The New York herald., 1921-11-04
ARLINGTON TAPS
TO Be HEARD HERE
Amplifier in San Francisco
Also to Reproduce Nov.
II Programme.
5000 MILE MESSAGES
Phonograph and Bugle Used
to Perfect Wire System
Across Continent.
AMPHITHEATRE TESTED
Harding Armistice Day Speech
to Be Heard Easily in
Three Cities.
AMPHITHEATRE TESTED


cf man were swept across the con-
tlnent from San Francisco to-day to
be hurled out over a wide stretch Of
ground about Arlington National
jangling vibration of the bells and
every spoken syllable as distinct as
though sounded hundred feet from
the listeners ears. The sounds origi-
mated at San Franciscos great Civic
Auditorium. 5000 miles away.
1t was the formal dress rehearsal
of the mechanism by which President
Harding's voice, as he speaks the ma
tons homage on Armistice Day over
the coffin Of Americas Unknown SOL
der from France. will be carried to
an audience waiting before amplifiers
In New York and TO another gather
ing In San Francisco to share in
Americas great day of tribute.
Telephone wires by the thousands Of
miles, linemen by the hundreds. tele-
graph operators by the score were needed
for the test as they will be needed on
Armistice Day to carry the messages.
Acoustics Tried Out.
Similarly, there was a long reading Of
speeches from the stage of the amphi-
theatre here to be carried over the wires
speech from every point about the great
marble structure to distance of more
than half mile. Every syllable pene-
trated clearly to every nook and hollow.
making 1t certain that hundreds Of
thousands could hear the Presidents ad-
dress. the prayers and the singing and
music on Arnnistice Day.
Then a voice announced that the next
words to be heard would be spoken in
San Francisco. The faint whirr Of the
mechanism rose to a higher hum and a
new, deeper toned voice announced that
chimes played on a phonograph record
in San Francisco would follow. AS
clearly as If it were not dozen feet
away, the click of the photograph
mechanism followed as the needle
dropped on the face of the whirling rec
Introductory scrape began, then the bells
doomed out, waking echoes in the cem-
etery, pealing owe rthe thousands OF
graves.
The deep voice took up the task again
with the announcement:
Spoken from the roof of the Civic
Auditorium in San Francisco.
Trumpet Call Clear.
It read out the words of President
Harding's inaugural address. then an
nounced the bugle call record, and the
clear note of a trumpet in stirring army
calls swept over the field, more distinctly
heard than the notes of the bugles at
Fort Myer, across the road, where the
garrison was at retreat parade.
To accomplish this latest marvel OF
communication the telephone company
employed nearly 10000 miles OF circuit
and double that length of wire.
II had lincmen stationed every eigh-
teen miles all the way to San Francisco
30S picked men to keep It all going. IL
had more than ninety telegraph oper-
ators on Morse circuits paral1eling the
talking lines to see that all moved
smoothly, that orders were promptly
obeyed.
In to-day's test the telephone experts
proved that with enough equipment they
could carry all of the Armistice Day pro-
ceedings, the Presidents words In his
own voice, the strains of the Marine
Band, the roar of the gun salvo that
will mark this Unknown Soldiers burial,
and the notes of taps" sounded above
the grave, to every person in tho United
States. Only lack OF equipment. for this
is an experimental development with nc
commercial aspect as yet, officials said
prevents extension of the service to other
| cities than New York and san Francisco
on that day.