The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-16
Satisfactory Tests Made With
Grauel's Telegraphone on
Omaha Train Between st.
Paul and Eau Claire-Con-
versation Held With Both
Cities Over Telegraph
Wire.

1
The working ,of. the telegraphone, an
| invention which practically combines
| the telegraph and the. telephone, as far
| as the use of wire is concerned, was
| demonstrated yesterday to a number
| Of officials of the railroads having
| headquarters in st. Paul The test of
the new device was made on trip
| over the Omaha line from st. Paul to
| Hudson, Wis, several stops being
| made. The illustrations were most
successful, and proved that two per-
sons may telephone over a wire when
| that same wire is being used stimuli
| taneouSly for the transmission of tele-
| graphic messages.
| Like all other devices in the work.
| ings of which electricity is employed,
the telegraphone is highly interesting.
| Indeed, to those uninitiated in the
mysteries of the subtle agent, the idea
| that a wire might be used for sending
kilograms and at the same time for
! 'phoning would seem ridiculous.
The principle on which this new SyS-
| tenn is devised, though simple to those
| versed in the technicalities of electrici-
/ ty, is nevertheless abstruse to those
unfamiliar with the subject.
There are two currents which run over
| every telegraph wire, and they are des-
| ignated as the high secondary current
| and the low quantity current. The in
I
! Grauel, in devising the system, found
| that he could employ the high second
| airy current, which runs through tele-
| graph wires and is not required for the
| operation of telegraph instruments, to
| perform the functions of a telephone
| wire, without disturbing the low guam
| tity current.
Telephone Current Is Extracted.
| Having this idea in mind, the next
! step was the production Of an instru-
ment which could differentiate between
| the two currents, could extract the use
| less secondary high current and could
| employ it to operate the mechanism of
| the telephone. The low quantity cur
| rent thereby is permitted to remain I'M
! touched, while the secondary high cur
rent is called into requisition.
The mechanism which the extracted
| high current acts upon consists of Or
! binary telephone instruments, equip
ped with transmitters and receivers,
they, being simply connected with the
! telegraph wires.
The wires along the railroad track
| are reached by means Of an extension
! pole, similar to a jointed fishing rod.
At the end Of the rod is a hook which
! is placed over the Wire, with which
connection is desired, and the wire is
| run from the hook to the instrument
| in the train. The Instrument in the
/ train is an ordinary telephone, and is
provided with a reel, on Which the wire
| that connects with the telegraph wires
! is wound and unWound as desired.
! The phone in the train has two
| jacks, through which connection may
be made in either direction. If connee-
! ton is desired with a point in the rear
the plug is placed in a jack on that
side, If ahead, the plug is inserted in
| the jack at the other side of the in
CIV 0nT7t DIV @f
! is possible to call in either direction
without signalling in the opposite di-
| rection.
When the instrument in the car is
| connected with the wire, as was done
yesterday at the stop made, the crank
of the phone is turned. This produces
! a combination of currents which cause
a buzzing sound in the relay of the
Office connected with The operator in
the office then answers it with an or
binary telephone, and conversation may
be carried on as long as desired.
The instruments used in the tests
| yesterday differ from the telephones
generally in use, in that the receiver
| delivered the sound with such strength
and directness that it was heard in all
parts Of the car The sound was SINH
lar to that produced by a monograph
Useful in Case of Accident.
|
| convenience in handling trains, and for
providing instant means of communica-
| ton between the train crews and sta
lions, in case accidents should occur in
| isolated places. By means of this sys-
tenn, if a wreck should cripple a train
between stations, where no relief is at
| hand, the necessary communications
could be made without delay.
But not only to such rare emergen-
cies is its utility limited. 1t will pro-
vide a complete telephone system over
a line of railroad without the need OF
erecting and maintaining separate tel
ephOne wires.
All that is necessary. to install this
system is to give each station a tele-
phone instrument with the proper con-
nectiOns. Each train, Also might be
provided with the paraphernalia need
ed to open communication. Another
suggestion made is that way stations
consisting of mere sheds provided with
| instruments, might be placed at inter-
| walls along the line.
Communication may, by means of the
telegraphOne, be opened between any
point on a road with any station OF
office provided with a receiving instru-
ment. All the wires on the poles be-
| side the tracks are numbered, and each
train having a telegraphone is to be
given a diagram of all the lines aIone
| diagram shows the number of each
| wire, and the number indicates its
stations and limits.
For instance, the through wire used
yesterday ran from st. Paul to Eau
Claire. When communication was de-
sired with st. Paul the hook and line
was attached to that particular wire
and by placing the plug in the real
| jack, and ringing up, the operator ir
the head dispatcher's office in st. Pau
heard a buzzing in his relay, imme-
diately answered the phone and con.
versation was commenced.
Can Connect With Any phone.
The plug was then transferred tc
the other jack and Immediately Eat
Claire answered. Later connections
were made with the block wires, which
run only between stations, and BY
manipulating the key board the oper-
ators at the stations were able tt
make any connections requested by the
person at the phone in the train.
The experiments yesterday proved
interesting and instructive to the party
) of officials who witnessed them, anC
they were generally of the opinion thai
! the device was practicable and be.
lieVed, from the tests which they saw
executed, that it would prove valuable
The train left the depot YESTERDAY
afternoon at about 2 o'clock, and went
as far as Hudson, stopping at Oakdale
| Saltwater Junction and Lakeland
Junction, and returning to st. Paul a.
6 o'clock.
Harry c. Hope and A. w. Trenholm
acted as hosts, and Edwin L. GraueI
the inventor of the system, assisted