The Washington herald., 1922-12-20

Smithsonian Institution.
LOST CIVILIZATION.
| Translations Of the language, and
of hieroglyphics dug fro mGuate-
Inalan and Yucatan ruins, are ex-
pected to reveal the story of the
lost civilization of the Mayas. who
had an alphabet and a literature
centuries before their land was in
vaded by the Spaniards.
The Indian. who bears the Span
ish name OF -CiprianO Alvarado.
was brought to Washington by
DIR. John p. Harrington, Smith
sonian ethnologist, and DIR. Will
liam Gates. of Charlottesville, Va.
Alvarado was found by DIR. Gates
among the mountain tribes Of
Guatemala, where the few survi-
vors Of the Mayas had escaped
civilization.
Alvarado's ancestors once built
| wonderful cities, great temples and
palaces. and had a distinct and
advanced culture. Now they are
| illiterate aborigines.
TALKS ALL NIGHT.
Under the direction of DR.. Har-
rington and c. A. Hoxie, inven-
tor OF the pallophototone. Alvarado
spent most of Monday night, into
| early hours of this morning. speak
ing his strange ancient tongue into
the modern and stranger instru-
ment. He was fascinated and con-
fused by the experience. No less
fascinated were his scientific men,
tors.
Mr.. Hoxie. radio engineer Of the
General Electric Company's labora-
tory at Schenectady, N. Y, had
come to Washington to photograph
the voices of Vice President Cool.
idse. Secretary of War Weeks and
Secretary Of the Navy DENLY. The
film records Of their voices in
Christmas greetings will be broad
casted from the powerful WGY sta
ton at Schenectady over a 400
meter wave length between 7:30
and 1890 o'clock Christmas Eve.
TO MAKE MORE RECORDS.
When the Smithsonian learned
that the inventor and his instru-
ment were in Washington they ar.
/ ranged to use them in their re.
search work. Further records will
be made by the Indian through
the pallophotophone. which. be-
cause 1t is able to produce over.
tones and delicate shadings. is de-
clared to be superior in voice pro.
duction to the ordinary talking
machine.
Pallophotophone. translated from
its Greek composition. means shak-
t~ heAN fvHov
| speech a mirror scarcely larger
than a pinhead is arranged to cast
a beam Of light on a moving mega.
tive. The mirror Is connected with
a diaphragm which vibrates in uni.
son with the sound waves.
| With the vibration OF the dia.
phragm the mirror oscillates. and
the reflected beam Of light moves
! with II and is projected through a
small aperture to a sensitized film
which is in continuous motion. This
film. when developed. shows a sue.
cession OF dark up-and-dowu mark.
ings on clear background, and
he rate and range Of these mark.
Ings corresponds to the modulations
of the voice.
RECORDS OF SOUND.
i The very low inertia Of the mir
ror and diaphragm enable the beam
of light to produce a sound record
that catches the fine overtones, del
icate shadings of speech and sibi
LIANT sounds that distinguish one
voice from another.
The recording device operates by
J mechanical principles as distin
guishsd from electrical. The repro
ducing element is electrical in mode
Of operation. The film is passet
in front Of a sensitive electrical ap
paratus which responds speedily t.
variations of light falling upon 1t
As the film passes in front Of thi.
device an electric current Is ere
ated which responds with accurac,
to the original sound waves as rep