TELEPHONE EXPERIMENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5378, 22 June 1878, Page 2 (Supplement)

TELEPHONE EXPERIMENTS.

The results of the experiments made in Russia, a few weeks ago, to determine bow far the telephone can be utilized, as a means of communication between tiro different fractions of an outpost system, were, the Pall Mall Qazcttc observes, so satisfactory, that attention has since been given to designing an apparatus suitable for such work. The conditions to be fulfilled were that the cables connecting tbe telephones should be light, durable, strong, and capable of being laid over any ground by one man, while it was also desirable that economy should be studied in Us manufacture. A. length of from 400 to 500 metres was fixed upon as the most suitable length for each portion of the cable, as being tire average distance between the supports and the pickets, and between these latter and the sentries of an outpost chain. Cables of this length have been manufactured by a house in Berlin, enclosing two insulated copper wires, and weighing from eight to ten pounds, at a cost of 00 marks, or about £3 for 400 metres. An arrangement for winding and unwinding the wire and a pair of telephones can bo provided for another 20 marks, so that the whole apparatus only coats about £4, its total weight being under thirteen pounds. A number of experiments have proved that neither wind, cold, rain, nor snow affect in even the slightest degree the satisfactory working of the telephone over n short distance. Noise in the immediate vicinity is the greatest obstacle to its employment ; but it has been found that the inconvenience thus caused may be to a great extent obviated by pulling over the head the hood of a great coat.