SINGING BY ELECTRICITY.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 70, 9 November 1864, Page 3

SINGING BY ELECTRICITY.

The singer, say at London, fche listener at Liverpool. The medium, an acoustic telegraphy by Mr. Ladd This instrument consists essentially of' two distinct pieces oP apparatus. That for transmitting the signal has a small- mouthpiece. On the right-hand side there is a finger key, forming part of the circuit, and an electro-magnet, with a vibrating armature and binding screw to connect with one of the line wires. Within a case, under a glass cover, is an elastic membrane, in the centre of which 13 fixed a platinum plate in connection with the finger-key. A light piece of angular metal resting on three pins is so placed that the pins at the angle rest on the plate in the centre of tlie membrane, the other two resting in cups on its edge, so as to allow of free motion on the points. In the body of the receiver-box is suspended a soft iron core, surrounded by a coil of silk-covered wire, one end of which is in connection with the finger-key and the other with a binding screw. The method of producing sound in the receiving instrument depends upon the fact that, at the moment of magnetizing a pie^eof iron, there is an alternation in the arrangement of the particles, which gives rise to a slight, ticking noiscj. Having connected the transmitter by means of an insulated wire with the receiver, and the binding screws having been brought in connection with a battery of three or four elements, if the finder-key on the transmitter be pressed, the person at the receiving stations hears the ticking noise ; and, as all musical notes are the production of pulsations at regu'ar intervals, we have simply to iinil some means of making and breaking contact a number of times equal to the pulsations of the note to be conveyed. This i 3 done by the elastic membrane. The operator places his mouth, to the tube in front of the instrument and signs a note, when immediately the membrane begins vibrating in accordance with the note sounded, and at oaeh vibration breaks contact between the pin and the plate in it 3 centre. This, forming part of the circuit, causes the iron core in: the receiving instrument to be magnetized and demagnetised a number of timesequal to the number of vibrations of the membrane, and so conveys receiver an impression of a musical sound... The finger- keys and small magnet at the sides_ of- the r instruments are for the pui-pose of varying the methods, of combination by the communication of single sounds, and can also be used with the other parts for the purpose of regulating the lengths of fcke notes, aud dividing them into varying portions, so as to form a sound-alphabet somewhat similar to the signals written by . Morse's telegraph.— Morning Post. '...'■ . ■-_-