Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-01
TO PREACH NOW ny TELEPHONE.
Interesting Experiments End Sue
cessfully In the Baptist Temple.

~
natural conclusions. will make IL possible,
and even easy, for any popular pulpit
orator 20 enlarge the numerical limit OF
his auditors almost indefinitely. The
speaker whose audience Is now limited
to the seating capacity Of his church
may simultaneously address his words o.
exhOrtatlOn 10 two, three. or even dozen
such congr.ga tons gathered In separate
auditorums. and that, too, without any
extra eNertiOu or Inconvenience on MS
part. provided he possesses the urSt re-
quisite OF the successful orator-goou
speaking power and distinct enunciation.
The experiments were made In Phiia-
delphia's famous Baptist eiihce known
az the Temple. at Broad and BerkS
streets. II is one OF the largest church
structures In America. greater than any
of the tabernaclcs which Or. Talmage
has made famous. larger in its seating
capacity than most Of the theatres anu
opera houses OF the world. And yet II Is
no longer large enough.
FACING THE PROBLEM.
The individual members Of this great
Temple flock were brought face 10 race
with the ominOus fact that they were
rapldIy outgrowing their sheepiold one
Friday night about a month ago. "heh
the Rev. Russell III. Conwell, thelr pas
tor. In his Characteristicaly DIuHt way
said In them. when ~ more persons
have associated themselves as members Oh
this church every seat In the Upper rem
nile win be occupied by Christian. II
every one OF these Christians ATTENDS
service and occupies his or her seat theh
there will be no further scope here ior
evanrelical work. What shall we 90
Think It out; think 1t out.
what Pastor Conweu alluded 10 as the
'T'pper Temple" is the main auditorium
in which the preaching services are held.
Every Sunday, night and morning lor
wears. it has been crowded. But there Is
a Lower Temple" too-a vast. airy room
beneath the other, and for many mohths
overflow meetings have peeh resu,aIy
held there. There is also 4 commodious
forum In the Temple College building
handsome granite structure, Immediately
adjoining the Temple itself. THIS, 100,
az times has been pressed into service 10
accommodate the great crowds that habit
ually throng 10 the Temple services.
But the trouble is that Mr.. Conwell Is
a popular speaker. and those who throng
the Temple doors go there expecting TO
hear him II they are compelled TO at
tend one Of the overflow meetings ana
Pastor COnwell cannot address them ALL
they go away disappointed, no matter
how ELOQUENT may be his associates.
When Pastor Conwell said Think II
out: think II out" therefore. everybody
knew Just what he meant. lie wanted
some problem thought out, the solution Of
which would make II possible for the con-
gregations in the Upper Temple, the
Lower Temple, and the College Forum 10
practically attend the same service, and
all at once to be within the sound OF
his voice.
4 JOKER's SUGGESTION.
There is a young man In the church
who has quite a reputation as joker
He said sententiously: why not run a
speaking-tube from the Upper to the
Lower Temple? The people crowded out
upstairs would then 20 below fast
enough"
Those who heard this suggestion thought
IT was only Joke. and some OF the young
women snickered. But" as one Of the
more serious-minded members told me,
that remark set ne 10 thinking, and now
we have done what Mr., Conwell told as
to dove have though. 1t out"
That WAS how 1t began. \ competent
electrician was then called in consulta-
ton. and he undertook TO superintend the
task Of uniting the three auditoriums,
so as 10 achieve the desired result He
was confident of success. and he had good
enough precedent IN England and Europe.
II not In America. He told the Temple
people how a similar problem had been
solved not long ago in birmingham,
England. and the Temple Magazine pub
lshed this interesting account OF II, as a
stimulus to its own readers:
Christ church. Birmingham, England,
IS large edifce and Is blessed with
rector who is not only a beautiful and
exemplary Christian character but a pow
erful and telling speaker. Thousands
come regularly every Sunday to listen 10
him. lie receives a large salary. but he
spends il all i'm phiianthrOpie work He
was struck with the unhappy lot Of the
multitude Of poor, suffering creatures
who were compelled 20 lie day after day,
month after month. in the hospitals. and
he made up his mind 20 brighten their
dark path.
SEVEN CITIES HEARD HIM.
After consulting with several eminent
electricians he gave orders. al his own
expense. for loud-speaking telephone
connection to be made between Christ
church and the principal hospital In the
city. The phones were attached 10 the
reading desk. the pulpit, the organ. ana
the choir. After several experiments 1t
worked successfully, and further con-
tracts were placed with the electricians
10 connect ONnfE Lb0AiAoi- h+N4A ~
church: then the jail was put in the cir
cult. and eventually seven large cities at
a distance ranging between 100 and go
miles heard the whole service at Christ
church simultaneously.
Never shall we forget sitting in the
parent church on one particular sunday
evening Ii was the day set apart in al
the churches throughout the country for
raising money for tho hospitals anc
known as Hospital Sunday. The cam
non had been eloquently pleading for the
local inhrmaries. when all az once he
pulled himself up short. evidently struck
by sudden thought. and said: The
mcssage / have now TO deliver does not
refer 10 you men Of Birmingham; / am
about 20 speak especially 10 the people OF
two large cities IN the North And then,
with all his eloquence. he upbraided these
two cities Tor their meanness toward In
stitutlons OF healing In the past and told
them their duty 10 God and man In the
future. For ten minutes he spoke thus, |
and then, signifying again 10 his visible
congre cation that he would speak to them !
and every other city and institution ~ |
the telephone circuit collectively. he pro- |
ceeded with his address from the point |
where the parenthesis occurred.
THAT Is the greatest regular telephone |
circuit In connection with the Christian |
church that We know OF. The ordinary |
listener in Canon's own church never |
thinks FOR moment that any telephones |
are IN the building. All that can be seen |
are a few metal discs, II you know where |
10 look for them. The speaker stands As |
other speakers. makes no more effort than |
hey DO. and puts himself 10 no inconven-
enec whatever"
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS.
Nir. Conwell and the Rev. DIR. George A. |
Peltz. the associate pastor, stationed
themselves in the Lower Temple, and de- |
livered brief addresses in their ordinary |
speaking tone. They were distinctly heard |
ana listened 10 with interest by the audi |
tors Ia the Upper Temple and the college
forum.
Similar experiments were made by the |
choir. by Solo-sngers. and with the corneI |
and church organ. The results were |
gratifying. the only apparent d.
feet being slightly metallic sound In |
the rendition, as heard in the Upper |
remple-a defect which the electricians |
are confident they can remedy TO great |
extent. IN not entirely, By slight altera-
ions In the receivers and transmitiers.
The Rev. Dr. Psits assured me OF his
confident belief that in a few weeks, al |
,,ost the problem would be completely |
1,Ived. and the capacity OF the Temple /
-.s.,artun, would be practically almost /