The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-12-07
A TELEPHONE TRIUMPH.
A kichigan Man Invents an Instrument
which He Claims Heats Them All

A Michigan Man Invents an instrumen
which He Claims Heats Them All
[From the Detroit News.l
To all appearances Mr.. G.. B. Rich
mond, of Lansing, a dentist, and stu
is the man who has made the creates
stride in advance of Bell. He has worket
quietly, but has kept up with all the in
formation of the times on the matter
and, not content with partial success
has kept on until he has actually achieved
results that throw Bells work complete.
~ in the shade. The following brief
technical description of his hydro electric
telephone is given by Mr.. Richmond,
which is clear enough for general COM
prehension, and will be of peculiar in
terest to all who have studied the matter
at all. The fact in the ethics of electric
ity on which Richmond starts out is the
definition that "pure water offers a re-
sistance to the passage of current of
electricity over two millions greater than
platinum wire" The instrument con-
sists of the following parts: "a circular
brass frame, about two inches in dame
ter, is secured in a perpendicular posi-
ton, into the upper part of which Is in
serted speaking tube, and into the low
er part is secured thin metallic dia-
phragm which can be frightened to a
proper tension by means of thumb
screws. To the center of this diaphragm
is sol Tered II small platinum wire about
an inch aud II halt long, projecting do"n-
ward. Directly under this diaphragm,
and inclosing the platinum wire, is
glass tube two inches long and about one
inch in diameter, with II hard rubber
bottom. Into this rubber bottom is fixed
another platinum wire, projecting up
ward through the center of the glass
tube, and reaching within about 1-32 Of
an inch OF the platinum wire attached To
the diaphragm. The glass tube is filed
with distilled water, the platinum wire
attached to the diaphragm is connected
with battery, and the lower platinum
wire attached to the line. There rs now
Il constant current of electricity passing
from the battery 20 the main line 10y way
OF the platinum points, through the
water"
The sound of tho voice, projected
against the diaphragm through the tube.
causes the diaphragm TO vIbrate, OF
course, III unison with the sound waves
produced by the vocal organs, and the
volume OF water between the platinum
points is consequently alternately IN
creased, rs the case may be, in perfect
unison with the vibrations produced on
the diaphragm. Thus it clearly follows
that, as this volume of water Us alternate
ly increased or diminished, currents 0t
electricity are Thrown on tie main line
III perfect unison with the sound that
enters the speaking tube, and this sound
is then received upon the ordinary mag
net and diaphragm instrument, such as,
for instance, tho Bell receiver, located
at the other end of the line
Now the improvement thus achieved
On telephone processes is that this
apparatus can be used on long lines, as
1t has battery power to back it up and
reinforce 1t. Bed uses no battery, but
uses the elecIo-mngnet alone OF
course, by increasing the size and power
OF his magnets 1t is possible to increase
the "reach " or power of overcoming
loss OF electromagnetic power incident
to long connections. Richmonds in
strument, however, ca; be used ON the
ordinary telegraph circuits and appar-
emily for unlimited distances. A short
line operated on this principle has beeh
III operation between Lansing and North
Lansing for some time, but on Sunday
lost most triumphant test of the instru-
ment took place. On the afternoon OF
that day (the only time when it was
possible to get Che undisturbed use of |
long line) the Instruments were attached
TO the wires of the Western Union tele-
graph on loop from Lansing to De-
troit and return, a distance of two hun
dred ana thirty miles. Bells instru-
ments greatest feat was to transmit
sound from Baltimore to. Washin gton
'(aboutforty-five mules by thewire route).
The battery, which was OF eight hundred
and seventy-two cup power, was in De
troit, the line working through it, The
result was most satisfactory.