Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-02-10
1.-THE puLsloN TELEPHONE.

! A new mechanical telephone of extra
ordinary power has recently been excit-
Ing considerable attention in London
and some other cities and towns in this
country, writes correspondent OF
Nature. It is Of American origin, like
so many other modern improvements OF
exceptional character, being the invcn-
ton Of ono Lcmuol Mellct, believe, Of
Boston. There have been many previous
mechanical telephones, as your readers
are aware, some Of which have obtained
much publicity for q short time, and
then have been heard of but little moro;
but having had an opportunity Of expcr-
imenting frequently with the new in
strumcnt and observing its vocal pow
er, so to speak, under very various cir
cumStances, ! can not doubt it has q
great future before it.
1t may be clearly stated at once that
tho pulGion instrument is absolutely in
dependent of all electrical aids or ap-
pliances, and therefore needs neither
battery power to bring it into play nor
insulation Of any of its parts to keep
them effective. 1t consists solely of two
cheap and simple instruments connected
by an ordinary non-insulated wire of
copper, or, better still, of double steel
wire, tho two parts being slightly
intcrtwisted, say with about q
single turn in couple of
foot. The wire Tor wires) is simply
looped to the instrument at either end,
tho connection being made in few
seconds. Tho instrument consists of q
disk III combination with a series of
small spiral springs inclosed in case
ctcr. These springs, arranged in q man
ncr that has been determined by ex-
pertinent, and so as to produce harmo-
rizcd vibrations, appear to possess tho
power of rnagnifying or accommodating
upon tho wiro tho vibrations which the
voice scts up in the disk, and the wiro
Gacn1s to possess - undoubtedly does
posscss-thc power of transmitting to
great distances, and giving out upon q
second pulsion instrument the sounds of
the voice.
The ability of this simple system OF
springs, disks and wires to convey con-
vcrSationGl and other sounds to con-
siderable distances with great clearncss
and di3tinctness, reproducing the very
tones of tho voice and tho qualities of
musical sounds with but little reduction
or modification, is most surprising, and
to mono more SO than to tho many mon
of science who have been recently ex-
perimenting with it.
The writer of this notice can not, per-
haps, do better than state his own expo
ricnces with this system. After exam
lining and experimenting over several
short longths Of wire, somo Of them OK
cccding a mile and half, he last week
went to the Finchlcy Road Station of
the Midland railway, from point near
TO which line had boon conveyed 10
near tho Welsh Harp Station, distance
of three miles by tho limo of railway,
and of moro by the track of the wire,
which for the larger part was carried by
tho telegraph posts, to which it was at
tachcd by worry simple means. CONVEX
sation through Jnls length of limo, Of
over three miles, was exceedingly easy;
indeed, so powerfully was tho voice
transmitted that an ordinary hat suf-
feed for all tho purposes of tho second
instrument, without going near to which
conversation was carried on repeatedly
by means Of tho hats of three gentlemen
who were present, the tops of which
wore merely placed against the tele-
phone wire.
i then went into the garden Of the
"WclGh Harp" where short length Of
wire had been led between two points,
tho wire on its way from one point to
tho other being twice tightly twisted,
at an interval of somo yards, round
small branches of trees of about ono
inch in diameter, being wound round
and round tho branch thrco times in
each case. Strange to say, this tight
twisting Of tho wires round tho branches
in no way int2rfcrcd with tho transmits
sion OF tho voice from end to end Of tho
wiro.
A third and last experiment was mado
with wire laid obliqucly across tho
Welsh Harp lallc, and allowed to sink
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