The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-06
Edison Eclipses HimseK. The Latest
and Most Remarkable Inven.
tiOn Yet.
New York Star .

Edison Eclipses HimselFThe Latest
and Most Remarkable Inven-
tion Yet.
New York star.I
Mr.. Thomas F. Edison, the Napoleon
of inventors, is now completing at his
in Menlo Park, New Jersey,
an improvement upon the phonograph,
which is calculated not only to astonish
the world, but to almost revolutionize
the accepted usages of society. Mr..
Edison is not only inventive, but he is
also industrious, and since the produc
ton of the phonograph, only few
weeks ago, has, without intermission,
devoted himself to its further develop |
ment From day to day he has added |
improvements, until at last he seems to |
have reached the limits Of perfection it |
self. His very last achievement is a |
modification by which he literlly gives to
every wall its ear, and hereafter there
can be no actual certainty of privacy in
any conversation unless held in desert
or through the medium of the deaf and
dumb alphabet. The cost of the new
machine is, moreover, SO insignificant as
to place it within reach of people of the
most moderate means, while its advan
tages, in protective sense, are SO mani
testify obvious, that in very short time
it is destined to come into very extern
sive, if not general use.
A few days since the Star published a
description of the latest Improvements
and notifications made by Mr.. Edison
upon the original or cylinder machine.
Prominent among the Improvements was
the substitution of fat plate for the
cylinder and the utilization of clock
work in its movement. 1t was also
stated that the inventor had increased
its capacity SO as to enable it to record
the notes of the human voice in the
tone uttered at distance of thirteen
feet from the instrument. Since that
time its capacity has been still further
enlarged, until now the very faintest
whisper uttered in room, where pro-
! found silence is otherwise maintained,
can not only be recorded, but can also be
repeated in any increased volume. In
fact. to quote Mr.. Edison, a maiden's
sigh can be given in the magnitude of
an earthquake!'
The reasoning or inductive process by
which Mr.. Edison arrived at this
marvellous development is seemingly so
simple and natural as to commend itself
to the most ordinary intellect. Indeed,
he can not describe it himself without
smiling at its manifest and almost
child-like simplicity, and though the
inventor, he seems to marvel at the re-
suits achieved quite as much as the
listener.
While Mr.. Edison was testing one of
his lately improved machines recently,
his restless intellect conceived the pos
sibility of making it record and speak
simultaneously. To think, with him, is
to act. To conceive new problem, is
to set about its solution, which, in this
instance, was soon accomplished. By
the introduction of second, or follow
ing needle, and diaphragm to the re-
cording needle, and in close proximity,
the one plate and it's system of clock
work causes the machine to both record
and talk almost simultaneously. In
two days Mr.. Edison had one in success
full operation, and his fertile imagination
was again wandering off into new fields
of conquest.
Parties who have personally inspected
and listened to the " Talking Machine "
now on exhibition in this city, will re-
call to mind the metallic hoarseness of
tone as well as slight falling off in
volume of its utterances. Many attrib-
uted this to the use of tin trumpet in
delivering the sound, and experiment
has since shown this supposition to have
been correct. Long ago MIR. Edison had
realized the necessity of utilizing some
other and less defective medium, more
sensitive, and less resonant in material
and construction. After many failures,
he at last succeeded in supplying this
want by constructing delivery-horn
out of new substance, compounded
mainly of caoutchouc gelatine and the
sensitive carbon, which enters so largely
into Mr.. Edison's manufactures. A
modification was also made on its shape
and construction, more especially adapt
ing it to the needed purposes. Upon
the very first time it was found to be al
most perfect in action, repeating the
voice with such absolute fidelity in tone
and infection as to actually startle the
experimenters themselves. Upon the
subsequent day, while again testing its
merits, the tube portion of the trumpet
accidentally became twisted, when the
ever-watchful ear of the inventor at
once detected an increase of volume OF
sound. His attention was at once di
rected to the economy of the convolution
, of the human ear, and the problem pre-
sented itself as to whether they do not
embody mechanical principal. 1t was
not long before this secret yielded itseli
to the prying search of the wonderful
inventor, who discovered that by cooling
! the neck or pipe of the trumpet in a pc
culiar way, and by adding to its convo
; lutions, the faintest sound-wave coule
be made to recall itself through the
medium of the diaphragm, upon tn,
receptive plate or matrix, as deeply a
the loudest tone uttered under ordinary
conditions In short, he succeeded il
demonstrating the fact absolutely tina
by means of proper mechanical arrange
e ments the volume of sound capable o
D being emitted by the phonograph wa
: actually limitless and entirely indepen
dent of the application of steam, air
valves or any extraneous force.
Impressed with the value of boil
4 these discoveries, it was natural in MI
i Edison to set about combining the two
! a result he accomplished with littl
: difficulty, the operation of which is t.
. be witnessed at his laboratory in Menl
= Park, and which he has named tn
y " Auraphone."
, The new invention of Edison is brief,
q described as follows: In the ceiling O
q his private Office, concealed from view
: with the exception of small, ea1
4 shaped funnel, of dark color, he ha
q fitted between the rafters and the foo
4 above one of his double-recording an
o speaking machines. In the room above
i portion of the machine rises through tn
q floor. and attached to it is small woode
r box, said to contain the coils of tn
i pipe of the trumpet, the bell or mout
O of which opens through one side. and
o made of the new substance discovere
e by Mr.. Edison, and alluded to elsewhere
4 With the exception of the box, a
4 other portions of the machine are ope
i to inspection. Every word uttered i
e the room heloU Is renoatod in the ROOF