Opinion ID: 92222
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The Tests at New York and Philadelphia.

Text: Successful tests of Drawbaugh's instruments, both original and reproduced, were made in New York in 1882 and in Philadelphia in 1885. The court say that: `It is substantially conceded that the test in New York was a failure'; that `Occasionally sound was heard, and sometimes a word, but it would not transmit sentences.' That this was a very material error is shown by the testimony of Mr. Benjamin, at page 1278 of Def. Vol. 2, and by other witnesses. So far from it being conceded that the test at New York was a failure, it was conceded by complainants' counsel, Mr. Storrow, that it was a success. Concerning the single instrument F, he said: `There were one hundred and thirty-seven phrases uttered into it on the second day, seven of those were understood, and some words of seven more, and that is all. The third day they got better. They uttered one hundred and seventy-five phrases into the transmitter; thirty-five of those were heard.' (Oral argument in Circuit Court, p. 92, filed here.) The court was of the opinion that the instruments afterwards reproduced and tested at Philadelphia were `not the same,' but `differently constructed'; but the Bell Company's expert, Pope, swore that they differed only in being constructed more carefully, and with better workmanship (Complainant's Reply, p. 176). In the opinion of the court in this very case, it is said of Bell's original instrument: `The particular instrument which he had, and which he used in his experiments did not under the circumstances in which it was tried reproduce the words spoken so that they could be clearly understood, but the proof is abundant and of the most convincing character that other instruments carefully constructed and made exactly in accordance with the specifications, without any additions whatever, have operated and will operate successfully.' The court said the instruments were used in a different way at Philadelphia than at New York; that is to say, that at New York they rested on a table, while at Philadelphia they were held in the hand. But Prof. Barker testified that he used them both ways at Philadelphia, and that they worked best when standing on the table as they did at New York. (Barker, Ans. 81 and 84 Def. Add. Proofs, p. 28). This evidence is more fully treated in the accompanying brief.