The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-02-02
Warned BY PHONE
Telephone Transmitters Give
Alarm of Breaking Dam.
Disaster May Be Averted by Spoken
Word That Travels Faster
Than the Flood.

-
Terrible disasters have been caused
by the irresistible swirl of rushing
floods, In which unsuspecting persons
were caught without Warning. In one
instance, years ago, a gay party on a
t~our-horse tallyhO was enthusiastical-
ly exploring the wonders and beauties
OF Turkey Greek canon, near Golden,
Colo. Gathering rainclouds failed to
cast a shadow upon their high spirits,
and no serious thought was given to
danger from the rapidly approaching
storm, because the tourists were not
familiar with the characteristics of
the local tempests, nor with The topog-
raphy of the surrounding country.
The storm suddenly burst with great
fury upon the unprepared pleasure
seekers and the deluge of water
caused them quickly to abandon the
tallyho and hunt for shelter. Closely
huddled against the towering sides of
the canon, they soon realized, With
anxiety, that they had not reckoned
with the forces of nature. The ter
rife rush of water down the n
sides swept them from their feet, and
down to the bed of the canon, " here O
torrent of water now ragged. Despite
their struggles, many of the party lost
their lives, and those surviving We're
seriously injured.
Another instance was the great
food at JohnStown, Pa, and the more
recent was the disastrous food at
Pueblo, Colo, where the toll of lives,
and property damage, reached enor-
proportions.
AS a protection against such ter
rible events as these, a system of
huge telephone transmitters and am
plitiers has been produced which will
throw the human voice a distance of
four miles. Extensive tests have been
made with this apparatus, which have
proved the practicability and success
of the endeavor. These tests were
conducted in the Catskill mountains
by a specially trained group OF OPP
orators. A tower, thirty feet high. was
erected to hold the gigantic amplifiers
and the immense projectors which
measured fifteen feet In length and
four feet In height.
To determine just how far the hui
man voice could be heard with these
aids, was accomplished in rather a
weird manner, because the time Sc
lected was at night. -Four men took up
previously agreed, upon stations, at
distances OF one, two, three, and four
miles from the tower. AS the time
drew near for the experiments. the
four men applied matches to specially
prepared torches, which gave large
flaring flames.
Meanwhile at the tower were gath
cred a party of men chosen to observe
the tests, and who interestedly
watched the tiny Pickering torches in
the distance. When the Zero hour"
or time set for tests, arrived, the oper-
ator at the tower took his place be-
fore the ~transmitter Of the apparatus.
and In a natural tone of voice, ordered
the far-off men to wave their torches.
Breathlessly the watchers at the
tower peered through the inky black
ness at the pickering points Of fire,
and the nearest torch was seen to de-
scribe vigorous circles in the air. FIX.
carnations of satisfaction came from
the watchers, which rose to a shout,
az the second. then the third. and
finally the fourth torch was seen TO
dip and ave wildly in the darkness,
thus showing plainly that all the men
had heard the command. The operator
at the transmitter then spoke to the
men again, in reply to their ready
signals, and babe them wait for fur.
Their instructions.-H. A. Lane In Pop.
ular Mechanics Magazine.