The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-11-30
Talking One Thousand Miles.

thousand miles and over.
We were invited to attend the first
public demonstration of this fact on the
afternoon of October 18, at the main
Offices of the Long Distance Division Of
the American Telephone and Telegraph
Company, No. lS Oourtlandt Street, in
this city, and with many distinguished
lights in the electrical world listened to
the distinct conversation that was car
ried on between that point and the main
western Office of the company at los
Quincy Street, in Chicago.
About one hundred guests we're assem-.
bled in the reception room when tb
president of the company announced
that q cornet solo would first be trans.
mitted from Chicago. Soon forty one
receiving telephones in New York gave
forth every note of the distant instru-
ment perfectly, then funnel was attach.
ed to q receiver and the sound was heard
BY those standing near.
Mayor Grant was introduced and en-.
tered into conversation with Mayor
Washburne, of the city of Chicago.
After the usual "Hellol" I" he returned
the compliments of New York City, on
the success of long distance telephony,
but had some difficulty in hearing all
Mayor Washburne said, because the lat
ter read his speech and neglected to put
his mouth close into the trausmitter, but
otherwise the transmission was perfect.
When Prof. Alexander Graham Bell,
the inventor of the telephone, was intro
duced and sat down in front of the tele-
phone and engaged in conversation
with his old friend, Mr.. William G..
Hubbard, in Chicago, scene Of unusual
interest was presented, which evidently
gave the inventor much satisfaction.
Photography was brought into play at
this point, recording, by means of the
fash light, a picture of the Inventor in
the act of talking over thousand miles
of space.
It was in 1876, at the Philadelphia
Centennial, ia the presence of the EN-
peror of Brazil and Sir William Thom.
son, that Prof. Bell first showed the oper-
alton of his telephaue, having the same
Mr.. Hubbard as his assistant, who Is also
believed to be the first person that ever
heard speech through the then new
instrument.
At the conclusion Of the formalities
those present were accorded the privi-
lege of testing the line personally.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. A. s. Hib-
bard, the expert operator, and Mr.. F. A.
Pickerneer, the chief engineer of con.
skuction, we were given an opportunity
of trying the line, and conversed perfect.
Iy with Mr.. Edward b. Lyon, the expert
operator in Ohicsgo, and with repre-
sentative of the western Office of the Sci
entifc american, Mr.. G. M. Abbott. The
most noticeable feature was the entire
absence of all induction and perfect quiet
of the line, also the sharpness of clear
cut quality of the words. The sound
appeared to be fifty per cent. less in VOL
ume than on short lines, but was other
wise as good.
On one side of the room vas long
map showing the direction of the line
from New York. It passes by cable
under the North River, thence follows
highways across the country through
Newark, N. j., Eastou, Harrisburg,
Altoona and Pittsburg, Pa, thence to
New Castle, o., South Bend, Ind, and
to Chicago. The line is built of two No.
8 hard-drawn copper wires carried along
parallel with each other and transposed
at certain intervals or crossed disgonaHy
without touching, creating what is
termed the electrical balance, which is
proof against induction. There are
forty.fve poles to the mile, each IS feet
high, the total number being 42,750.
The distance is $50 miles, and there are
435 pounds of wire to the mile, making
total weight in copper for the circuit of
S26,50O pounds. An ordinary circuit for
the same distance would weigh but 20O,.
900 pounds. We were told the circum.
ference area of ths wire, if laid out to
represent fat surface, would cover $40
acres. The company have been but six
months in building the extension of the
line from Pittsburg westward, and will
soon be able to connect Chicago With
Milwaukee and other cities. Converse.
tion has been carried on successfully
between Chicago and Boston, distance
Of about 1000 miles.
Itshould be mentioned that an impor.
tant element in the success of long dis
tance telephony is the improved battery
now used for energizing the transmitter,
which has the merit of maintaining q
nearly uniform electro-motive force OF
high tension for an extensive period OF
time. 1t is an improvement on the we'll
known Fuller battery, and consists in
the glass jar solution of bichromate Of
soda and sulphuric acid, made as fol-
lows: Water, 10 gallons; commercial
sulphuric acid, 25 pounds; and bichro-
mate of sodium, 81 pounds. In the
bottom of the porous cup is placed mer-
curry, an amalgamated zinc and satu'
rated solution of common salt. One