The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-04
EDISON NO LONGER IN IT.
1 San Franciscan. 0utdOeS the Great
Inventor.

To suppIant Typewriters-You Will
Drop Your Language Into the Pho.
nautograph and the Letters Will
Write Themselves Phonetically
Spelled.
Unless the San Francisco Chronicle is
plavin- a practical joke on its readers, A.
q Rumble, of that city, has invented a
machine called the 'phonautograph y
which will create several revolutions.
The combined art of stenography and
tvpewriting is doomed, for the merciless
mechanism CT Rumble's machine sun
nlants both of those commercial accom-
nfshments at one full swoop. In word
the business man may dictate his letters
into one end of the invention and Dull
them out of the other ready for mailing.
That is how Rumble intends to astonish
the scientific world as soon as he has
overcome few defects in the machine. IL
is claimed that the phonautograph, on
which the inventor has spent MANY sleep-
less nights, will receive direct the sounds
of the human voice in any language ex-
rent Chinese, and reproduce them in plain
English chirography. Astonishing as
this statement appears, Rumble insists
that his machine can accomplish that feat
and more, too. 1t is yet somewhat i'm
perfect but when finished and placed on
Inc market, the phouautograph will, ac-
eording to the maker, perform ali the
functions of the typewriter except to chew
gum and entertain young gentlemen call
ers during business hours.
1t will answer the telephone, keep a let
ter file, and spell according to the die
tates of its own fancy. While recognized
already by its inventor as a linguist and
translator Of no mean ability, the phonau-
torraph adheres to the phonetic stvle
of spelling, and its capitalization and
punctuation are miserable beyond COM
pare.
Those are the defects, so common in the
typewriter now in use, and which the in
yentor is striving hard 10 overcome. He
is sanguine of ultimate success, and as
soon as the phonatltograp is competent
to hold a JOB in any well-regulated bust
ness ONCE it will be patented and in
stalled in place of the winsome article
now employed.
1t was while attending a performance
given by one of E1isOn's monographs in
Cleveland, o., several years ago. that
MI Rumble conceived the idea of the.
machine on which he is at present en-
gagged. Prior to that time he had thought
OF the phOnautograph in a desultorv
way being busy man, but it was the
workings of the photograph which gave
impetus 20 the idea. He is a believer in
that scientific school which holds that
sound is not merely the result of vibra-
ton, but has molecular or mechanical
force, II IS d thing, according to his the
DRY, which material ana INDEPENDENT
characteristics governed by fixed laws.
and upon cheese the principle of his inven-
ton depends. Though air has heretofore
been considered a reliable conductor of
sound Rumble believes that fluid, though
slower, furnishes a much better medium.
Electric lluId IS the active body EMPLOYED
III the pnOnautOgraph, and, beyond the
principles mentioned, the inventor, who
has an office in the Mills building, de-
cLnes to 60 into details regarding the
workings Of his remarkable machine.
The Lodel, which no one but himself
and his financial hacker is allowed to in
spec,. has been likened TO cash regis
ter. 10 IS Is inches long, II inches wide.
and 10 inches deep. The machine is di-
vlGed INTO two distinct parts, on the
fronts of which are placed small electric
nuJ'onSN which connect with and control
the mysterious interior mechanism. You
press The buttons, talk into the receiver
ana IDe phonautOgraDh does the rest
Pro, ectlng from the upper part of the ma
chlne IS mOuthpiece connecting with a
re- Owing cylinder similar to those used
IN the photograph. The impressions of
Inc human voice are recorded upon the
cylinder the same as in the Edison inven-
tloh. Back OF the receiver is a travelling
needle for regulating the cylinder in
Iecoruing tne remarks according TO the
slle OF the paper in which they are to be
reprodu, ca IN writing. When full OF
words the cylinder is transferred to the
lower part Of the machine and placed on
EouerS' above which is a supply of paper
Iof receiving the language. A small
SSlordge battery furnishes the electric
huIu Tor 1ranslating the sounds into man
tgs.rlpV. NO ink is used, and consequently
tue nachlne is not compelled to stop and
S"edt dC oIots The written characters
are produced in bold, round hand by
chemical action, but that is another of
the secrets of the invention.
'He dozen ordinary le tiers maybe die
sa.eu TO the cylinder which holds Office
s1cfeIs lnylolate The button is then
r.eSSeu and the phonautograph does its
"OFhr Jranscrlbing the letters with neat
ness and dispatch, while the merchant or
ia"yer Is QUO at lunch or talking business
~ lue 'front.' Office. From the roll of pa
yrs Ine sheets are led auton aticallv to
;L1 y Huder, which, as soon as il has fin
lSIeu one letter goes on with the next.
tiG.IecIlng bad grammar but spelling en-
sbS Oy sound. When written the
fbo slde out through d slit in
t tne bottom of the box. The touch of a
r luton VIII stop the operation at any
,, 0Wylng to the inability of the phonauto-
stop. 10 Wrestle with the diphthong. the
s oaigHt letter, The capital and the elusive
Teuii.lolon' the dictator is compelled to
Use, ms correspondence, but that is
sse9iret;aliy done anyhow, even with high
sd,ared secretaries.
~ nir' humble, who is a well-known civil
o omI mining engineer, has patented sew
tin,,l Ia lions, among which is the con-
,u ts. Us railway crossing used extensively
o IN eu Ne east, where they have more than
sI r,n rlillroad. He is a native of Ohio. and
burg, Pa. -'N'' iu0ViUu'e aV FlVVS-