Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1878-03-23
THE SPEAKING PHoSeRAPH.

tbs xopterfgl instrument, the in
Tso;ia e Of Professor Taos A Ellison,
was exhibited in PhilsslelPhis 5 frs
day. ago By Mr. James Adams, TIE
iuvent0r's assistant and represe1rs-
tre. We copy the fOIloHing from
the Times If The 18Th ins.azt:
Mr.. Adams. before the performance
began, thus explained the Instrument
Ia thi. gu,t4percsa nc1thpiece Is =
very thin Diaphragm, made Of tn
trpe metal. Tie vibrations n the
voice jar the diaphragm. which has
in lis center. underneath, fine steel
point. Around this brass cylinder
which, yeu see, Is closely and fnel!
groored by spiral. strap sheet
Of tin foil. shove the mo1tbe piece
Up until the steel point touches tie
tin foil, Just ADORE tie FIRST gro0ve On
the lett. Turning the cylinder with
this crank | talk into the @euth-
piece. The diapragbm ribrates,
Causing the steel point to perforate
the Tin foil, leaving little holes Of
different diameters and resembling
the old Morse teIegrapbie alphabet
The cylinder moves from left to righ'
until the steel point has gone over
the entire length Of the spiral. Tins
we have, as it we're, stereotype plate
of the voice. From this plate 8
masrix in sulphur uhe most desirable
substance for the purpose can be
formed, and years from now there
can be taken from that matrix other
plates capable of the same work
which. you will presently see this one
perform.
"Now | turn the, cylinder back to
the starring place, in order that the
steel point may go over the perfora-
tons which it made when l talked
into the mouthpiece. The steel point,
kept down by rubber spring under
meath the diaphragm, trips from hoie
70 hole, causing the diaphragm to
Nitrate as il did when / wss talking
into the mouthpiece. This causing
corresponding opening anil closing
o! the valves Of the diaphragm the
zssds. intons,ion and accent are re-
produced with perfect accuracy. 1t
would be impossible for any human
uinsc 10 do it 50 well. The small
end Of ,ais TN funsel is fred in the
a3Dst5pi7ce 10 keep the reproduction
t.0rs s>ztterioy. NoE, listen Sew
ersl gs1tlemso, critically s1ppOsing
that hey would not be able 10 hear
EithgEt bgring their ears close 10 the
f1ssel, were pa;tiag t1eir heads
nesr the instrument, bai Mr.. Adams
tod them tazt such proceeding ~as
nanecesszry, as they could distin-
gaish the sounds well enough At,
distance.
Mr.. Adams, hsTiog wrapped sheet
Of tin foil around the cylinder, spoke
into the monthpiece in voice Of
ordinary pitch and time, but with
distinct articulation, meanwhile
slowly and regularly turning the
crank, the follo1ing:
Jsek AID jill wsns Up the hill
T. get bzEkss d. Water;
Jx4k TELL siDsn AMI crOks E1s erDvn
And Jill came tua-5Iing after.
Having reset the cylinder and fixed
the funnel in the mouthpiece he
turned the crank and the diaphragm
repeated the rhyme, not only as dis
tinctly as t,e had uttered it, but with
30 pertec; a mimicry of the Scotch
accent as to cause general outburst
Of laughter, in which the genial
operator heartily joined.
The experiments we're continued
in tones varying from almost whis-
per up to scrceching soprano, and
all were reproduced perfectly.
There is no electricity about the
speaking photograph, and, like SO
many other great inventions, its con-
struction is 50 simple and its opera.
tons so eaisly understood that per
son seeing it would probably ask
HIMSELF Nov, why didn't / think
Of thatT' sf
LINER the pressure Of necessity