TELEPHONIC EXPERIMENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 573, 4 March 1878, Page 2

TELEPHONIC EXPERIMENTS.

o Through the courtesy of Mr. Holdsworth, manager of the Telegraph Office, Oamaru, Mr. Meddings of Christchurch. and Mr. Thomas Muir, of Dunedin. a number of ladies and gentlemen we-e afforded an opportunity of testing the wonders of the te'ephone at the Telegraph Offices at the above-named places yesterday afternoon, Sunday being the only day available for such experiments. At halfpast. 2 o'clock there were assembled at the office at Oamaru—Mr. S. E. Shrimski, M.H.lt., Mr W. ,7. Steward {North Ohi'jo ''tmes) Mr. Sidney Smith, Mr. Geo. Jones {Mail), Mr. Holdsworth, Mr. A. Gilford. Mr. Johnstone and three ladies, and apparently about the same number, including ladies, in Christchurch ; but the Dunedin office was solely occupied by Mr. Thomas Muir. It having been discovered whilst experimenting last Sundav afternoon wiih Mr. Lubecki and Mr. Heed (of the Otarjo Jhuhj Times), and the. operator at the 'Dunedin office, and Mr. De Latifour, M.H.JI., at the Xaseby office, that those at Dunedin and I\asc-!>y could hear more distinctly what we said to them than we could what they said to us. it was thought that the tin diaphragm used here was scarcely sufficiently sensitive to the waves of sound impinged upon it. and one of gold-beater's skin wan substituted. On testing the instrument with the new diaphragm, however, it was discovered that the sound was so faint t 1 at it could only just be heard, and the tin one was restored to its place. Bui we are of opinion that the tin diaphragm J is susceptible of considerable improvement, and that upon the diaphragm depends in a very great measure the success or otherwise of telephonic exp-.-vi- .' meats. 'Notwithstanding this drawback. , the communications from Dunedin, and even from Christchurch, a distance of upwards of ISO miles, were distinctly heard, and ike hymns, duels, iV.c., sung

at the latter place were supernatural in sound,and tin: voices, as heard through the teh phono, were, indeed, so beautiful that most nf the time was occupied in sinking by these assembled at the several points <>f communication. B<> far as our experiments have gone, singing is much more distinctly heard than sneaking, and we account for this from ike fact that in the cisnof tin- latter there, is a continuous volume of sound thrown v.]-.on the diaphragm which keep.* it in vibration. For |h t . information of lho.se who have experienced tin' fascinations of the telephone we mkhf as well Stale that the. sound heard f' ..in Dttikdin or Christchnrch is vwysindiar H> the sound omitted in ventril..i|ni«m, or wk n sji.-al-ini.' tlirougli a. tube. J:it--i-: s-iin.' experiments may be tried with the most simple, app .'.rai us, such ;is two pho. s of cardboard roll- d up and tied round \-. i■:> string ro form the apcaking rebe, v. i;ii ;..pcr buvi ek d over one end of i-r-eii to form the. fvtupani, or vibrating m ■oia, T ose, wirii a jiieee of cotton of the ('■■■ sir-d 1. ugtk run through the ..•'■nil--- of the tvmpaui by the aid oi a need!,- (faking care not to make the anc.rby means of a kme, with a. small piece of cardboard inn rvening to prevent the knot from breaking through the paper, are ready for use ; ,-,nd persons, by their means, can Communicate for a distance great or sma'i. according to the sensitiveness of the tympani. ]>uf. it shotthl always be barm'in mind that the cotton or siring should i.e pulh-d as tightly as possible, in order io ensure close contact

ami to tighten the fynip.iiii ; nor mus: t lie cot on touch anything between the ' two instrunieiiis, as that would be fatal to the transmission of sounds. We have given the above instructions for t'r.'j benefit of our juvenile readers who may not have any opportunity of experimenting with the more pretentious and scientific instruments until the time shall arriveso eloquent'} - written of by American journalists, when the ywill be so common as to be within the reach of everybody. To return to yesterday's experiments, we. in tiie Oaniaru office, commenced by communicating with C. ristchurch. Tinmusical communications with that city wevc. most enjoyable. When we a.sked Mr. Meddings for some part singing, thai gentleman, evidently anticipating such a request, treated us to a burst of what might lie called angelic harmony. Then wo" became aware that there wore several ladies and gentlemen in Mr. Meddings' office who knew how to use their voices, and we kept Christchurch going to some tune, in our raptur. s forgetting ail about Dunedin, as Mr. G. M. Ueed last, Sunday i.ad bet!) oblivious of the existence of a party by the name of Jones when listening to the charming accents of the voice of "ihe celebrated M.H.R, for Mount Ida. We sang the National Anthem for the benefit of Christchuicii as a small return for their kindness, but Dunedin got impatient at last, and insisted upon having a hearing, and, for fear that jealousy should be engendered between Mr. Muir and Mr. Medding's we then rehietaiifly bade the latter gentleman and his talented choir good-bye, hoping to hold equally pleasant intercourse with thein on some future occasion. After communication with Dunedin had been f.iiviy established by sending some cooeys, s niic of which, nffetvd by the ladies, were we think- sufficiently shrill to create a queer sensation in the eivof the listener at the other end, Dunedin and Oamaru alternately conversed and sung. A lady and gentleman sting a duet, and the company sang solos and choruses, the Old Hundred "and National Anthem being the favourite test nines. Mr. Muir, although of eooiisu being alone, he could not treat us in return to cone iced music, afforded us considerably enjoyment by tiie singing of a number of hymns and other spiritual songs. The conversation at times was very lively. Mr. Steward wished to know how was' Mr. Muir's ba by. The parent replied that tile little beggar had kept him awake the best part of the previous

night ; and was informed by his interrogator as a kind of consolation, that that was one of the pleasures of paternity. To this remark there came a ha—ha—ha ! that eased our minds very considerably as to the -probability of the injured parent getting over that little trouble. The fun of funny things said through the telephone is greatly enhanced, and laughter and other marks of approval reached the ear of the listeners much in the same tone and maimer as the sayings of the manipulator of a Punch and Judy show. Dunedin was ironically asked, " "What kind of weather have you ?" to which the unsuspecting reply came from Mr. Muir that it was raining heavily, and afterwards a more appropriate expression occurring to his mind he said, "it is •raining cats and dogs." Oamaru replied that that was nothing new, which was followed by much merriment. Mr. Muir said, " Is Mr. O'Meagher there," and. on being informed ihat he was not, asked why we did not bring him, to which the gentleman in possession of the telephone replied that he lived on a h ; gh hill. To give a fuil account of all that took place yesterday would fill our sheet, us the fun lasted for two hours and a half, being ; concluded at live o'clock, at which hour , we thanked Diliiedin, and bid S-iiu good- ! night, and lie return d the compliment.