The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1878-04-24
WEDNESDAY. APRIL "A. 1875.
The Photograph

II is peculiar feature Of the Edison phono-
graph that 10 mere description eau impair, any
really adequate idea Of its performances, Fully
familiar as We are ard have been with the ma
chine since its ineep.ion. it il still impossible
Tor US TO lister to it without feeling OF aston
iSbueni and 4 well defined doubt that our senses
are not deceiying Us, The extreme simplicity Of
the eoutrivsuee enhances this notiOn. There is
uothiug 10 the bali articulated monotones Of tho
complicated Faber apparatus to excite surprise.
because. although illogieslly the bearer halt OK.
poets that such an asSeHb,ags OF Intricate me-
ehauism viii produce more startling results than
il does but here is really nothing but reyolv.
ing cylinder covered with shee, Of tinloll. anu
: speaking tube no levers, 10 springs. no key
boards no artificial lips or larynx no bellows
II we lived 10 los Instead Of 1878 the HE OF
Mr.. Edison would not DO worth u moments pur.
chase; in tact. he would have been resolved
INTO earboaic acid. hydrogen, and his other cou,
stisaent gases long ago 10 the flames SET apart
for earthly eommuners with his satanic majesty
II accurate aud clearly eouneiated repetition
OF the sounds made IN it Is the ultima thule OF
the Photographs capabilities. then 1t has already
attained that point. Where il Is open 10 i'm
proyemenr. and 70 this the attention OF the
Inventor is now being devoted. is 10 augmentiny
the intensity OF the sound. Ia form 1t is sub
stantlally the same as when il was first
described ia these columns that is il consists.
Of brass spirally grooved eyfnder moanted on
long horizontal screw, the cylinder being
rotated SRd at the same time moved laterally by
turning crank on the end Of It's axis The
ehiei modification is the abolition Of the receiy-
ing membrane, serving The do1bls purpose Of
rfs,- ~ H..
ing by the Diamond tipped point attached to the
spring, the uufoil wrapped about the cylinder.
aud also reyitratiDg 10 response TO the move
men,s mechanically impaired TO il By the iudent-
ations already made passing under the point. Il
Is evident that this change must materially i'm
prove the reproductive power Of the apparatus
because the size and nature OF the membrane
materially Affect the vibrations il makes and
where two membranes are used slight iissim,-
larity between them might result 10 couSldera.
Die alteration IN the sound emitted Now, how
ever, the same diaphragm .evbrales. ard the
sound is modified perhaps as little as can be
expected. the modification fortunately being 10
Intensity and not materially in quality The
loss Is manilestly due. 6rst, To the inability Of
the rigid plate OF metal employed AS d. gram
TO register the lateral vibrations which take place
10 directions parallel TO its own plane ana sec
ona, 10 It's vibrations being checked in smpli-
tude by the friction met 10 overcoming the
resistance Of the foil. its own inertia. aud IN
some degree probably the elasticity of the rub
Der pads IN which it is held. Still rigid pa,e
seems 70 be u necessity for il is doubtful
whether thin membrane such as gold heaters
skin, while responding more fully TO the sound
waves, would support the point in making its
IotenIatlous; that Is, It Is likely that it would
yield itself before the tsnfOil could be impressed
deeply euOUgh. This, therefore NAV be another
subject Tor further investigation aud possible i'm
proyemenr.
As 1t Is, even now. the photograph will meet
the most sanguine anticipatlOns Of any one that
hears 1t. The first model that was brought to
our notice certainly talked, that is, it produced
sounds, the timbre Of which was uuuues tiouably
that Of the human voice; bat as We said at the
time. 1t required some previous knowledge to
Distinguish what WAS said The speech was the
Hsplngs Of Infancy. At present previous expla-
ration is wholly needless. The machine repeats
the voice with perfect articulation aud with
every iutection, so that the tones may be recog-
uized Is those Of the speaker who made them
Through the courtesy Of Mr.. W. 5. Apple
baugh, who has charge of the apparatus now on
exhibition in New York, we have been enabled TO
MAKE as thorough an examination Of all its pecu-
llarities as Se could desire. At our request the
exhibitor sang iHto the machine IN entire verse.
aud Il was repeated Is often Is the cylinder re-
adjusted. Sounds Of coughing clearing the
throat, knocks noises Of alI kinds, were as accu-
raLely reproduced. A curious effect is produced
By whistliug, the apparatus giving forth every
note Clearly and fully but more remarkable sull
Is 1t TO hear two voices at once come from the
machine. The exhibitor first sang verse which !
was registered, and then running the cylinder |
back talked so that the fluctuations produced |
bE the speech vibrations came over those made |
by the song. Tie instrument repeated both
utterances simultaneously, each. however, being
clearly distinguisbable. Another odd perform |
auce Is turning the cylinder the wrong wav, and I
making the machine talk the language backward |
The only means row used for maguIfyiug the /
sound Is it is emitted is the funnelshaped /
reas0natOr, attached 10 the speaking ori6ce. Mr. /
Edison, however, Is busily experimenting upon /
some adaptation OF compressed air, by which the I
sound waves, be thinks, may be intensified. He 1
says that It can IN time make the machine talk 1
20 loudly that it can be used on vessels to wara /
Of other ships during f0gs. and his last astouish-
ing proposals Is that he shall construct 4 huge /
to go ia the great brouzs statue of /
Liberty which Is to be erected in New York 1
Harbor. so that the metal giant can make 4
speech audible over the entire bay Ia view Of 1
what Mr.. Edison has already accomplished his /
success IN this respect would cot surprise U.s.
Scientific American.