A LIGHTHOUSE THAT SPEAKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7251, 9 August 1907, Page 1

A LIGHTHOUSE THAT SPEAKS.

SHOUTS TO THE MARINER IN . DANGER. .

j On the French coast there will soon j be a lighthouse equipped with monster ' mouths and a" compressed air device, j which will enable it to shout in tones lof thunder to ships on the horizon. i The invention is by Dr Marage, an ear specialist, and is not a phonograph or I anything like it, but an exact imita--1 tio'n of-the human throat and mouth, with an air pump for lungs. ! Teeth, lips, jaw-bones and all are imitated exactly. Dr Marage's small models, not appreciably larger than the normal human mouth, can be made to utter a faint whisper or give vent to an ear-splitting yell such as no man ever made. With a month six feet from corner to corner it is estimated that the arti- t ficial voice could be understood from three to six miles away according to weather conditions. Mouths of this size i are to bo placed beneath the lens of the new French lighthouse. A single mouth can only repeat a single syllable as often as air is blown into it. In order to speak a sentence several mouth are necessary. For instance, if the British Government adopted the device, and fitted it up on the Bell Rock, as steamers of the future come over the horizon" and into the Forth one of the mouths of the mechanism will turn seawards and roar "Bell." Then mouth number two, coming into range, will thunder the word "Rock," followed at once by month number three, which will finish thf message by discharging the word "Light." The mouths arc to be worked by the same mechanism which turns the lenses, and will always be in working order, when the lights are flashing. ITS USES FOR ADVERTISING. The possibilities of the devise as an -advertisement have been seen by the Ere)icli---biisiness men, but have been discouraged by the Government for very good reasons. If" the._ lion Ma'rche" erects a talking machine"X>rt top of its building and announces a marked down sale, all conversation in every part of Paris would have to be carried on by deaf and dumb language. It was merely incidental that Dr Marage's invention should become useful for lighthouse and advertising purposes. He is an ear specialist, and devised the little mouths for the piirpose of diagnosing and treating deafness. The appearance of the mouths with their teeth and lips is strikingly hu- . man, and the effect is startling when one of Dr Marage's moulds says sweetly, in a feminine voice, through smiling, parted lips, "Oui" ("yes"), and instantly there comes in deep, decisive tones from a neighbouring mould with thicker lips and heavier chin— "Non.' Other uses than those already indicated have been found for the invention. Two mouths about half the size of automobile lamps are being made foione of the Marquis De Dion's big automobiles, with which he is to tour England this summer. Ono mouth wi' 1 yell "Look," and the' other "Out," with a fraction of a second between tho words. A MOTOR CAR WARNING. The machine is already equipped with a double cylinder air pump, which may be connected with the mo' i tor, and is used for inflating tyres. I The addition of a compressed air tank is all that is needed. Instead of the tout of a horn or the wail of a siren, those who get in tho motor's way will bo treated to an ear-splitting bellow [of"Look out! Look out! Look out!" Beside Dr Marage's bed is an asortment of mouths which ho changes froir time to time. They are connected with a compressed air tank ' and an alarm clock. ; At whatever time the alarm is sol the mouths begin to speak softly somesentence such as: "Get up! It's late!" If the doctor does not get up the air supply is automatically increased as the mechanism gets to running faster and faster, and the tones become louder and more urgent.