Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-03-15


Edison's Phonograph, which arrest
and retains fugitive sounds, so that they
can be reproduced and repeated at an.
future time, or in any distant place. is ;
marvel not less than the photograph
which catches and perpetuatcs tleetina
visions.
The phonograph which does these won
ders is even more simple than the speaking
telephone, and both of these great dis
coveries are entirely American, crownins
the first two years Of our new century
We were recently introduced to Mr.. +
ii. johnson. OF New York, Mr.. Edison:
associate. lie was sitting before an in
strument of which the most prominent
feature was wooden cylinder, foui
inches in diameter and Il foot or more il
length. with a crank at one end. (Read
ers not mechanically disposed may skil
the remainder of the paragraph Round
this cylinder strip of tinioil was tasten-
ed, and against this tinioil pressed lit
tie pointed rod, or style. projecting from
the centre ofa thin metallic plate or disk
which formed the bottom of short tube
or mouthpiece. The mouthpiece and
plate are in the same relative positions as
in the telephone. Any word spoken into
the mouthpieee of the phonograph would
therefore set the plate and style vibrating
and indept the tinfoil. This is the whole
instrument, except that the axis ofthe
cylinder is q iine-threaded screw, and
that when it revolves. the point of the
style therefore necessarily describes 4
/ spiral on lhe tnioil, impressing on it Il
shallow groove. precisely corresponding
to the track of the style or pitch of the
screw To facilitate this action 4 spiral
| groove is permanently inscribed on the
surface of the wooden cylinder The tin
foil, under the style, is therefore without
, solid support. and easily yields. when the
| cylinder is turned. to the constant pres
sure of the style, or TO any sound yibra-
tions communicated to it.
To come back from this depression,
Mr.. Johnson responded to the introduc-
ton by turning the crank to the cylinder,
and, at the same time, talking into the
mouthpiece as follows: ''IIow do you
do,--? How are all the people in
Providence Mary had little lamb !;
its fleece was white as snow, and every
where that Mary went. the lamb was sure
to go. Ha hai ha! (cCugh), Cough.
(cough). Ha. ha ha ~ The latter in
a Ugh key, and then in conclusion. Mr..
johnson sung verse Of ''Uncle Ned. :"
The cylinder was turned about sixty times
during this rigmarole. and about four
inches of the tinfoil were spirally and reg
ularly grooved by the style. If the
grooves were closely examined, they
were found to be filled with elevations and
depressious. representing the sound Vi
brations ofthe plate and style.
Mr.. johnson next moved the cylinder
oack to the starting point, and re-adiu iusted
the style to the tinioil. He then held
rough pasteboard trumpet. or cornucopia
TO the mouthpiece. to throw out the sound,
and turned the crank. The identical
words spoken and sung by him into the
mouthpiece, were said and sung over
again by the machine, with every tone
and cadence, and the quality OF the voice
well rendered The machine laughed and
coughed also perfectly. Our friendly
exhibitor then ran the cylinder back to
the stating point 4 second time. and
turned the crank very fast The same
words now ratified out with explosive
rapidity. The laughing was hysterical
and the cough spaSmodic, to the last de-
gree. Then. 4 third time Mr. johnson
ran the cylinder back, and turned the
crank, this time, slowly. The same
words drawled out hoarsely, the laughing
was very sad, and the cough lingering
Uncle Ned" was struck on 4 lower key
ana was very lugubriCus.
The articulation and quality i'll this per-
iormancc was full rs good rs the tele
phone six months ago, or, As good rs
much OF the telephone talking TO day,
while it was several times rs loud. The
words could be heard throughout 4 noisy
front-room on New York street. Yet
the apparatus was OF the simplest and
rudest kind. The phonograph accom-
plishes what has thus been described in its
babyhood. The instrument perfected and
moved by clock work will undoubtedly
reproduce every condition of the human
voice, including the whole world of ex-
preston in speech and song.
Now. what applications can we antici-
patep Clearly these: The sheet of tin
toll or other plastic material receiving
the impressions OF sound will be stereo-
typed or electrotyped SO as to he multi
piled and made durable. Or the cylinder
will be made Of 4 material plastic when
used. and hardening aiterward. Thin
sheets of papier mache or of various sub
stances which soften by heat would be OF |
this character. Having provided thus Tor
the durability OF the phonotype plate. Ga |
better name than photography. it will be |
very easy to make it separable from the |
cylinder producing it, and attachable to a |
cylinder anywhere or at |
any time There will doubtless be 4 |
standard of diameter and pitch of screw
for phonotype cylinders Friends at a
distance will then send TO each other |
phonotype letters. which will talk at any
time in the friends voice when put upon |
the instrument. How startling also, it |
will be to reproduce and hear at pleasure
the voice of the dead, All Of these
things are to be common every day ex-
periences within a few years. Ii will be
possible a generation hence to take file
of phohotypc letters, spoken at different
ages by the same person, and hear the
early pIattle. the changing voice, the
manly tones and also the varying manner
and moods OF the speaker-so expressive
OF charactcr-from childhood up,
These are some of the private applica-
tions. For public uses, we shall have
galleries where phonotype sheets will be
preserved As photographs and books now
are. The utterances of great speakers
and singers will there be kept for a thous-
and years. In these galleries, spoken
languages will be preserved from CEN
tury to century with all peculiarifies OF
dialect, brogue As we
go now to see the stereopticon, we shall
90 to public halls to hear these treasurer5
oi speech and song brought out and re-
produced as loud, oil louder, than when
nlsan 1,t tI
Dnes of earth. The ease with which the
phonotype cylinders may be stcreotyped
or electrotyped and multiplied. has been
spoken of. Certainly. within dozen
years, some of the great singers will be
induced to sing into the ear OF the phono-
graph and the electrotyped cylinders thus
obtained will be put into the hand-organs
Of the streets. and we shall hear the
actual voice of Christine Nilson, of Miss
Cary. or even of Jenny Lind and Albani,
ground out AT every corner,
In public exhibitions also we shall have
OF the sounds of Nature,
md OF noises familiar and unfamiliar.
\ othing vii! be easier than To catch the
sounds of the waves on the beach, the
oar of Niagara. the discords of the
'trects. the noises of animals, the putting
md rush of the railroad train, the rolling
If thuader. or even the tumult of n
Jattle
Edison has recently stated that his best
instrument viii now talk so as To be heard
It a distance Of 10 feet. The conditions
or increasing the sound are so simple that
here can be no doubt of any desirable ex-
ension in this direction.
From this slipht sketch and autirin,iinu
II the phonograph or phonotype, ii will
'e conceded by those who watch the pro-
5ress OF the civiliAing arts. that the dis
otery OF Edison ranks with that of
,aguerro. and with the speaking tcle-
'honc which, like the phonotypc, is still
II it1 infancy. Cor. Pr0rdIencc ,Iouypial.