Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1886 — Speech Photography. [ARTICLE]

Speech Photography.

Descriptions of the new apparatus of Prof. A. G. and Dr. C. Bell make it appear quite as wonderful as the telephone. It is based on the remarkable discovery that a jet of falling water or a flame of gas reproduces every sound within a given distance, and it seems to accomplish by more sensitive means what was attempted by the speaking phonograph. By arranging a descending film of colored water between the sunlight and a moving sensitive tablet, the vibrations produced in the film by speech are instantaneously and continuously photographed. Other arrangements cause the photographed irregularities corresponding to air pulsations to be retranslated into air-waves, making the voice heard again. If the anticipated success is achieved with such speech records, the aid of the photographer’s art will be of more value to the future reporter than a knowledge of short-hand. An invention which, it is claimed by gas engineers, will revolutionize the present system of gas-lighting has been perfected by Dr. Auer in the chemical laboratory of the Vienna University. Briefly described, the invention may be said to consist in rendeiing a cotton wick incombustible by impregnating it with a metallic liquid. Thus treated the wick, instead of burning, merely glows, emitting a radiance not unlike that of the electric light. The whole process is very simple; and the great advantage of the invention is that it may be applied to any gas-burner.