Telegram-herald., 1890-01-20

Meek s1.iczl tnseEtion - Great eeAEA-AiAer-
ei41 Isugort4nS'e-
A new ns.ehanical telephone = extra
ora nary power las recently been eNell-
tug considerable attention 'A lsonaeA
snd some cther cities 4na towns ia tals
oounrrv. ~rites correspondent -
Natare II Is ~ American orig "a, Ike
- u.anv ether MODERN Improvements of
excev-ioaal eharac.cr. being the inyen~
rlar u one Ieuue- Mcl-eL ! believe. %
Boston. There have been many previous
mech -nie4l telephones. IS EcLr readers
are aa-era. some 0f Whlch have obtained
much p1olicitY for = short time, and
then have been heard ~ hut llrrle more;
bar having had an opportunity ~ e1peF-
imenting frequently with the new IN
strumens ana observing It's vocal pow
er, 50 70 speak. under very various cir
camstances. j can nos doabt Il has
great future before It,
Il may be clearly stated at once that
the pulsion instrument IS absolutely IN
dependent OF al electrical aids or APP
pliances, And therefore needs neither
battery power - bring it into play nor
insulation O. any OF It's parts 20 keep
them effective u consists solely OF two
cheap and simple instruments connected
by an ordinary non-insulated wire OF
copper, or, better still, OF a double steel
wire, the tao parts being slightly
intertwisted. say with about
single turn in couple Of
feet. The wire (or wiresl IS simply
looped = the instrument az either end,
the conneetion being made in few
seconds. Tho instrument consists OF
disk IN combination with a series Of
small spiral springs inclosed IN case
OF some three or four inches in diam
eter. These springs, arranged in a man
ncr that has been determined by ex-
pertinent, and so as to produce harmo-
nized vibrations, appear 10 possess the
power OF magnifying or accommodating
upon the wire the vibrations which the
voice sets up in the disk, and the wire
seems % possess - undoubtedly does
possess-the power Of transmitting 10
great distances, and giving out upon a
second pulsion instrument the sounds Of
the voice.
The ability of this simple system Of
springs, disks and wires 10 convey con-
yersational and other sounds 20 con-
siderable distances vi ia great clearness
and distinctness, reproducing the very
tones Of the voice and the qualities of
musical sounds with but little reduction
OF modification, is most surprising, and
to mono more so than TO the many men
of science who have been recently ex-
pcrimenting with IL.
The writer OF this notice can not, per
haps, do better than state his own expe-
rienccs with this system. After exam
ining and experimenting over several
short lengths of wire, some OF them ex-
ceeding a milo and half, he last week
went 10 the Einchley Road Station of
the Midland railway. from a point near
to which line had been conveyed 10
near the Welsh Harp Station, distance
OF three miles by the line OF railway,
and OF more by the track Of the wire,
which for the larger part was carried by
the telegraph to which IL was at
tached by very simple means. Conver-
sation through this length Of line. OF
over three miles, was exceedingly easy;
indeed, so powerfully was the voice
transmitted that an ordinary hat suf-
feed for all tho purposes Of the second
instrument, without going near TO which
conversation was carried on repeatedly
by means Of the hats Of three gentlemen
who were present, the tops Of which
were merely placed against the tele-
phone wire.
then went into the garden OF the
"Welsh Harp" whore G short length of
wire had been led between two points.
the wire on its way from one point 10
the other being twice tightly twisted,
at an interval Of some yards, round
small branches Of trees OF about one
inch in diameter, being wound round
and round the branch three times in
each case. Strange To say. this tight
twisting of the wires round the branches
in no way interfcrcd with the transmits
sion of the voice from end to end Of the
wire
A third and last experiment was nado
with wire laid obliquely across tho
Welsh Harp lake, and allowed 10 sink
10 and rest upon the lake bottom. Tho
length Of the line was roughly estimated
at about onc-third Of a mile, and from
end 20 end excepting few yards at
each end where the wire was led from
the waters edge 10 the telephone box
the wire was completely Immersed, ard
without any other support than the bot
tom OF the lake Offered it Yet. not
witbs.anding this immersion Of the
whole wire, conversation was carried on
through it by means o. tho pulsion in-
strumer's without the least difficulty.
in fact, the voice came through the i'm
merscd wire and the longest wire lof
over three miies' previously mentioned,
with greater purity and mellovness than
through shorter lengths
He CouIdn't TractIy Ten.