Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-09-06


telephone transmitting and receiving ap
paratus so that tw0-way conversation,
could be carried on between those in the
plane and the press association headouar
tiers. AS result, the news men were able
to give their readers, through the medium
OF these telephone connections and leased
wire services extending from the press
association headquarters to every section
OF the country and TO foreign countries
up-to-the-minute stories of the day 8 events
far in advance of the time that would
have been possible IL the arrival of the
Graf Zeppelin had been reported in the
usual way after II landed. Again the tele.
phone bridged the gap and speeded up a
news event of worldwide importance.
Events in telephone communication have
come so rapidly in recent years that the
public refuses any longer to be amazed
with the announcement of any new and
outstanding achievement. Perhaps the re-
porting Of the arrival of the Zeppelin
attracted far less attention than did the
story Of happening at Nantucket. Massa-
chusetts, July II. l87S-fifty-one years
aeo-when public demonstration Of the
use of the telephone was first made. At
that time, Alexander Graham Bells inVen-
tion was brought before public audience,
and the sound of the human voice was
transmitted from place to place by wire
for their benefit. The late George H. Cary.
OF Nantucket, who. according to Telephone
Topics" was a close acquaintance of Dr..
Bell, brought two telephones to Nantucket
and set up one in the Atheneum Hall and
the other in building now used as a store.
Wire was run from the store to the
Atheneum Building and during the event
the public was invited to come to the hall
and hear human speech transmitted by
telephone. II was marvellous performance
according to an account of the affair printed
at that time. but it was not much OF
conversation at that. according to an eye
witness, who says, the telephone was only
feeble infant and the transmission of
sound was far from pefect"
In an account Of the event which was
printed July IS, 1878. the Nantucket In
quirer and Mirror said in part
THE construction of the telephone as
now in use was described. Mr.. Cary has
himself talked through the wire from Pitts
field to Springfield. and Professor Bell has
talked from Boston to New York; also
through 1000 miles Of wire in a coil,
showing that greater or lesser distance
would seem to make no difference in the
Strength OF the SOUND.
Josiah Murphey. who was present at the
demonstration. said recently, according to
Telephone Topics" II counted the nu-
merals from one to ten in the mouthpiece
and one by one the people who assembled
in the hall stepped up and held the re-
ceiver to their ears that they might hear
me. 1t was wonderful
Then the late Josiah Freeman played
his comet and the sound Of the cornet was
carried over the wire just as was Mr.. Muir
phys voice. Then the poems MARY Had
Little Lamb. Hey Diddle Diddle" were
recited. and Miss Ella Young also counted
the numerals. so that the difference between
male and female voice could be observed
That concluded the performance Of the
first public appearance of the telephone.
which now, fifty-one years afterwards
serves every country in the world.