, 1879-02-20
THE TELEPHONE.
History Of tho speaking Tctcphune-Ths
ClAisn ur alr. Gray.

History OF tho RpsAkinE Tclcphune-Ths
ClMim vi Mr.. Gray.
London Nature. Dec. II. .
ROYAL Coi.LE0K or SCIENCE, DunLlN, Dec.
0.-As the writer Of tho article on tho history
OF the telephone, to which SO eminent Ill uu-
thorlty as Prof. Watson takes exception II, tile
lo,,g untl Interesting letter ha las contributed
to your columns. rcrhaps YOU will u!1ow ms to
sny d few words. Prof. Watson cxprrsses his
'astonlsh1ncnt ut tle claim now 1nadu tIu4t liz
ta1E. Gruy) anticipated Sir. Hel III tllu Invention
0l tic speaking Telephone" uiMi speaks Ut tho
"crEuneoua statement ot factsh Gontn,nctl II,
tl,e article IN question (Natare: Vol. XVIII, y.
specified The btatcmrnts which ura erroneous,
alll appcAEs 10 haye oYcrluukcd the fact that
tha article ts review Of tlle works oil Mr..
Prescott a'nl N. du Minced on tue, telephone,
chlefiy quotations frnE these works. A. tho
same time, us!qg all the materials within
my rcach careful Inquiry had led Inc to concur,
a,,I III that nrticlc expressed my concurrence,
II Mose me- iG6 6soE oRsG g. Bs AStse IL fri" Il ~
construtro Ct rrndrc prat1ue 10 Telephone par-
liant, N. Elisha Gray await ID premier coneu 10
pElntiDe do Get Instrument"
tray mud Bell weru both exhibitors at tlle
PHILADELPHIA Exhibition, nnli Prol. Watson,
writing as ono uf tho judges Of tho scientific lu-
str1n,ents exhibited, Elbows that, whilst Gray
merely submitted to tho judges in apparatus
l1c llltt1utG VI HuH5lEAl H0kG4,
and no speaking telephone, DsIl not only cxhib.
tied . sneaklnE telGphone, but, towards the end
of June tl5ti), tho Judges, trof. Watson anl
Sir William Tn0mns0n, obtained with I}clI's in
strunlart t,,u clearest evidence ot tue electric
transmission Of speech, WhcrpuD0n hIr. Gray
was both SURPRISED atMl lMcredulUus, aud, eyen
after the publication OF Prof, Bells discovery,
he delivered u lecture exhibiting his musical
tcleplone. but making no mention Of y speak
II tue PHILADELPHIA Exhibition wete the ouly
nleans for scscl'ttc publication during the year
II existed, Prof. Wutsou's letter would etTectu-
A,y tltspUsa ot 0ruY's claim. Au exhibition,
however, Is not !fle plaee for conceptions, but
for accomplished facts, ntil believe no one de-
MICS lllal to Mr., Bell Ia duo all the credit oI ay-
In. been the 1rst to construct, at1 that inlc-
pendently OF Gray. uu articulatlug electric tcle.
phone. TRAYS claim, as ! tuku 1t, rests on his
having registered ln The American Patent U(lice,
OH Feb. II, 1915, ~ nieats Ut transmitting u1!A
roceiylns vocal sounds geographically u; nnd
tho drawing he Rtvcs Ut ls invention shows
cortec! appreciation Of tlle true principle of au
arttculatthE telephone, to which bis previous
researches had bern gradually leading hu.
ss,ould tu sorry L, appear In any way to de-
precsata Tic splendid achievements Of Prof. buil
through aasDg rcleEred to other workers III the
Held u Ctectrie.telepAuuy. III fact, up to the
t,tnu the article III Nature appeared, / fear,
through ignorance, Ind done but srltlt tustlce
to hf. Gray. having attributed tho conception
solely to Prof. GrAham Bell. There are two
polnts III tho history ri tile telephone upon
which should be very glad to huys authorita-
tive Information lroul tsof, Watson 0r other
Of Your American readers; tue tltes relates 10
The claim aaade by lrof, Dol6eaF, and tho sec.
ond to the Introduction Of The torroiypA
diaphragm. W, +. 8ARRETT.