The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-14
THE PsIONOGRAPH.
The Tone Of the Human Voice TO be ne
produced Years After Death.

The Scientific Anaericnn Of this week contains
the first announcement Of what may be- termed
Nothing could be- more incredible than the
likelihood of once more hearing the voice OF the
dead. yet tho invention Of the new instrument
is said TO render this possible hereafter. ft In
true that the voices are stilled. but whoever has
spoken or whoever may speak into the mouth
piece Of the phonograoh. and whose words are
may be reproduced audibly, In his own tones.
long after he himself has turned 10 dust a
strip Gf indented m 9apsf traye,s through nsls las
and Dosterity centuries hence hears us as plain
ly as II We were present. Speech has become.
as it we're, immortal. The Scientific 1Useylea1s
The possibilities Of the future are not much
more wonderful han those OF the pre- sent. Tie
orator In Boston speaks. the indented "trip 0f
paper is the tangible result; put this travels
under a second machine which may connect
with the telephone; rot only is the speaker
passing the strip again under the reDrodueer
he may be heard Tomorrow. or next year. or
next century His speech in the first instanco
and indefinite repetition fs possible.
The. new invention 10 purely merchandising
vibrating plates. thrown into vibration ,by tho
human voice. II ID crude yet, but the principle
has been found, and notifications and Inn
are its possibilities other than those already
noted Will letter writing be q proceeding OIL
the past? Why not, If by simply talking into a,
@xn
and our correspondent can by the same paper
hear us speak, Are We to have q new kind of
books There is no reason why the orations OIL
our modern Ciceros should not be recorded
and detaehably bound so that we can run tI1e
indented slips through the machine and In the
quiet Of our ap trtments listen again, and as
often as we will. to the eloquent words Nor
are we restricted to spoken words. Music nag
be crystaIized as we'll. Imagine an opera or an
oratorio, sung by the great st living vocalists,
thus recorded, and capable of being repeated as
we desire.
description Of the phonograph is contained
In the following letter:
To the Editor Of the Scientific American:
made the announcement that DR. Rosapelly and
Prof. Marcy have succeeded In graphically re-
cordtn9 the movements Of the lips, OF the veil q
the palate. and the vibrations OF the laryux. and
you prophesy that this. among other Important
results, may lead possibly 70 the application Of
electricity for the purpose OF transferring these
records TO distant points by wire.
Was this prophecy an intuition2 Not only has
ii been fulfilled to the letter. but still oore mar
velous results achieved by Mr. T. A. Edison. the
renowned electrician Of New Jersey, VINO has
kindly permitted me to make public not only tins
fact, but the nsOd1S oDeTandt- Mr.. Edison In
the course OF series OF extended experiments
In the production OF his speaking telephone.
original idea OF recording the human veaoe
upon strip OF paper, from which at any sub
SeQuent time 1t might be AUTOMATICALLY re-cs-
| livered with all the vocal eharaeter15 les 0f
| the original speaker accurately reproduced
speech delivered into the mouth piece Of this
| apparatus may fifty years henee-long after the
original speaker is dead-be repr0dueed auc1-
| bly, TO an audience with sufffci Mt hdellty To-
| make the voice easily recognizable DIV tn056
who were familiar with the original. A. yet the
| apparatus Is crude but is cha acterized BY that
wonderful simplicity which seems 10 be a trait
Of all great invention or disc very.