The Washington herald., 1915-05-16
WATSON TELLS ABOUT
PHONES INVENTION
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell Spoke First Words to Him Over
Arrangement Made Possible by Chance
and Planning

TO yibrate without touching anything.
| His transmitter. or current intcrrupter.
was somewhat similar. But here each
spring was kept in constant vibration by
an electro magnet. and a contact screw
Twas so placed that the spring would
touch It at every vibration. This afford
ed means Of interrupting the electric
lcUrrent a number OF times per second.
corresponding to the pitch of the spring.
and. by tuning the springs OF the re-
| ceivers and connecting both receivers and
transmitters to the line wire with the
I proper signal keys and a battery the
same number of messages as there were
Iously. Each receiver will only respond
when the electric pulsations pass that
correspond in number per second to the
pitch OF its spring.
| Theoretically this system was very
simple and perfect. and though II has
been perfected and put into practical use.
at the time of which I write. il was
far from perfection. The apparatus act
ed in very irregular and unsatisfactory
manner. and Mr.. Bell was devoting all
the time he could spare from his work
as professor Of vocal physiology at the
Boston University to a course of expert
nents by which he sought to overcome
| the defects Of the invention and make q
practical thing Of It,
The rooms in which TIE experiments
were carried on werel situated In the
attic of the building at 100 Court street.
Boston. used at that time for manufac-
~ So,aa.,,nS IT,
ouI 'eie-
49, Ia ns up On tne
the other.
Transmftters Would Not Bass.
$50 muc, for IN. b.r,or,. ,.,..-.n,
Now for n. connac,ion with ,ha 800.
ninp NJ the ,slsnhon.
20
u.s h.in;na Mn pom u. y. June : Is'o. !
NET. ILL - sums "p
,m. VIC "e eue IN MS appare-
n,itter, .nd rs..;Var. q @ OF n
- IN INC foom where
was s,aooheo ana connected tnem oy
nIn win corresponding RECEIVERS In MI
Den ..,r, roo.h.
ne nooh was very not one ana
.he oaking atmosphere OF those attic
worL Th. 80 ..n
effects Of the weather. 1t had never been
SO perverse.
THE transmitters would not buzz. The
receivers would not respond. Instead of
responding sharply and distinctly to the
signals was sending from the transmit-
tiers the springs of the receivers would
Ordinarily we would have worked and
searched until we had remedied this
perverseness. but that time of weariness
and disccuragemens was the darkness be-
fore the dawn of the speaking telephone
Bells grand idea Of a current of cleo
tricity which shall vary in intensity an
the air varies In density during the pro.
duction Of sound was nearing its prac-
teal realization. And the events of that
afternoon were destined to deprive the
harmonic telegraph Of all its interest ex-
cept as a stepping stone to a far greater
invention.
Mr.. Bell, in an endeavor to improve
the working of the receivers, was re-
tuning one Of their springs to ascertain
II the pitch was correct. He had pressed
II against his ear and was listening to
rent passing through the maSnet-a
sound which could always be heard in
that way whether the spring was cor
rectly tuned or not
Discovered by Accident.
"Au NJ MN. -,
,,;,,.. q, VIC spths ., tne ushs
. ~. IvU," s'opped Fioratins ana
.Ina..,, VII ny "nser 10 start IL.
., s sh eHc.eo shout came from
d.S,a.at,. "ru M. DeI rusnea IN
..D., =. au uo"e. !, S~p'aiheo:
H. .,.,.. a. ar shaPpeu
so late in the evening that the janitor, |
..IUta. us M
"S;r,nI, IT..
n,,or.d "a - ps 's. hau
n.,;..S - - "as
hra,,. w ns VI
49,. . 80 "nuu-
7 .n.nn.S =. u'u wnen
n. sso1 .S-. ~ ~ ~ Su'reh'
ceiver which nra.ssd
Ran.s 49, =, 90. t., ,.;Ss.., Mr.
~ ~. :. 80. on ,he SPRING
o.,s.s ... ~. sp' ms "eIhs
di,;n ;,..s s a. !" con
ern,,. " "' eho nut
IT. .s.s,s e,'.,,,,
49, on'e per
... ma :.. "e "ash na'a.
tbs h.r,,,n,;, ,r.nsn;t,.r - III
"ue" INC .he
N suI uaf
ne os on" no' 'lereE
me p',eh o'e 70 ,ne e"s'h y, inc spring
ma was piuos, out 'ne pecuha
SUI wang OF '"at 'oen''eai sprihe' ana
recognized instantly mat the electric
current CARRYING sucn souho was real
iL'ns MS iohS ,is"eu iuea y, an u"-
ouiatorF curren. 'ha'' IN oroer 10 trans
''i' 7peee" VI ."e t'a' VI ~"s aou"o'
must vary IN io'ce eNs'! ar W
RES IN densit! curing the Proouc'ion OIL
mat sound.
,,.,.,m.,, ~. w,u,.J
He saw that ne had mere the instru-
ment he had SO long sought That II this