The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-11
A Thousand Mile Song.

New York, Nov 10-A woman's voice,
rising and falling in song. travelled one
thousand miles yesterday. and little
crowd of men listened with delight to
the notes and greeted the finale with ap-
plause. The singer, listening far away,
heard the sound. and smiled. She had
sung from Chicago to an audience in New
York
The audience gathered about O'Clock in
one of the offices Of the American Tele-
graph and Telephone company, at NO. 10
Dey street, to hear Miss Helen Buckley 5
voice from the West J. II. Phipps and
P. F. Campiglio had arranged the test in
this manner, but It was not known how
the singing voice would carry. Walter
Damrosch, Ernest Meyer, John W. Lander
and other musicians had promised to be
present it was said, but did not appear,
but John Brown, of Chickering Hall, was
there.
She sang and the song sped eastward.
From where she stood the wires stretched
southwark to Blue Island, and then swung
sharply to the east over the plains of
Indiana and through the towns, darted into
Ohio at Bryan, and thence to Munamee.
and so across the state and into Pennsyi-
vania. Faster than the eyes can trace
the route on the map the humming wires
carried the sounds through the black coal
fields to Pittsburg, then through Altoona
and Harrisburg, now stretched between
poles, gliding underground, now dropping
from SIGHT under a river. They climbed
mountains and threaded forests and swung
over the fields and farms of Pennsylvania
and New Jersey until at last they plunged
under the Hudson and set the receivers
vibrating up In the twelfth story of the
telephone building.
The wires centered in a large desk, on
which lay a score or more receivers for the
guests. When all was ready the operator
called up the long distance department and
asked for Chicago. The connection was
made, and the receivers were handed TO
those present.
"An ready here" said Chicago. Every
word was distinct.
"An right" said the operator. go
ahead
There was silence for minute, and then
a piano was heard. After a few bars the
voice of a woman rose clear, sweet and
strong, in Mendelssohn's Hear ye,
Israel" from the oratorio of Elijah" 1t
was difficult to distinguish the words. but
each note of the melody could be heard
distinctly, with the piano accompaniment
swelling or dying away.
The effect was not unlike that or the
phonograph at times. There was the same
metallic ring at intervals, and sometimes
the sharp scratching noise heard in that
instrument In her high notes Miss Buck
ley was heard to the best advantage. These
fairly rang out, and it seemed as Il she
were singing in room near by. The song
ended with a full, clear note and crashing
peal from the piano, and the listeners
dropped the receivers to applaud Mr.. Phil
lips called up Miss Buckley and she was
delighted to learn that her audience was
pleased.
Her next number was difficult aria
from Massenet's "Heriodade.' In this the
metallic sounds wer not more soticeable,
and made it more difficult to appreciate
the voice. This Disadvantage. 1t was said,
was due to the piano, and Miss Buckley
sang a French song without accompani-
ment. This was almost perfect. Hardly
break marred the beauty of the vaice, and
even the softer passages were pure and
distinct. After compliments were sent TO
the singer the concert" closed.