The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-09
A RIvah OF THE TELEPHONE
Remarkable Discovery Made by Prof.
Bell and His Cousin.

Prof. Alexander Graham Bell and
his cousin, DR.. Chichester Bell, have
recently made a very remarkable dis
covery, which they think is quite as
important as the transmission Of the
tones of the human voice through the
telephone. They have discovered
that a falling jet of water or flame
of gas burning in 4 room reproduces
every word spoken and every sound
uttered within given distance.
When two people join in conversa-
ton in a room in the evening, the gas
which burns above their heads re-
peats every word they say, and
sounds uttered in the vicinity Of
flowing water produce vibration.
TO a reporter Of local paper Prof.
Bell showed q glass disk. upon which
appeared q spiral streak composed
Of tiny little shade lines, placed to-
gether c. farther apart to make up
the variation Of intensity. The sur
face was one Of depression and ele-
yation. This, Prof. Bell said. repre-
resented sound waves. When the
plate was rcvolved upon pivot and
the depressions and elevations con-
veyed to the ear by microphone,
there was repetition Of the conver-
sation there recorded as distinct as
when it was delivered. The undu-
late surface representing sound
waves was produced by photography.
Prof. Bell says that if any one will
60 to a water pipe and turn on the
faucet. so that the water will fall in a
stream to the ground, that water can
be made to report the conversation
taking place in its presence, and a
stream register every sound within
hearing of it. go ,-~ . ~-
{ Prof. Bell considers this discovery
quite as important as that Of the tele-
phone, and his cousin, Chichester
Bell, has gone to Europe for the pur-
pose Of bringing it before scientific
men in England and on the continent.
Patents have already been obtained
in all the principal countries of both
continents. The great object Of the in
ventors was to record by photogra
ply or otherwise the vibrations 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 Of whatever kind it may be, is
colored with bichromate Of potash.
If it were perfectly clear it would not
answer, because the light used in
photographing would pass through
without resistance and no record
would be made on the tablet. The
water is colored for photographing,
and the jet is made to fall o6liquely
on a glass plate. The water spreads
itself out on the glass plate and runs
off. It is the water so spread out
that is to be photographed as it pass
es. Words spoken cause the jet Of
water to vibrate. the vibrations in the
jet cause corresponding vibrations in
the film Of water rs it breaks and
spreads on the glass plate and runs
of. A ray Of light is passed through
that film and through the glass plate
to sensitive tablet behind. The
sensitive tablet receives the impress
sion of every vibration while tile
speaking continues, the jet keeps
running, the film keeps passing over
the plate, the recording tablet keeps
moving and the light passing through
the film to the tablet makes record
OF the speech far more accurate than
any verbatim report. These scien-
lists DO not consider their invention
perfect, but they are at work improv-
ing it.-Neao York Grnphic.