THE TELEPHONE.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 11, 18 August 1883, Page 4

THE TELEPHONE.

I M. OctlEftY, the enterprising French Minister of Posts nnd Telegraphs, is endeavouring ti> extend the uhe of the tcle- [ phono in Franc \ From July 1 next, telepl-o les will probably be annex )d to ajl tho telegraph offices in Paris, and the chief offices in the country, as well us the I principal railway stations. A charge of ! 25 centimes (2£d) will be made for the use of the telephone circuit at one of these exchanges for a period of lire minutes. A telephone line will also be installed to private residences for an annual rental of '170 francs in Paris and 200 francs in the provinces. This prospective arrangement is all but settled ; only tho vested interests of the established Telephone Company being still in the way. While upon this subject we (Engineering} mi y mention that a very successful trial of long-distaiiec telephone has been made between New York and Chicago, speaking being" carried on over an immense distance (1000 miles) with perfect ease. This result is tlue to the employment of the new eluctrotyped steel wire for the line. This compound wire differs from the iron and copper wire of Siemens in that the copper is laid round the steel core, not by mechanical but galvanoplastic moans. A thick wrapper of pure and highly conductive copper is obtained in this way, while the steel core gives the necessary streugth. The new conductor is, of course, very expensive, but the recent experiments show that it will s jrvc a useful purpose in long distance, telephoning, and probably also in the transmission of motive power by electricity.