The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-08
The Wonders Of the Telephone.

There has been mysterious and roman
tic case in Providence, which yet awaits so
luton. Two gentlemen, scientifically in
chned, on the evening OF Tuesday, August
2sth, were listening, with telephones, to
the sounds OF atmospheric electricity, col
lected by a telegraph-wire extending three
or four miles over the house-tops. Sud-
denly. above the "hail-stoEe chorus" OF
electrical discharge. was heard an air, sung
by a tenor voice, apparently long way OH.
Then followed a difficult exercise by So
prano voice. and then an air on cornet or
similar instrument. At intervals during
the evening several familiar pieces were
sung and played. At the close, soon after
10 O'clock, few short sentences were re-
heated in an oracular manner, the Words
being almost though not quite distinguish
able. .,-
On Thursday, August 3otb, similar con-
cert was listened to, and 1t REQUIRED AGAIN on
Sunday, September "a, wednesday tue otn'
and Tuesday the 18th. On all these occa-
sions the same voices and instruments were
heard. Once or twice the instrument was
thought to be flute, and once or twice was
possibly accompanied by the soprano voice.
On all the evenings but one, short oracular
sentences were spoken, not quite distinguish.
able, and even more unaccountable than the
music. On the Sunday, these came in the
middle Of the performance instead OF at the
end. On Sunday two or more religious airs
were sung, Greenville" and cold Hun
dred" being probably of the number. No
duet was ever heard. Among the familiar
airs sung were the " MarSeillaise Hymn,' -
:. How SO Fair" "Who's at My Window" ;"
:. Then YOU'LL Remember Me-" Roll on,
Silver Moon" and "Almer Mater" The
cornet plaved, among other pieces, the
| g Star-Spaneled Banner" G. Yankee Doo-
die" and "Last Rose OF Summer" During
the five evenings number OF persons lis
tened to the weird serenade.
A natural question is, Where did this
music come from? Atnuch more important
question, scientifically considered, is, How
did this music get upon the wires? 1t Is
very improbable that the music heard during
these five evenings, so Informal ana oflen
with long pauses between, was deliberately
sung or played into telephone for the pur-
pose Of transmission to distant listening
friends. It is still less probable that tele-
phone during all this period remained acci-
dentallyin q parlor, in such precise position
and 40 connected with wires on the house
ton as TO transmit the music to unknown
distances and audiences. The telephone, in
deed, in its present development, is almost
or quite incapable Of such Vagary. The
question then comes, What other instrument
tality, what chance arrangement Of tele-
graphic apparatus or wires, il any, could
have PLAYED the part OF eayesdropper in
this case? The problem is this: BY some
process the sound-wayes set in motion
during these musical performances were
converted into eectrical-wayes and sent ca
reerine over telegraph-wires, until by
chance Bell telephone somewhere recoE-
yerted them into sound-wayes. In what
probable way was this eftected? %. -.
AS regards apparent distance OF sound IN
the telephone, it is simply the effect OF
greater or less perfection in the instrument
or in tine condition Of its use. A voice
forty miles off may sound close to the ear,
while one in the next house may seem to
come from IN immeasurable distance. There
is, therefore, no clue from the character OF
the sound as to the distance from which The
music proceeded; but there is every proba-
bility that it originated in Providence or its
neighborhood.
The solution Of this mystery has so much
of scientific interest that it is hoped that
the performers in these telegraphic sere-
nades, or any persons who recognize the
musical performances from the description,
will communicate with the writer. This
need involve no violation Of privacy, while
the public may be interested in knowing
| the result. w. +. y.