Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-03-03
Many To Hear Harding's
Inaugural Address.
Made Possible By Scientific
Work of G.. & p. Telephone Co.

MADE POSSIBLE by OClchCliio
Work of G. & P. Telephone Co.
For the first time in the history of the
United States an inaugural address Will
be heard in Washington by everyone OF
the hundreds of thousand of men and
women who will crowd the broad open
space which stretches for 1900 feet in
front of the inaugural stand at the Capt.
tol Building. The reason for this is found
in the loud speaking device which has
been installed for the benefit of the pub
lie, and which is the only feature of the
entire simple inaugural ceremonies out
side the taking of the oath. BY means
of this device. which is hidden from the
eye, the human voice is made to carry
half mile under perfect conditions.
The apparatus is system of motors,
generators, wires, transmitters, amplifi-
ers and other electrical machinery, de-
signed by the experts of the Bell Tele-
phone System, which has contributed the
speaker to the inaugural ceremonies for
the benefit of the public. 1t is not a
commercial device, it is not patented. nor
is it for sale or rent. To the experts,
the system is the exposition of the deyel-
opment of everything scientific in the
telephone world, for the principles involv-
ed are those of the telephone and the en-
gineers and research men of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Company
and the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, have simply brought
into play some of the marvellous discov-
cries and developments of the Bell lab
oratories.
Although there are three rooms full of
machinery and electrical devices in con-
nection with the loud speaker, none of it
is in evidence, and the huge horns thro
which the speech will be heard are cam
ouflaged by being made part of the roof
of the Speakers stand. So far as the
speaker himself is concerned he will see
nothing of the apparatus except small
transmitter boxes which will be set some
where in front and to the sides Of his
speaking desk, so that his voice will be
caught in the workings of the loud speak
er no matter which way he turns.
When the President Elect speaks, his
voice will generate energy by means of
the transmitters. This energy is trans
ferred by wires to the complex apparatus
now being installed under the Capitol
steps. The energy is lead into little
glass bulb, which the engineers call
vacuum tube ampliier," the function
of which is to receive energy, multiply it
and serd it on the other amplifiers until
it reaches stage sufficient to turn it
loose in voice form through the hidden
horns out to the distant crowds.
While the speaking is in progress,
dozen Bell experts will be watching each
bit of apparatus There will be men at
certain points on the Capitol plaza con-
nected with the machinery rooms by tel
ephone, to report to the men at the am
plifers. The working loud speaker re-
quires crew as large as a small vessel.
The voice, when it energies from the
horns, is almost all exact duplication Ct
the original, but greatly increased IN
power 1t is possible for the loud speak
ing system to obtain an application of
several million times without great dis
tortion of the original wave form.
The mouths of the hidden horns are de-
pressed just enough so that the audience
near at hand within range of the speak
er's voice direct hear very little from
the horn, those further away hear both
the speaker and the loud speaking sys-
TEN, those furthest away hearing the
horn only.
1t might seem that this additional
source of sound might create a double
effect or an unnatural effect, but it does
not The sound from the horn is exact
ly in phase with the speech, and almost
exactly the same quality. At any point
where the sound from the horns is heard,
it is practically impossible to tell that
one is not listening to the speaker HIM
zolf