The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
A VOICE NIAGNIFIER
Speeches in Parliament to BE Heard
i'm Hyde Park.
London Mail.

MALL
Provisional protection has Just been grant
ed for ar invention that is said to carry the
miles.
1t is claimed by the Inventor ,bot the
fitting OF his apparatus IN the House Of
Commons. and connecting it to Hyde Park
would allow of thousands of people hearing
in clear tones every word spoken i'm the
parliamentary chamber.
This discovery of the power to magnify all
SOUNDS, both vocal and instrumental, has
Deen mace by Mr.. Horace l.. Short, con-
sulting mechanical engineer. of New NAL
zen, Surrey The inventor has had varied
ana Worldwide experience, although only
young man. Educated at the Risley Gram
mar School, Derby, he was afterwards en-
pIoyed at the Stanton iron works in the
Midlands, at Messrs. Crompton 81 Co s
electricians, and ultimately at the Chatham
dock yard. He resigned this last position to
go to Mexico as chief engineer of the Com
pagnle Minerale de Panuco. 1t was there
that he brought his experiments, with what
is really q Photographic voice-trumpet of
great dlstance-coVering capacity. to the
pitch of what he regards as practical sue
cess.
A Daily Mail representative yesterday saw
the instrument working indoors, and had an
interview with Mr.. Short, who took the ap-
paratus to pieces in his presence. The sim
plicity of the discovery is, perhaps, the most
Important part of the invention. Without
d1vulg1ng any details, which it is necessary
to keep secret until the patents now applied
for in different parts of the world have been
granted, 1t may be stated that the apparatus
consists Of photograph with special cylin-
ders and bearing funnel-shaped mouth
piece
Most people have heard with tubes in
their ears the records of the monograph
Inc new instrument gives forth the must
cal and vocal sounds in such volume as to
be almost deafening in an ordinary sized
room, and, as Mr.. Short showed, he could
increase this volume at will
My instrument, he said, will work dis
tlnctly and with satisfaction over two miles
ana this have actually proved. 1t is only
SIX months since | returned to England, but
the experiments made in that time convince
me that the voice can be conveyed over
treble that distance with ease. My first idea
or its use was for ship captains when in a
other at night at a distance when their
lights only were visible. Now, however. /
realize that telephones can be made by the
new sound magnifier to amplify a speakers
voice so that 1t will fill the largest hall.
rms Will allow of political speaker or pro-
fessional vocalist entertaining three or four
audiences seated in halls wide apart at one
and the same time.
In time of war the admiral in command
viii. by means of my invention, be able to
issue MS own orders by word of mouth to
the different ships of his squadron. Light
houses may speak to ships in dangerous po-
sltlons. and the vessels themselves com
nunlcate In the same way with the coast
by ala of this invention. Orderlies will no
longer risk their lives, except where abso-
lutte secrecy is required, in carrying orders
under fire from a commanding general 10
the battalions of his army.
Just as the power of the eye has been
increased so that the distance between the
heavens and the earth has been consider
tensifled the space over which the human
voice, and sound generallV will travel