Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-13
The MlcrOphOne al Home. .
An MI STRATIoN OF PROFESSOR HUGHES
INVENTION AT LAWRENCE.
Ia, L

INVENTION AT LAwRENCF.
From the Lawrence American.
by the courtesy of Agent Fallon of the
Pacific mills who is quite an enthusiast
in scientific matters, we spent a delightful
hour a lev days since in experiments
with that latest marvel of discovery, the
microphone, Il little instrument which be-
comes 10 the ear what the microscope is
To- the eve. This a discovery of Professor
Hughes OF Great Britain, who, while eX-
perlmenting with the telephone, found a
new element, through which he has sue
creded in peIlecting an instrument 10y
which sound is magnitied or increased
and conveyed 10y a wire, in a wonderful
manner. The microphone of Mr.. Fal
Ion. imported from England, is 4 simple
affair; thin piece of deal perhaps five
inches by three. insulated 10y means of
four bits OF rubber. one nj each corner,
on which I rests; 10 this * attached 4
small, ordinary battery; small piece OF
pure carbon is fastened with bit OF wire
10 the board. and another piece of carbon
like an inch and a half pipe stem is pivot
ed near the centre, from little supports.
one end resting upon the piece strapped
10 the board the wires by which the
sound is To Ice conveyed are attached To
either corner of the board, and connected
hV other wires vita Ike carbon vibrator
and the battery the carbon highly
charged as it is with mercury. possesses
the power not only of Conductivitv, and
Of reproducing sound, but of vastly in
creI>inG It's power, and aS the microscope
reveals To the eye Of man the most
insignificant of natures works, so does
the microphonc disclose to our hearing
even inaudiblc sound.
Mr. Fallon has connected with his
microphnne 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. RideouI, a
watch was placed upon the Instrument,
and through the nearly onc-cighth of
mile OF wire, came Ia the ear not only the
separate ticking, Icsounding like the
heavy beating ot 4 marine or tower clock, |
hut 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, aud the
gcntlcst sweep of the down of a feather
brushed As lightly a possible across the
board, reached the ear magniiicd TO sound
like the course grating OF 4 file or the
: craping Of heavy brush. Then a small
wire cage. containing two house flies,
was placed on the instrument, and 10 the
listening ear. SIX hundred feet away, |
distinctly came the soft and irregular
patter OF the tiny. feet, rs the flies walked |
over the board, and Is they flew from one |
side Of their cage 10 the other. the sound |
as they struck against the fine wire was |
heard with a sharp metallic ring, alto
gether like that Of the hammer of a Uoil- |
er-weldrr aS he rivets the bolts in the |
iron cylinder. We were somewhat scep- |
teal in relation 10 this last experiment, it |
seemed so much beyond crcdcnce, and |
the wires were detached, the annunciatOr |
fastened IL The instrument with only a |
few feet of wire, and we sat down in front |
of the little wonder, and with our eyes |
made certain that there was no pos sibili-
II of deceit ~ to the source OF he mar
vellouS sounds to which We listened; but
there was no difference, the foot IA lis Of
the fly came with no seeming greater Gis-
tinctness than when transmitted through |
six hundred icctof wire and we see no rea-
son why miles may not bc added to the same
result; conversation in the room where
the instrument was located, without
tie Intervention of mouth-piece, as in the
telephone, was distinctly heard at the
other end of the wire. This is the instrI-
ment which in Halifax, England, was at
tachod 10 the pulpit Of a chapel, the con-
Meeting wires being carried TO a house
the distance Of a mile, every word of tn e
sermon being transmitted with distinct
ness, and even enabling the listener at the
close To hear the jtnitur rs he walked up
the aisle, closed the Bible, and returning |