Smyrna times., 1878-04-03
The Talking Machine.

While IT is not safe to limit the possibili
ties OF science and ingenuity i'm the futnro
we may well doubt whether there will h.
more remarkable inventions in the ro-
lnaihder OF this century than the telenbono
ana ana the phonograph. In the history oi
thelr invention, the two Instruments ora
intimately connected, one having donbtIesS
| suggested the other. We shall not nm,
Geftake to say which is the more wonder.
Iui, out ProiessorArnold, gives thepreference
tothe Phonograph-the machine which storo
away speech and reproduces it when
wanted. Perhaps the next step of in.
VehtlVe ingenuity will be to combine the
TWO contflVances, so that a message uttered
dI distance through a telephone will be
lecorueu ior use at leisure, by the phono.
1;2oiHIi' 1-nHI' az the receiving station. This
,'': ouiN ooVtale some OF the present incon.
,I;,I. ,nieSe0 rs III using the telephone, and
service G0iieI"I
The mechanical theory of the nboro.
graph is so exceedingly simple. that tho
wonder is that it was not invented Ior'.
ago. The fact that a thin nIata nS
membranes vibrates to sound that strikes
it' was recognized many wears since nc a
possible means of transcribinp sound
Many attempts to decipher the record
nave been made. The record itself has
oeeh obtained, just as it is in the phone.
sr"Ph' by means OF a steel point attached
10 the vibrating membrane. In Mr.. Edi.
sou invention, the vibrating point i'm.
presses us record upon a sheet of tin foil
WI Tnlch IS wrapped on groOved cylinder
me cylinder moves lengthwise as it turns
~ M:''oItnd' so That the record is a spiral upon
~ IKE the thread Of a screw. So far there
10 hothlhg surprising. The extraordinary
performance Is that when the cylinder is
seV o"cK at It's starting point and turned
as'iH. :, the elevations and depressions in the
I cih,iolI move the vibrating point back and
lofth, and with it the membrane. SATIN
up anew the vibrations of the air and tbnS
reproducing the sound itself: pivinc bacL, |
words, speech, laughter or music viii |
startling fidelity. WIN
II IS too soon to say what may be the
uses OF this strange instrument. As vet ;ts
tone is metallic and its enunciation 6oorso
ma y obscure; but already it is improving in
-hese particulars, as the cause of its defects
tre discovered. Methods will undoubtlv ho
4eVlSed lOr making its voice louder as we'll
IS more distinct. Obviously this can bn
zone by any means which enlarre ;ts
e1cord, the impression on tin.foil being now
! I'uloSt microscopic. Perhaps this NAV be
lone directly, if the vibrations can them.
elves be enlarged by mechanical connec.
IONS like those of pentagraph. Perhaps
may be done by means of electrotvpes
rom the tln-foll, which will be increasod
Il an thelr dimensions by some of the
eceht processes of photo.engrayino
Im,onS the results hoped for, or suGgested
that the actual song of a orin,a Ion1a NAV
nus be transferred to the hand.organs.
hough whether street music will be tberehy
IS at least doubtful. A more
seiul device, if it can be perfected, will he
. attach machine with abundant mower
sound to each lighthouse, SO that from
ne dangerous rocks their own name. loudly
nd continually repeated, may warn tho
pproalchlng navigator. For such a sirens :
2ng the whole world would be thankfnI-
:. !. Tribune. ''''''' = ''''- 5