The morning call., 1894-03-25
DIVERS CAN TALK.
Whitelaw's New SUBJ
marine Telephone.
1t Does Away With the Old Signal
Cord and Renders Diving Less
Dangerous.

Submarine divers are telling Of the revolu-
tioniZing OF the old system of signaling by
means of a cord to their attendants on duty at
;he air-pumps, and Captain T. p II. Wbitelaw
is being congratulated upon being .bs first in
ventOr TO make II possible for the delivers In
ihe depths Of the sea 10 converse with their
helpers at the surface by means OF an auto
matte telephone.
An English mechanic is the person to whom
must be accorded the honor OF frs Introducing
the telephone in deep-sea diving. but Captain
Whitelaw has not only greatly perfected this
genins' device, but ne has also contrved a he'll
met so provided with diaphram and ear-piece
that the diver at work can not only be spoken
TO, but can make reply well.
Visionary Verne in his Twenty Thousand
Leagues Under thu Sea- did prophesy the
future of many nautical submarine THINGS but
even his fertile imagination failed 10 picture
the m n OF the twentieth century ted upon
the Point Bonita rocks carrying on an animated
c0DfaD with bis cOHorker engaged IN examining
the bones of the lost City of New York, Ten
faihoms from the line where air and water
meet.
To all fishes great ana small and 10 all crus-
taceans let il be known that Captain Whiteaw
viii al dat not distant put 10 practical test
the instrument above referred TO in the vicinity
OF Point Bonita.
More seriously speaking Captain Whltelaw's
submarine telephone is a splendid invention.
The captain Is not ready 10 maze public the de-
tails OF its mechanism, as il is his Intention to
pa ent The new speech conVeyor.
At the seawall, opposite tile foot OF Mason
been trying the telephone and is now ready 10
announce that it is a perfect success No
signal cord was used at all and conversation
was carried on without a hitch.
Il am fully satisfied with my test OF the in
strument," said the captain yesterday. sit
works beautifully.
al am not ready 10 furnish the details of how
the Z lephone is worked" continued he. but
l am willing to state that l will pi obably use
the line when | examine the remains OF the
City OF New York"
"Will The telephone be OF greater service
TO the diver Than the signal cord?" asked the
reporter.
ing and enables The diver 10 give intelligent
Instructions TO his helpers. OltenIimes a
diver is caught between pieces of wrecKage, his
siPnal-eord then gels tangled and his life is en-
dangered.
"By telephoning the man in armor can ex-
plain just what has happened 10 hun. and
even II the tube gets caught The electric circuit
is not interferrd with.
"Al The connecting wires 10 the helmet can
be disconnected when the headpi' ce is re-
moved. Just so soon as the latter is screwed
down the mouth and ear pieces are ready 10 be
used.
1T does not matter at what depth diver IS
working; the telephone operates as well at a
short as at a long distance. When working
where the current is running strong the new
dev ce viii be OF great value. swift current
causes sIgna-cOid d TO stretch taut and vibrate
in such manner as TO often cause misunder-
standing.
''The words Of the man at work can be heard
more clearly when he speaks than can the
words caught in the earpisce OF an ordinary
surface telephone"
Captain Whitelaw does not know just when
he VIII be able o try his invention in sounding
about the City of New York but ho will get 10
work just as soon as the weather moderates.
1t will no be long, however, before some one
OF the captains hired men will be able TO sit on
the rncks OF Point Bonita listening TO diver
60 feet beneath him lell of the perfect calm of
the ocean at that deplh. while the winds that
generally blow at a 25-Knot rate about the SPOT
will entertain him with EoIan harmonies
! through The medium OF his own whlskers.