Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-25
BIRTHDAY OF THE TELEPHONE
Thirty Years Since First Use Of the
Indispensable Instrument
BOSTON THE CRADLE OF THE HELLO
story of the Exciting Moment when
the Inventor and His Associates
EXCHANGED words-struEgIe
for Recognition.

by A. Graham Bell. and heard by his as
ISOLATE, Thomas A. Watson. There was no
pompous mise-en-scene, such. for example,
as Samuel r. 3. Morse provided for the de-
livery Of the first message by telegraph;
and, indeed, the very lack Of publicity and
ostentation conspicuous on this occasion
was Characteristic of the course these two
young scientists followed
The scene was the top floor of the board
ing house at 5 Exeter place, an offshoot OF
Chauncey street. Bell and Watson, associ-
ated In the invention Of the telephone, had
taken rooms in Exeter place nearly year
before. soon after Bells discovery that the
transmission OF sounds by electricity was
practicable. And It may not be amiss. in
view OF all sorts OF stories still current, 20
relate the facts concerning that discovery.
In 1874 when Bell was professor OF vocal
physiology at Boston university. he con-
ceived the idea that two or more Morse
dot-and-da messages could be sent over
the telegraph wire at the same time; and
consequently he began to experiment with
the multiple or harmonic telegraph. Belfs
harmonic telegraph was based on the well
known law OF sympathetic vibration, which
may be illustrated by sounding a note either
with the voice or with some musical in
strurnent near the undamped strings OF o
piano. Thus the string attuned to the pitch
OF the sound which has been uttered will
be set vibrating, while the other strings will
remain almost unaffected II two notes are
sounded then the two strings in corre-
spending pitch will vibrate; and so on
Experimenting with Clock Springs.
Bell in 1874. went to the shop of Charles
Williams at 100 Court street (now Palace
theater) to have the apparatus for his har-
monte telegraph experiments made, and Mr..
Williams assigned this task to a young
workman named Thomas A. Watson. II
was in this way that the two young men
became associated In his experiments Bell
used, not piano strings, but pieces of clock
spring differing in tune or pitch according
to length and thickness The instrument
for receiving the signals was one Of these
springs clamped at one end to a pole OF an
electro-magnet, while the free end projected
over the other pole, near enough to feel
the effect Of an electric current passing
through the magnet coil, but far enough to
vibrate without touching anything. The
transmitter was similarly constructed ex-
cept that each spring was kept in constant
vibration by its electro-magnet. a contact
screw being so placed that the spring would
touch It at every vibration. This furnished
a means Of interrupting the electric current
a number OF times a second, according to
, the pitch Of the spring, and by tuning the
springs OF the receivers and then connecting
receivers and transmitters to the line with
signalling keys and n battery, as many
messages as there were pitches could be
sent simultaneously. Such, in substance,
was Bells harmonic telegraph; and such
was the apparatus made by Mr.. Watson ac-
cording to directions given by the inventor.
In the course of their work together,
Bell mentioned to Watson that he was
convinced that the "telegraphing Of
speech" was possible, and he explained his
theoretical conception OF the principles on
which the development of the idea would
depend-a conception since proved correct,
says Mr.. Watson. by the fact that the
entire development of telephony has been
In exact accordance with Bells original
idea. Bells view was that the transmits
sion OF the timbre or quality OF any good
sound. or Of articulate speech, could be
effected only by some instrument in which
the air vibrating under the influence Of
sound would impress on an electric cur
rent analogous vibrations. The electric
current necessary for this transmission he
called an 'undulatory" current, to dis
tinguish IL from the intermittent current
used in biography He had no doubt at
all OF the theoretical possibility OF the
sketch OF complicated instrument
which might be useful in the application
Of the idea; but his confidence that this
instrument could be operated practically
was not sufficiently great to warrant his
risking the rather lai re sum of money that
would be needed for its construction. He
had only his income from his professor
ship. and the experiments in multiple tel
egraphy, which gave promise Of success,
we're about as heavy drain as his income
could stand.
The Discovery.
on the Afternoon. OF June Q 1876 the
two young men were experimenting in the
attic rooms over Williams shop, and the
harmonic telegraph was stubbornly resist
ing their endeavors to make It work sat
istactorily. Whether II was the baking
heat or Just the proveroial perversity OF
inanimate things they never learned for
all Of sudden came the realization of
Bells idea that the quality OF sound could
Be transmitted by electricity-and the tell
ephone was born
Bell had been trying to improve the
action OF the receivers and was returning
enc OF their springs. To see II the pitch
was correct he had pressed the sprinR
against his ear and was listening for the
faint sound of the intermittent current
passing through the magnetic sound that
could always be heard in that way whether
the spring was rightly tuned or not Sud
denly the spring OF the receiver in Wat
sons room stopped vibrating, and. 70 start
It, the mechanician snapped Il with his
ringer. At once a great shout came from
the other room, and forth burst Bell in
quiring what had been done do Il
again." said he, when Watson had ex-
plaineu; and the youth from Williams
81 H. H. a..
swapping springs.
What had happened? Just this: the
spring which Watson snapped had been
permanently magnetized by long use close
20 its magnet and was in a condition "a
generate by vibration Bells long dreamed.
OF undulatory current. When this current
passed through the magnet OF the re.
ceiver pressed against Bells ear. Il caused
the spring OF the instrument 10 vibrate
and the fact that this spring was resting