Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-11

the talking machine 1t was not sur
prising that Berliner with his inventive
genius definitely cast in the field of
acoustics. was the one who made sue
cessful in practical way the gramo-
phone, as he called his initial product,
the first fiat disc type of talking ma
chine. Berliner not only succeeded in
applying the fiat disc principle to the
talking machine, but he also worked
out the process for pressing unlimited
numbers of record into impreSsible
material under heat and pressure.
The work done by the inventor in
perfecting this popular means of re-
producing the human voice figured
largely in his successful solution OF the
problem of hall acoustics. During his
experimentation with the horns used
as sound collectors for the gramophone,
he experienced considerable difficulty
with their resonance. Certain notes
were recorded and reproduced much
louder than others sung by the same
vocalist or played on the same inStru-
ment. He then found that the dis
turbing resonance was obviated by
punching small holes into the sides Of
the horn.
Continuing his work, he was led to
the conclusion hiatt individual res
onance or reverberation of inclosed
air bodies depends on the greater or
lesser rigidity of the walls which incloSe
the air. The acoustic cell conforms to
this principle inasmuch as it provides
hollow space within a wall and so
provides an elastic body to produce per-
feet resonance.
Resonance Easily Tested.
The acoustic cement cell may be test
ed easily, the only testing device being
a tuning fork If the fork, after its
prongs have been struck sharply. is
held against a hard surface. it gives
off dull. jumbled sound, This sound
is clarified when the fork is placed
against wooden surface. But when 1t
is pressed against one of the cells made
into tile form or against a wall within
which they have been installed, the
notes ring out with noticeably greater
volume and attain to the clarity and
fullneSs of a musical tone. The differ
ence is perceptible even if one uses only
his knuckleS for the test. When
wooden table is struck, the sound Is
muffied, but on striking one of the tile
inclcsed cells the result is sound clear
and resonant.
Emile Berliner's inventive successes
are a reflection on his life. His I'M
RENTING persistence has led him from
one achievement to another. Coming
to America as an immigrant boy at the
age of 18, he Immediately set about the
task of ever enlarging his opportunity
for useful service to mankind. He first
worked as a bookkeeper in Washing
ton store, but its routine duties were
wholly insufficient to answer the urg-
ings of his latent genius.
Setting up crude laboratory IN his
third floor room in modest brick
dwelling, Berliner went to work during
his spare hours to evolve some Of
the problems to which he felt conf
IDENTIFY he could find the solution. From
this small beginning grew his inventive
successes.
But Berliner's accomplishments are
not confined to the field of invention.
He also has shown himself a humans
tartan of the highest type. The fight
he waged for the reduction of infant
mortality proved all claims to this
characterization.
Work for Child Health.
Berliners campaign for child health
has been carried on for 80 years. When
he began his work 322 out of every
1000 babies born in Washington died
during their first year of life, and of
this number of deaths 40 per cent were
caused by intestinal ailments. Last
year there were but 81 deaths, or
to every 1000 births during the year.
Initiated milk supply was the one big
factor in the deplorable situation
Berliner found which he set out to
eradicate, and in 1925 he was chiefly
responsible for the passage by Congress
of law which assured the city of
washington supply of pure milk
Thus has BerlinerAS SynDathetiC ma
ture run parallel with his inventive
genius, both comforting their need of
health and happiness, comfort and
nlaac1ire