The Washington times., 1912-10-23
new .MAGNAPHONES !.
At UNION STATION
REPORT TRAIN TINE
instruments Just Installed
Startle Silas Perkins
and Others.

Scene, the Union station: time. today
and thereafter; leading man, silas Per-
kins. with supporting cast OF forty
ruralites: props, twenty newly-installed
Nagnaphones; drama, '"rhe Voice That
Called"
First, let II be understood that they
installed twenty-four Magnaphones in
the Union Station here today. One
should not ask what ell is a Magma
phone?'' until one has read the story
Of the discontinue Of 81.
Silas Perkins, OF Hardrow, Virginia.
aozed peacefully on a long mahogany
bench In the station Lobby. The train
was late. 1t was Just SIS luck and he'd
miss milking time again.
on the farmers right sat a stranger
or SO. One. of them said he lived at
Charlottesville. but that didn't Impress
those smart guys who might have some-
thing to sell. Perkins dozed, and kept
MS hand on his wallet. On surrounding
6sIn benches s,s other unsuspecting travellers
casionally In an undertone.
,S-o-u-t-h.e-r-n train umpty-ump.
leaves In f-i-v-e minutes; Alexandri-ah,
Manassas, charlottesville. Hardrow,
hurd.''
Ahen u JumPeu.
81 Jumped. Several others glanced
about with startled expressions.
What dye say?" asked Perkins,
turning to the man who said he was
from Charlottesville.
Il didn't say nothing" commented
that individual. tersely and ungramat-
Didn't you yell In my carr" persisted
81. brlstling and with half a mind to
show his constables badge.
for fifteen minutes" said Sis neigh
The hero Of the drama Of the Union
Station ducked farther into his seat
tion. He kept one eye drowsiiy fixed
on the suspicious character on his right
Meanwhile, other initiated ones gazed
rather curiously about the waiting room.
sought In vain the familiar form OF the
veteran train announcer, and began to
ask questions.
"Penn-sylvania train No. wok- -wok.
leaves In ten min-utes; track q: Havre
de Grace, Baltimore. Trenton. New
hurd."
81 Jumedp Again.
This time silas Perkins. Of Hardrow.
Va. jumped clear out Of the seat. He
glared at the man from Charlottesville.
what the gosh dinged blazes is
coming of heah?" he demanded.
Search mer' echoed q half dozen
voices possessed by the uninitiated from
way-station towns, who were always
eSxpesnng something to happen In
"B. & O.-etc." came a rasping voice
from nowhere in particular.
The heads of 81 and forty others were
turned this time to q peculiar looking
contraption on the end Of each long
bench In the waiting room. There ap-
peared to be twenty-four Of them,
shaped like an automobile horn with
long neck and apparently with nothing
except the woodwork OF the benches.
Perkins and various companions moved
toward one of them. The thing was 81
lent. Mebbe it wasn't 'phonysraf"
Southern train" 1t bawled a mo-
mistake about that.
Wal, be horn swoggled." said the
awe. 80 that's what yelled at me.
is it?"
Wasn't Him At All.
II told ye It wasn't me-" said the man
from Charlottesville.
ITS lucky It wasn't" commented
Perkins. of Hardrow. Il draw the line
lost a watch one time that way"
But lot OF city folks were mystiftd
by the magnaphone, too. As the suspi-
cious rural visitor learned for the lag:
time that the train for Harlow would
dred persons gather about the tin horns
attached to the benches in the waiting
room. At intervals these horns
s9uawked o4t the prospective departure
nouncer, with a language all his own.
and a big megaphone. was absent from
the picture. There is an upto-date rea-
A t.st - tho mo 1,onhopa nvo, mad
at the Union Station this afternoon. 1t
is q new invention which is intended to
supplant the old-fashioned way Of tell
ing waiting travellers that their trains
are ready for occupancy
Attached to Benches.
Attached to the benches in the station
are devices such as have been de-
scribed. Outwardly. they resemble min
iature tunnels. such as one sees on a
steamer. A hidden wire, carrying 10
volts, lead from each magnaphone to
a transmitter placed In the station mas
ter's office. A voice in this transmitter
Is thrown out into the waiting room and
into each instrument simultaneously.
From twenty-four magnaphones comes
the announcement that train No. 30
and-so is about to leave.
Instruments somewhat similar are in
stalled In the Grand Central station in |
New York. but so far as Washington
the magnaphone method is practically
in it's experimental stage.
II the device works satisfactorily here
the instruments will be placed In the
smoking room. restaurant and other
parts. OF the Union Station.
Starts Flood of Questions.
John Nolan, superintendent of tele-
phonse and telegraphs at the Union ]
Station, said today that the magma