Science.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1813, 18 July 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

Science.

The New Phonograph.

Ten years ago v young man oame into tbe office, says the Scientific American., and placed before the editors a email, very simple machine about which very few preliminary remaiks were cflered. Our visitor without any ceremony whatever turned the crank, and to the astonishment of all present the machine said : " Good morning. How do you do? How do you like the phonograph?" The maohine thim epoke for itself, and made known the fact that it was the phonograph, an instrument about which muoh was said and written, although little was known. The young man waß Mr. Thomas A. Edison, even then a well known and suooc-ssful inventor. The invention was novel, original, and apparently destined to find immediate Application to hundreds of uses. Every one wanted to hear the wonderful- talking machine, and at once a modified form of the principal phonographs was brought out and shown everywhere, amusing thousands upon thousands ; but it did not by any means fulfill the requirements of the inventor. It was scarcely more than a scientific ouriosity or an amusing toy. Edison, however, recognised the fact that it contained the elements of a successful talking maohine, and thoroughly believed it was destined to become far more Biiful than ourious or amusing. It remained a toy and cothicg more until a few months since, when it was ui&ue known to the public that the ideal phonograph had been constructed; that it was unmistakably a good talker; and that the machine which inofct people believed to have reached its growth had after all been refined and improved uctil it was capable of faithfully reproducing every word, syllable vowel, consonant, aspirate, and sounds of every kiDd. During the dormancy of tha pnonogrsph it 3 inventor scoured both worH-wida famo and a colosiul fortune by means of hia electric light and other wcil known inventions. He I has reoeutly devoted much time to tbe phonograph, and has not only perfected the instruineas jtaslf, but has establiabed a factory provided with special tools for it 3 manufacture, in whtoh yaonogvaphs are to be turned out in largo numbers, with interchangeable parts. A ccuical test of the capabilities of this machine was recently mad 9in our presence at Edison's laboratory, near Llaweliyn Park, Orange, N. J. A paragraph from the morning netvopapers was read to eke machine in our absenoe, and when upon our return to the instrument; it was reproduced piionographically, every word waa distinctly understood, although the names, localities, and' the circum&Lances mentioned in (he article wera entirely new and strange to us. Another test of the perfection of the machine was the perfect reproduction of whistling and whispering, all tho impaifcctions of tone, the half tones and modulations even, being carefully reproduced. The perfect performance of the new instrument depends upon its mechanical perfection— upon the regularity of its epeed, I the succeptibility cf the wax cylinder to the impressions of the needle, and to the delicacy : of tho speaking diaphragm. No attempt is i made in this instrument to secure loud fcpeaking— distinct articulation and perfect intonation have been the principal ends sought. The new phonograph is to be uaed for taking dictation, for taking testimony in oourt, for reporting speeches, for the reproduction of vocal mubio, for teaching languages, for correspondence, for civil and military orderß, for reading to the sick in hospitals, and for various other purposes too numorous to mention. Imagine a lawyer dictating his brief to one 0! these little machines ; he may talk as rapidly as he chooses, every word and syllable will be caught upon the delicate wax cylinder and alter hia brief is complete he may transfer the wax cylinder to the phonograph of a copyist, who may listen to the words of the phonograph and write out the manuaoript. The instrument may be stopped and started at pleasure, and if any portion of the Bpeech is net understood by the transcriber, it may be repeated as often as necessary. In a similar manner a compositor may set his type directly from the diotation of the machine, without the necessity of " copy," as it is now known. Mr. Edison informs us that the wholo of Nicholas Niokleby could be recorded upon four cylinders each 4 inches in diameter and 8 inches long, co that one of these instruments in a private circle or in a hospital could be made to read a book to a number of persons, Too little wax cylinders npon which the record ia made are provided with a rigid backing and the cylinders are m&de in different lengths; the shortest — I inch long — having a capacity of 200 words, the next in size 400 words and so on. These oylinders are very light, and a mailing oase haa been devised fthich will admit of mailing the cylinders as readily as letters are now mailed. The recipient of the cylinder will place it upon hia, own phonograph and listen to the phonogram — in which he will not only get the sense of the words of tho sender, but. will recognise bis expressions, wbioh will of oourse have much to dojwith tho interpretation of the true meaning of the sender of the phonogram, A very interesting and popular uae of tha phonograph will be the distribution of the songs of great singers, sermons, and speeches, the words of great men and women, music of many parts, the voices of animals, etc, so that the owner of a phonograph may enjoy theae thiDgs with little expense. It tuuy be even pressed into the detective service and used &a an unimpeachable witness. It will have but one story to tell, and cross examination cannot conf ate if. Extensive preparations for the manufac ture of the phonograph have been made, and it is probable that within a short time these instruments will be as common and as indispensable as the sewing maobine or the type writer.