The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-02
THE MARVELLOUS MICROPHONE.
A Simple Little Instrument which N1nRnffics
SQUAD to a Surprising Overwhelming n
Fly Walk.

+ Sound to Surprising Exteut-Hcnring n
Fly Walk.
| By the courtesy of Agent Fallon OF
| Pacific Mills, who is quite an enthus!-
, asst in scientific matters, We spent de-
lightful hour few days since in expert.
ments with that latest marvel OF discov-
cry, the microphone, little instrument
which becomes to the ear what the
microscope is to the eye. This is a
discovery of Professor Hughes of Great
Britain, who, while experimenting with
, the telephone, found. new element,
through which he has succeeded in per-
fecting an instrument by which sound is
magnifed or increased and conveyed by
wire, in wonderful manner. The
microphone of MIR. Fallon, imported
from England, is simple little affair;
thin piece of deal, perhaps five inches
by three, insulated by means of four bits
of rubber, one at each corner, on which
it rests; to this is attached small,
ordinary battery; a small piece of pure
carbon is fastened with a bit of wire to
the board, and another piece of carbon
like an inch and half pipestem is
pivoted near the center. from little sup
ports, one end resting upon the piece
strapped to the board; the wires by
which the sound is to be conveyed are
attached to either corner of the board,
and connected by other wires with the
carbon vibrator and the battery; the
carbon, highly charged as it is with
mercury, possesses the power not only
of conductivity, and of reproducing
sound, but of vastly increasing its pow
er. As the microscope reveals to the eye
of man the most Insignificant Of natures
works, so does the microphone disclose
to our hearing even inaudible sound.
Mr.. Fallon has connected with his
microphone some six hundred feet of
wire, and in the room at the other end
an ordinary Bell telephone attachment.
During the experiments which we made
with the assistance of Mr.. RideOut, a
watch was placed upon the instrument,
ard through the nearly one-eighth of
mile of wire came to the ear not only the
separate ticking, resounding like the
heavy beating of marine or tower
clock, but We could clearly detect the
whirr of the minute wheels, the buzz
and friction of the delicate machinery of
the watch. Then the watch was removed,
and the gentlest sweep of the down of a
feather, brushed as lightly as possible
across the board, reached the ear mag
nifed to sound like the coarse grating of
file or the scraping of heavy brush.
Then small wire''cage, containing two
common house flies, was placed on the
instrument, and to the listening ear,
six hundred feet away, distinctly came
the soft and irregular patter Of the tiny
feet as the flies walked over the board;
and as they flew from one side of their
cage to the other, the sound as they
struck against the fine wire was heard
with q sharp metallic ring, altogether
like that of the hammer of q boiler
welder as he rivets the bolts in the iron
cylinder. We were somewhat sceptical
in relation to this last experiment, it
seemed so much beyond credence, and
the wires were detached, the annuncia-
tor fastened to the instrument with only
few feet of wire, and we sIt down in
front of the little wonder and with our
eyes made certain that there was no
possibility of deceit as to the source of
the marvellous sounds to which We
listened; but there was no difference,
the footballs of the fly came with no
seeming greater distinctness than when
transmitted through six hundred feet of
wire, and we see no reason why miles
may not be added with the same result.
Conversation in the room where the in
strument was located, without the inter-
vention of mouthpiece, as in the tele-
phone, was distinctly heard at the other
end of the wire. This is the instrument
which in Halifax, England, was attached
to the pulpit OF chapel, the connecting
wires being carried to house the dis
tance of mile, every word Of the SER
mon being transmitted with distinctness,
and even enabling the listener at the
close to hear the janitor as he walked up
the aisle, closed the Bible, and return
ing closed and locked the door. As to
the uses to which it may be put, there is
scarcely any limit to tho imagination;
already in surgery it has been practically
applied, as detector of bullets and
other foreign bodies, and it is thought
likely to prove invaluable in diagnosis
of lung, heart and other diseases. Our
brief examination convinced us of it's
right to stand as one of the marvels Of
! this age of wondrous discoveries. s.-LaW-
| renee, Mass, american.