The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1878-05-01
THE PHONOGRAPH.

correspondent ofihe Raleigh NEWS we
'take The following extract in relation 70
this most startling Of all human inventions.
Startling, because its ,analogies point 10 the
possibility Of what man is so prone 20 co,n-
fort himself h beyond the care Of the All
mighty. the eifact asle record Of every idle
word, or wicked speech to be reproduced
in fearful yisidness at the last dreadfn.
day. The photograph makes its indelible
inGession Of human ulterances. 20 be sub
e9uently reproduced after indefinite lapse
Of time. The invention is practical
reality. (Recorder)
The Academy of Science il al present in
session IL the Smithsonian Institnie 10 this
city. -some u the most eminent sdrants
Of the country being in attendance. ,ucln-
dug such men Us Agsssiz. Newcomb.
Pesrce. Henry. Morton. Cope and Others.
On yesterday. Thos. A. Edison. flS ~ "a
famous discuverer Of the TELEPHONY hid
Phonograpb, gave The assembled scientists
an exhibition " the workings Of his won-
derful instruments Il was rare spec
tacle. -fenius laying its grand and bril-.
liant trophies nc the ieet Of Scienrcl The
reporter " the Posi- give. the fo.lowing as
Eiiron's explanation Of The mechanism and
nseias operaadi of the Phonogrsph. aud
adds hi, own striking eomment upon the
insr,e.lousnes Of the result: sa ...
..llere the phonograph. y,u see, is q
thin disc or diaphragm If iron. beneath
which is this 6ne steel point. which moves
up aud down By the vibration of The disc.
beneath this is The revolsing cylinder. "n
which is this spiral grove. On the axis
NJ the cylinder is . screw. the distance be-
tseen The ihre,ls being the same MS the
distance between the grooves ON the cylin-
der TIE cylinder is covered with sheet
Of TN fsil--you wllI see it operate by aud
hy--aDi when the cylinder is revolvsd
the steel punt presses the tim
foil into the spiral grove. II now
the diaphragm be made to vibrate by the
voice the steel point makes series Of in-
deutations in the i'm foil grooves. cores
ponding to the sounds uttered. On going
over again the same groove with the steel
point. BY setting The cylinder sgsin at the
starting point. that j.. BY going over the
same ground. the indenlalioDs in the tin
foil cause the membrane again 10 yibrate
precisely Is at hn. thus reproducing the
s,ubd originals made. The same sound
wave you frst made is returned % you 10
whatever shape you made il. Yodr words,
for example, are preserved 10 the iil-foil.
and will come back upon the application of
the instrument years after sou are dead in
exactly the same tone Of voice you spoke
them IN. - ..= 4. gsss .e.-.ss s-- .gfs-.
llaw many iime-s' s@e~@sl..s f.t#
As long as Tie tin>loil lasts. This ton
goeless. toothless instrument. without Ia
fyhx or pharnx. dumb. soieeless ,natier.
nevertheless mimics yo1r toucs. speaks with
your voice. ut.ers your sVrds. aud centuries
aiser Jon have crumbled into dust viii re-
peat again aud again TO generation that
could never know y"ur every idle thought.
every fond fancy. every vain word that you
chooss to whispe: against this thin iron dia.
phragm.'
AID the reporter. turning away 10 record
the ntteranc,s Of the sages - the room ad-
joining, thought Of that passage of The Holy
Writ which says. every idle .honght aud
every vain sord which man ihinks or nttsrs
are recorded iB The Judsmeni Book Does
The lleeordlng Angel at beside Celestial
phOnOgrsph. against whsse spiritual disph-
rsgm some mysterious ether presses the re-
cord Of human lifei'
| nave. myself. just returned from wit
messing mn exhibition Il she phonegrsph in
the room " the Conmniee ON Patents. and
feel almost as II had been IN supern ,tu.
raj presence. Senator Beck. Of Kentucky.
spike into the ear Of the Mystery: i
ilpught you were bumbug ! sis nos "a.
tisied YOU are not The % Under reyolves
aud The words are Reproduced with awful
disiuetBcss sunset Cox faeeliously an.
nuuhces, The gentleman who last address.
ed you was Senator Beck, linea. descen.
dsut IL Rob Roy MaegregOr. who. convict.
oil Il cattle lifting IN Scotland, smigraied
10 America and settled IN the blue grass'
region. lie nov honorsbly represents Ken.
iueky in the Uniied States Senate, --and
again the Sound writer repeats the exact
words Fancy carried me back 70 thpss
days, in 1879. when Morse was exhibiting
MS ineipient tslegrnphie spparstus. IN the
sime building. 10 an lnsrvdulous thropg Of
Sena'ors and Doagrcssmen. who ridiculel |
and mocked at biz invention. No sksp,i.
oism. no riaiculs. to-day but. instead. an
awed spd hushsd emotion. rs the reprssen-
talise uien u the nation crowded around
that li,ile instrument. Instinct with voice
and life. and that modest. plain. retiring
man who rat BY ii.--a greater man that
them all IN the hssven born inspiration u d
Genius that rhsll lise Cor centuries aud
thrill me heart Il aser 10 come ). o.
II Che SUI l. going ausn. look up /,
ihs s,ars II the esrlt I. dark. keep sou
eye % Heaven With Ucrs presence
sud Gods promises. mau Or ebils