Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-04-02
From the n. Y, World.
INVENTOR EDIsON's LAST

h SEh0Ah 1BtSA
inlay be Heard distinctly IOuT
Miles Away"
IL ANN sorry," said Mr.. Edison,
the inventor Of many more than sew
en- wonders. to a World reporter,
who called upon him st Men!oe Park
Yesterday, THAT l cannot show you
the airophone to-day l have just
sent the application for a patent to
Washington. and have taken the ma>
chine | had here to pieces"
The Nibrating-plate, which in this
was a great disappointment to the
%reporter, for from what he had heard
of it, the aeroph0ne was an affair not
to be met every day, %whereupon Mr..
Edison, who is one Ofthe most cOurGe-
Gus gentlemen ia the world, undertook
TO explain its mechanism and expa-
bilities. The former was less easy
than the latter 10 understand. Mr..
Edison, Loweyer, has invented a ma
chine Ehich, placed upon a locomo-
tive, viii raise its voice and announce
in giant tones, that can be heard for
miles. q am engine Marmaduke,
aud will stop at Bosom Station" or
whatever other warning or inf0rma-
tioo it chooses. there is not the least
reason TO doubt, 1t seems probable
that Mr.. Edison can make whatsoever
lie likes, and even without the mea-
gre explanation of this his latest
wonder, which the reporter is here
with able 10 give, no person who has
ever met him or visited his workshop
at Menloe Park should doubt its
p~racticabiiity. IL the aerophOne-
which, by the way, is as yet by no
means perfeUted-the vibrating diaN
phragm principle in use in the mar
veIouS photograph is made a key to
the phonograPh. moves a sharp point
over Z revolving cylinder, in the
aeropbone operates as 4 valve 30 shut
or and open the flow of steam
through a pipe leading from the boil
er TO d peculiarly arranged horn or
whistle. BY this continuance the
steam instead of producing a long,
continuous foot, is made to pronounce
words.
alt is quite simple" said Mr.. Eds
son, smiling upon the perplexed re-
Tortcr, but if you don't understand
it altogether just take my word Tor it
that this thing will utter words which
can be heard distinctly four miles of
and wait patiently for a few weeks.
when | will demonstrate what l say
to you.
With this for the present, the re-
porter had 70 content himself, Mr..
Edison FIRST having called his atten-
tor to tiie immense value it would
have on shipboaFd in time of fog or
in lighthouses on stormy coasts.
from which by It's aid, the keepers
could bail surrounding vessels, in
forming them of their whereabouts
aud Of the peculiar dangers Of each
particular coast.
"Ah, here il is" said he picking
up 4 circular piece Of brass, the sur
face Of which was reamed With 4 fine
thread, which, starting at the centre,
ran round the plate many thousand
times before the circumference was
gained. F'Th8 is TO take the place
OF the cylinder in the new PhoDo-
graph. |. revOiveS, you see, in this
way (p!aciug j, upon = pivot and
twirI;ug il svouad like a piattcr,)
and the pointer, which is attached to
TIE diaphragm, viii follow the thread
by means of q movable arm. The
plate will be turned by Clock~w0rk to
insure a uniform rate Of mOtion.-
Instead Of having to put the sheets
Of tia foil directly On 4 cylinder. With
The risk OF tearing 10 removing them,
by the mea Cf Ibis fat plate We
will BE able 10 have tue lin foil made
secure to { cardboard frame. which,
having holes at the four corners that
will Just fl owes four pegs, can be
easily lifted from the machine when
u,ej and put u~sy in a safe place
ualil wanted AGAIN
The reporter asked how many
words could be put upon a sheet Of
tin foil sufficiently large to cover this
plate, which was about ten inches in
diameter MIR. Edison replied that
lie vas confident any ordinary fifty
cent novel could easily be registered
upon it. 70 perfect the cultivation OF
the phonograph's voice so that it will
be capable q transmitting precisely
lhs same toussO Of voice that are spoken
10 it, Mr.. Edison is engaged in max
Ing An aft, If TO trke the place Of the
neta!.c funnel which is nov used to
bring cut the sound. He proposes to
construct E tube which shall be
shaped like the interior OF the human
mouth, and which shall be supplied
With teeta somewhat similar TO those
employed in the cor AUmuRG organ
stop
- have another idea" said he. as
uan.caal.an'Iv as If wonderful ideas
were as cheap re common potatoes.
Il propose, in sending the exhibit Of
several Of mg Inventions to the Paris
Exposition. to have a large phono-
graph running in the machinery de-
partment. / viii have a piece Of tin
foil elsctrotype so that the impress
sions upon it will not wear out by
constant us4. A very simple con-
t~yivance will SHIFT the cylinder i
intend using one of the cylinder
monographs for this purpose-after
il has passed 1uter the pointer to the
other side, snd 10 a perpetual stream
of talk can be kept up. l haven't
decided just What to make this ever
lasting phonOgraph say, but have