Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1877 — Talking by Telegraph. [ARTICLE]

Talking by Telegraph.

Tub Boston napere haw from time to time published brief paragraphs in allusion to a recent invention for talking of late among scientists and practical electricians: and in the hands of the inTOnaor Prof. A Graham Bell, and his assistant, Mr. T. A. Wstson, It la likely to sooner or later produce a revolution in the business of the world, as have steam *nd the electric telegraph. Indeed, the telegraph Is now being perfected, and it has remained for a Scotchman, who came MJEa&SffffSSiS of aanihflatitag time and epaeo for business and other purposes. Prof. Boll’s new Invention—telephony —appears to be the outgrowth or that system of his fattier, who was also a n>iw>M<k man, by which deaf and dumb persons an now speedily instructed by means of physiological symbols. The Bel*, system in this respect, involving the most complete manipulation of the mechanism of the voice, has acquired great fame among even those who articulate tbs Zula, Japanese, CSUnese and Cingalese languages. It may be stated, in a few words, as s proposition, that Prof. Bell has succeeded in applying his principles of vocal physiology to ths elective telegraph, the sound of he voice being transmitted by the elective wave without the use of batteries. A few days ago your correspondent was invited by Prof. Bell to call at his operating experimenting rooms, No. 5 Exeter place, and witness some of the practical workings of his telephone. By way of preface, however, It will be proper to remark that some months ago an experiment was made of the new discovery between Boston and Cambridge for a distance of three miles, which was very fairly successful. Some of the wire sounds were indistinct and some were not heard at all. Since that time the Professor and his assistant, Mr. Watson, have made great progress and improvement in the new art. The next experiment was made about throe weeks ago between Boston and Salem, a distance of about sixteen miles. The party at the Boston eod of the line (the wires Of the Eastern Railroad being used for the purpose) were Prof. Bell, Mr. J. B. Nutting, Treasurer of the Eastern Railroad; Mr. G. 11. Foster, and other gentlemen, beside a number of electricians; and at the Salem end Mr. Watson was assisted by a young lady, the local operator there. The experiment was a great improvement upon the one between Boston and Cambridge. Not only every word of the convernation, but the very tones and inflections of the several voices being accurately transmitted and readily recognized by those at either end of the wire. A few -days after this experiment, at the experimental rooms in Boston, two of the Japanese students in this country, Isana and Mori, talked with each other over the •wire in their native tongue. This result especially seemed to be conclusive of the ability of the telephone to do. all that is claimed for it, and assured the merchant in Boston that he could whisper his business secrets into the ears of his New York correspondents, and the lover lisp soft nothings to his sweetheart, hundreds of miles away, and hear her own voice in return. The last experiment of talking by telegraph was a few days'ago, between this city and the office of a well-known rubber establishment in the town of Malden. A number of gentlemen of scientific note were present, and, as on the occasion of the second experiment, the attempt was completely successful, the sound of the voices being perfectly audible. Even the strains of music were rendered with remarkable distinctness, and the fair cantatrice who executed the charming air now has the distinction of being the first person to sing by telegraph. It must be borne in mind that in thoee late expert meats with this invention an artificial resistance considerably greater than an equivalent of the length of the Atlantic cable was introduced. With other im-' provements in the telephone the iaveßtor confidently expects to be able to talk through the cable by word of mouth,- to the great consternation perhaps of the -cable and telegraph monopolies. The experiments witnessed by the 'writer at the operating rooms, of Prof. Bril were similar in effect to those developed in the wire conversations between Boston and Salem and Maiden. The telephone itself is a simple affair and one which every person acquainted with the electric telegraph would understand at sight. The instrument consists Of a powerful, compound, permanent magnet, to the poles of whioh are attached ordinary coils of insulated wire. In front of the poles, surrounded by these •coils of wire, is placed a diaphragm of iron, while a mouth-piece to concentrate the sound upon this diaphragm substantially completes the arrangement. When the human voice causes the sensitive diaphragm to vibrate, electrical undulations are induced in the coils surrounding the magnets precisely in the same manner as the undulations of the air arc produced by the voice. These undulations then travel through the wire, and. passing through the coils of an instrument of similar construction at a longer or shorter distance, as the case may be, are again transformed into air undulations by the diaphragm of the instrument. It will be borne in mind that the voltaic battery U dispensed with entirely, and all that is needed for transmitting the voice sounds are the instruments and the telegraph wire. In this connection u remarkable peculiarity of the telephone is that a practiced ear is able to distinguish the voices that speak through the instrument. The inventor claims that as any effect produced by electricity over a short wire can with equal facility be produced over one of 100 or 1,000 miles in length, provided tho insulation be rood, so can the electric wave of the telephone be perfee ted to render free and easy the sounds generated ty the human voice to any length. In fact, with such advances as the system has made of late, there would seem to be no limit to which it may be pat and the practical advantages likely to result from it. The Invention is now in its infancy, but no doubt it will soon astonish the world fay what it may be able to do, if I am not mistaken in the character of the hints thrown out upon the subIt is probable that among the first practical uses to which the telephone will be pat will be its aw fay several of those railroads that have special wires used only for railroad purposes. Next, private banking-houses and large manufacturing establishments, etc., will find it advantageous to use the telephone. It is well known that the expense and trouble of batteries and keeping them in order has been one ofthe main itemsjn the account the system of telephony the post of constructing the line and patting in the in.

strument is all, and the affair is permanent to long as the wires and the poles shall last. The Invention will be wonder-, fully economical, to say tin least, w well as more expeditious and easier to learn to operate than the present system of telegraphy. This invention will not only be a decided improvement, but may exert a powerful influence in breaking up the telegraph monopoly and reducing rates to a lower scale than that now in vogue. Respecting the adaptation of fiie invention to long distances, the late experiments warrant the belief that it can be made to answer all the purpoees of the telegraph either under the ocean or across the land. The artificial resistance employed in the experiment between Boston ana Salem, as already hinted, was much greater than an equivalent of the length of Uie wire between New York tad Francisoo or the Atlantic cable. In fact, the inventors hope soon to talk through the cable and send their compliments to Queen Victoria. — Boston (Feb. 4) Cor. N. T. Graphic.