The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-04-27
Talking by Telephone Between Chicago
and New York.

phone within the past seven years have
been 8 source of wonder to the world.
For communication on short lines it has
come into general use, especially in this
country. Within the past year some ex-
peI1mentS have been made with view
to determine the practicability of the use
of the telephone in long circuits, only
partial success being achieved whereth
lines were more than $50 miles long.
Recently, corporation known as the
Postal Telegraph Company erected .
line between New York and Chicago,
using No. wire, which is made of
copper, having steel core to stiffen it.
Prof. Elisha Gray, an electrician of New
York, was the protector of this line,
one of the principal objects of which
was experiment on the possibilities of
long-distance telephoning and to fur
nish line for the perfecting of the
same. 1t was apparent that common
iron wires would not not attain the re-
suit aimed at On Monday last the
lines were connected between the offices
in New York and Chicago and a test
made of the new copper wire, which
showed resistance of only 1922
'sohmsn against 5000 ''ohms" on the
best iron wire and $4,000 ''ohmS" on
the average iron wire. A telephone
connection was made and an effort made
to communicate, but without success.
Sounds could be heard, but the inductive
troubles from wires hung on the same
poles in the city, and in close proximity
to the copper line, made it impossible
to obtain satisfactory results, and it was
at once determined to make telephone
connection at this end of the line at the
Stock Yards, the New York end being
in the company's general Office on
Broadway.
Yesterday morning Charles E. Serb.
ner, electrician for the Western Electric
Company, William Hofmaster, his as
sistant; E. T. Warner, an employee; John
Young, foreman of the outside depart
ment, and a reporter for the Times took
an early train for the Stock Yards,
equipped with all necessary appliances
for the contemplated talk over a thou
sand miles of wire between the cities OF
New York and Chicago. Batteries were
arranged, wires strung and connected
with induction coils, transmitter, key
and receiver, and precisely eleven
o'clock by Chicago time Mr.. Scribner
sent his "Hellor3 through the double
Edison transmitter over the thousand
miles of wire. He promptly received
an answer, which came so quickly and
so distinctly that he was induced to be-
lieve it could hardly be true that he was
in communication with New York, but
recognized the voice of Mr.. John A.
Barrett, chemist of the Postal Telegraph
Company, who, in response to ques-
ton as to what time it was, answered:
f" Five minutes of twelve" which was
correct, according to the difference in
time between the two points. From
eleven o'clock a. m. until $3.50 o'clock
in the afternoon conversations were
carried on between the two places, the
New York parties being John A. Bar
ret, Prof. Elisha Gray, George M.
Phelps, Jr., c. A. Brown, w. A. Arm
strong, d. Cushing and number of
ladies and gentlemen. At the Chicago
end of the wire Mr. Hoffnaster played
on the mouth-organ, and E. T. Warner
sang, the report coming back that the
whole was heard distinctly. During
the greater part of the time the con-
versation was perfectly distinct, being
as plain as through an ordinary tele-
phone in the city. Some difficult
ties were encountered several times
by some one cutting into the line at diff
ferent points, and from the evident
crossing of some telephone wires either
in New York or Cleveland with the
main wire, as other voices could be dis
tinguished at times, and the induction
became so great that it was necessary
to suspend for the time. The expert
ments, however, were declared to be
entirely satisfactory, results being OBJ
tanned which were thought to be scarcely
possible. The volume of voice at times
was sufficient to have traversed fully
five hundred miles more of wire, and
yet have been heard distinctly. The
instruments used were the same to both
ends of the wire, and were manufact-
ured in Chicago. The transmitting APP
paratus consisted of ''double Edison
transmitter," mounted on a single
mouthpiece connected with two induc-
ton coils and with the main line, giving
double the volume of sound of an ordi-
nary transmitter. Two receivers were
used, the ordinary one and the Scribner
head telephone, which is far superior to
the other. Ithas no permanent magnet,
but simple electromagnetic mounted
in an iron case, with the ordinary dia-
phragm. This is placed in the circuit
with a primary induction coil and a
battery, and with the main line. 1t
weighs but two ounces, while the ordi-
nary receiver weighs about pound.
In addition to them, a ''key" was at
tached, which cut out the receivers and
cut into circuit the transmitter at will,
and vice versa, thus removing all UNI
necessary resistance in the line. While
talking the receivers were out of the
line, and while receiving the transmit
tiers were out. The experiments will be
continued. CHICAGO Times.