New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-31
SOUND SENT BY WIRE,

Red Cloud and other Sioux chiefs, when re-
ferring to Geographic message, have always
described it as talking through hollow wire."
If the speaking telephone becomes familiar
instrument in ordinary use, the fanciful phrase
of the Indian will somewhat nearly coincide
with the fact. Students of electricity have
shown cause for believing that the current in
ordinary telegraphy Is transmitted not by the
core of the wire but by its outer fibers. In
calculating the capacity of the metal for carry
ing a current, the electrician regards the wire
rs if it were hollow. But neither in the pictur-
esane phrases of half-civilized man nor in the
boldest flights of fancy or tradition is there
anything quite so weird as the speaking tele
graph. In all the Eastern legends of magic,
people who are placed wide apart never COM
municate directly with each other by speech.
After the magician has drawn his circles in the
sand, and lighted the mystic fire, and spoken
the cabalistic words, he may perhaps summon
the distant one by occult influence or through
the agency of genie 1t is thousand times
more astounding as a mere conception that the
voice, the tones, the very utterance OF TREND
who is miles on miles away, may be distinctly
heard by the listener who holds to his ear the
trumpet of the telephone. Compared with this,
the transmission of music by telegraph won
derfu though it is, seems minor achieve
ment.
There has been, however, n very general
miscOnceptiOn in the public mind on this very
point The confusion arises from the circum-
stance that there are two distinct Inventions,
each known as telephone, and each capable
of transmitting musical tones. Both these in
yentions have been exhibited to large audiences
in other cities; Prof Bells speaking telephone at
the East, Mr.. Gray's music telephone at the West.
As the latter of these is soon to be shown to
a New-York audience, our readers will doubt
less be interested in detailed account of
the mode of transmission. In other col
umns we present this morning an explanation
of the methods by which each of these instru-
ments does its work. Each is valuable IN Its
own field, and the most OF what either one
can do the other cannot do at all-at present.
The speaking telephone can, of course, trans
nit vocal music as easily as speech the other
instrument can only send such music as is
played upon its piano keys at the further end
of the line. But how far the capabilities OF
either instrument may be extended, nobody can
guess.
It is already obvious that by means of Mr..
Gray's telephone ordinary Geographic mes
sages may be sent to any one distant station,
and not be repeated by the instruments at any
other stations on the line. This is decided
advantage. As things are now, the most con-
fidential communications between distant points
NAV be tapped at any Office in the circuit.
Doubtless many of our readers who have stopped
while waiting for a train, to have chat with the
telegraph clerk at way station, have heard
him mention that his instrument, ticking
away in lively style, was repeating message
in which he had no cOncern--a message be-
tween other places on the line. In war times
n lively business used to be done by tapping
the wires" Mr.. Gray's telephone may dis
pense with the need of taking all the tele-
prapb operators on circuit into ones con-
Gdence, narrowing the matter down to two,
the sending and receiving operators. Prot.
Bells telephone may dispense with the tele-
eraph clerk altogether, and enable the sender
of n message to talk into the very ear OF the
receiver. But then suppose, III the latter
case, that somebody who has no business In
the affair applies his telephone funnel some
where along the line while a very confidential
message is passing. Greater scandals than
were ever poured into the car-trumpet OF
Dame ElnOr Spearing may be absorbed by
the telephone Taper. 1t is yet too soon to
predct whether the new inventions will fully
secure what is most of all needed, the sacred
privacy of kilograms.