he calls, "The
Telephone
How can sound, and different sounds
tones-bc transmitted over telegraphic
wires? will give you the best account of it
in my power. You have heard the click of
the telegraphic instrument when the arma-
ture strikes the electro-magnet. Now if
these clicks could be multiplied to 500 or
5000 a second, they would produce, to the
ear, a continuous sound or tone. This is
ACCOMPLISHED by the telenhonc
But how can different tones, higher or
lower, be produced? When yiolinist draws
his bow over the largest string, low tone
is produced, because the vibrations of the
string are low If he tightens the string he
increases the rapidity of the vibrations and
higher tone is the result The same bow,
when drawn over small string. produces
more rapid vibrations, and higher tone.
The tone, higher or loirer, dpends upon
the ropidify of the riJrGtions.
The telephone instrument in Philadel-
phia, upon which music was performed
Saturday evening, is arranged with keys
like a piano or organ. In front of each key
is a bar of steel. into which (when the key
is pressed DOWN the current of electricity is
thrown. 1t is not continuous current, but
by means of electro magnets the electric i'm
pulses Gf | may so say) is broken into 500
or 1000 in second, producing vibration
through every particle of the steel bar.
When the Instrument is placed on sound
ing board, these vibrations in the steel bar
produce distinct tone or sound. These Vi
brations are only slight interruptions in the
steady current of electricity. When n cur
rent of electricity passes through bar of
steel, there is an infinitesmal lengthcning of
the bar. and vibrating motion is produced.
These steel bars are tuned to certain pitch.
The vibrations in each bar will continue as
long as the corresponding key is held
down.
The current of electricity which passes
through the steel bar at Philadelphia is con-
tinued on the electric wire to New York
and into Steinway Hall. In Steinway Hall
there is no instrument like the one in Phila-
delphia, only little electromagnetic about
two inches in length. The vibrations, or
waves of electricity, which were produced
on the steel bar by the electromagnetic in
Philadelphia were transmitted along the
wire to New York and through our little
electro-magnet and this being placed on
the sounding board of piano, we heard the
same tone produced as in Philadelphia. Any
Othe- sounding board answered Just as we'll
After passing through the magnet the wire
was attached TO gas pipe, and thus the
electricity reached the earth and returned to
its negative pole at Philadelphia.
But how, you will ask, are different tones
produced higher or lower. Each key has
corresponding steel bar in front These bars
are made lighter or heavier. The light bars
mr. ro,it yilratinna a,l lf,bor
tone. The heavy bars are yibrated more
slowly and the lower tones are produced /;
and 50 from the highest to the lowest through
the entire scale.
We heard Home Sweet Home" THE
Last Rose of Summer" and a great variety
of other melodies. The notes were in per-
feet tune, clear and distinct, and could be
heard in every part of the great hall. The
music sounded something like the softest
tones of an organ, heard at a little dis
tance.
But We witnessed something still more
wonderful than this. A little wheel 10
inches in diameter, was revolyed by means
of a crank. One side of this wheel was
covered with zine. The telegraphic wire
was connected with the zine on this wheel
The other wire was held by Prof Gray, and
with the fore finger Of the same hand he
touched the revolving wheel. The music
performing in Philadelphia passed through
his finger and was distinctly heard from the
zine dish. The slight interruption of the
current between the end of his finger (Which
had to be wiped very dry) and the zine, pro-
duced the music. Then fourteen of US on
the stage, took hold of hands and allowed
the current to pass through us, terminating
with Prof. Gray's finger on the zinc. and we
distinctly heard - We won't go home till
morning" In this case the sound was verv
slight, and could only be heard forty or fifty
feet distant. Yours.
Il. Z. CoLToN.