TELEPHONIC EXPERIMENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5273, 16 February 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

TELEPHONIC EXPERIMENTS.

(Sydney Mail.) The invention of the telephone has caused a thrill of interest to run through the minds of all civilised communities, and is likely to be developed into spheres of usefulness, the boundaries of which are at present unseen to the mental eyes of even tha ablest scientists. It may be asserted with confidence that it has conquered a distance of between two aad three hundred miles, and if it never goes any further than that its utility in commercial, domestic, sporting, and other pursuits will be of a most extensive character. In England it is already an ‘’institution” at rifle-butts, and, on account of its easy manipulation, is likely to become extremely popular.-- It is commencing to engage tho attention of military and naval authorities, and in the event of another war will no doubt play some very important parts. As introduced by Professor A. G. G. Bell, it is au extremely simple-looking apparatus, not larger than the wooden handles attached to a gin’s skipping-rope. One of the instruments is placed to the ear to receive a message, or is placed before the mouth of a person who wishes to converse with a friend a score or two of miles away as the case may be. It is altogether unlike the celebrated Irishman who could hold his tongue in seven languages, inasmuch as it will convey a conversation in any .language spoken with distinctness and a clear articulation. It goes even further than this, for, according to tho remarks of the inventor, it conveys the quality of a voice, so that a person speaking at one end may be recognised at the otljer. It is claimed that for mining operations it is invaluable, as well as in large manufacturing establishments, ship-building yards, or hotels, and it is to be hoped that before long it will form a means of communication between the guard and passengers of a railway train, seeing that the distance between them is not very great. At present the invention is only in its infancy, but telegraphic authorities in all parts of tho world are grappling with the theories it lias given birth to, and before many mouths have elapsed their efforts will, no doubt, be tha means of enabling persons at almost any distance apart to converse with each other through wires above or below ground. At all events, distance is the only stumbling-block in the way of bringing this useful invention to perfection, for, as regards its manipulation even by a small child, no difficulty appears, so far, to have arisen. Its popularity has already passed beyond England to the Continent, where there is a great demand for tho apparatus, and some of its effects have been of a most entertaining character, especially when it has been attached to concert rooms, music halls, &c. According to the Scientific American it has a rival of a rather formidable character. This is au instrument produced by Dr. llosapelly aud Professor Marey, by which speech at one end of a line may be graphically produced phonetically at the other. If this peculiar instrument is brought into perfect operation, public speakers, legislators, and others, will have little grounds for complaining of being misreported. Tho American papers are beginning to. assert that the telephone is going to. revolutionise society to a very great extent, and also affirm that members of a Government living fifty or sixty miles apart, will, by means of it,'manipulate public affairs while lounging on their respective couches. In our midst even the telephone is insidiously working its way, and already have sounds been conveyed by it a distance of about two hundred miles, while conversations between Mr. Cracknoil and his telegraphic operators have been held with ease through wires of eight or ten miles'in length. Two days ago Mr. Crackneil and Professor Smith tested the reliability of the instrument as regards the distance between this city and Melbourne. They made Albury, which is about four hundred miles from Sydney, the repeating station, but sounds were not plainly delivered at that point. The operator at Melbourne, however, sent somo “ cooeys” to Albury, a distance of 200 miles, which wero returned audibly. The words “ all right” were also heard at the Albury station, without the official there having previous knowledge that they were uttered, but no sentences could be articulated with distinctness from Albury to Melbourne. It in concluded, therefore, that either the distance was too great, or that the instruments used were not sufficiently delicate for the purpose.