The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-06-09
A Rival OF the Telephone.

A correspondent of the New York
Graphic, writing from Washington,
SAYS: Professor Alexander Graham
Bell and his cousin, DIR. Chichester
Bell. have recently made very re-
markable discovery, which they
think is quite as important as the
transmission of the tones OF the hu-
man voice through the telephone.
They have discovered that a falling
jet of water or fame Of gas burn
ing in room reproduces every word
spoken and every sound uttered
within given distance. When two
people join in conversation in q room
in the evening the gas which burns
above their heads repeats every
word they say, and sounds uttered
in the vicinity of flowing water pro-
duce vibrations.
To a reporter of a local paper
Professor Bell showed a glass disk,
upon which appeared a spiral streak
composed OF tiny little shades placed
together or farther apart to make up
the variation ofinteBsity. The sur
face was one of depression and ele-
walton. This Professor Bell said,
represented sound waves. When
the plate was revolved upon a pivot
and the depressioEs and elevations
conveyed to the ear by nicrophone
there was repetition Of the eonver-
satiou then recorded as distinct as
when it was delivered. The undu-
late safely representing sound waves
was produced by photography.
Professor Bell says that if any one
will go to a water-pipe and turn on
the faucet so that the water will fall
in stream to the ground, that wa
ter can be made to report the con-
versation taking place in its pres
ence, and a stream register every
sound within hearing of it.
Professor Bell considers this dis
covery quite as important as that Of
the telephone, and bis cousin. Chich-
ester Bell has gone to Europe
for the purpose of bringing it
before scientific men in England
and on the Continent. Patents have
already been obtained in ali the
principal countries Of both conti-
nents. The great 1dject of the in
ventors was to record by photOgra-
phy or otherwise the vibration in
the jet of water which correspond to
sound waves; the result of words
spoken in the vicinity; to keep the
voice On record, bottled up, as it
were, for any length of time, and
then, when called upon, to let the
record speak. This, Mr.. Bell says,
has been accomplished. The water,
or liquid cf whatever kind it may
be, is colored with bichromate of
potash. Ifit were perfectly clear it
would not answer, because the light
used IN phosographing would pass
through without resistance and no
record would be made on the tablet.
The water is colOred for photograph
ing, and the jet is made to fall OBJ
liquely on a glass plate. The water
spreads itself on the glass plate and
runs of. 1t is the water so spread
out that il is to be photographed as
it passes. Words spoken cause the
iot of water to vibrate,t the vibrations
in the jet cause corresponding vibra-
tions in the film of water as 1t breaks
and spreads on the plate glass and
runs off A ray OF light is passed
through that film and through the
glass plate to a sensitive tablet be-
hind. The sensitive tablet receives
the impression Of every vibration
while the speaking continues. the
jet keeps running, the film keeps
passing over the plate, the recording
table moving, and the light passing
through film TO the table makes
record of the speech far more accu-
rate than any verbatim report
These scientists do not consider their
invention perfect, but they are at
work improving il.