The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-14
THE PHONOGRAPH.
An Exhibition Last Evening Of Its w0n-
derfnI Powers.

deFfuA POWERS.
Last evening, before select audience COM
posed of q number of scientific gentlemen,
mechanics and members Of the press. Mr.. r.
r. Morey, the manager of Eddison's Phono-
graph, gave an exhibition at the st, Charles
Theatre Of that remarkable invention.
SO much has been written about this won
derful little instrument within the last few
months that description of Its mechanism
Is almost work of supererogatioi.
A krooved cylinder revolving on which
plate Of tin foil Is attached. is revolved by o
crank, on the shaft of which is cut screw
exactly corresponding with the thread Of the
grooves on the cylinder This gives ito slow,
lateral motion, the crank giving 1t the revolv-
ing one In front OF the cylinder Is a small
mouthpiece, at the base Of which is a thin
metal diaphragm, which Is supported and vi
brates on q small piece of watch spring At
tached to this diaphragm, pointing towards
and into the grooves of the cylinder, is fine
needle. The operation of the machine Is most
simple. The operator places his mouth close
TO the mouthpiece and sings, speaks, whistles
on cries The vibration from the voice
ia RESPONDED to by the diaphragm at every
sound wave, and the needle as the cylinder
revoIvcs make q minute indentation on the
tin foil. The cylinder is then reversed, and
the needle Is placed ut the point where the
speaker commenced, and the cylinder re-
volved as before. In a voice that seems some
what distant every imaginable sound that
was given through the mOuth-piece Is repro
duced, giving
THE PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS
OF pronunciation, tone and volume.
The evenings entertainment opened with
lecture by Mr.. M0rey on talking machines
and a dissertation on the construction of the
pt1u1osz ratppths He described its points minute
| ~ and clearly and made the working SO plain
| to those present that the invention seemed so
| simple some doubted its ability to perform its
accredited functions. He then, taking piece
of tin foil about five inches in width and eigh-
| teen inches in length gave the first exhibition
| of it's powers. Nursery rhymes, whistling,
Growing, coughing, laughing were reproduced
with distinctness, som etimes, however, owing
| to indistinct enunciation the sounds were low.
Several gentlemen of the press spoke to the
monograph in different languages and the
| liquid French, the cultural sounds OF the Ger
man we're given back with such accuracy as
to produce much merriment. That the inven-
| ton Is one Of the most remarkable OF the day,
there cannot be r doubt, and that it's possibi-
lities are as yet in their infancy Is sure.
THE VOICE REPRODUCED
by the machine sounds like that of a speaker
| some distance off in the woods, and comes
with somewhat Of q metallic ring about it..
| But the individuality Of the speaker Is pre-
SeINeu anu eau DO easily EecOguIHeu. IL Ii
not yet perfected, of course, the desire being
to secure and record the delicate quality of
the speakers voice. There are shadesO such
fineness in vocal sounds that it will take the
most delicate medium to translate it and as
delicate receptacle to receive it. This Is,
however, in easy reach of the inventor after
his great principle has been proved, as 1t is
now.
1t was almost ghostly thing to hear the
inanimate iron and brass repeat in weird
tones Richard Ills words and sing with a
witch's supernatural voice some o., the Scotch
! ballads.
The eveningTwas most delightfully."- passed
and we advise our readers not to delay their
visit to the photograph at the st. Charles
Theatre, for It wi be here only two days, and
it should be seen by all who want to keep
pace with the rapid strides of science.