A RIVAL OF THE TELE PHONE. Remarkable Discovery Made by Professor Bell and His Cousin.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 165, 14 August 1886, Page 1

A RIVAL OF THE TELE PHONE. Remarkable Discovery Made by Professor Bell and His Cousin.

Professor Alexandra Graham Bell and bis cousin, Dr Chicheator Bell) have recently made a very remarkable discovery which they, think ia quite as important as the transmission of the tones of the voice through the telephone. They have discovered, that a. falling jet of water or a flame of gaß burning in a room reproduces every word spoken and every sound uttered within a given distance. When two people join in conversation in a room in the evening, the gas which burns abovetheir heads repeats every word they say, and sounds uttered in the vicinity of flowing water produce vibrations. To a reporter of a local paper Prof. Bell showed a glass disk, upon which appeared a spiral streak composed of tiny little shade lines placed together or farther apart to make up the variation of intensity. The surface was one of depression and elevation This, Prof. Bell eaid, represented sound waves. When the plate was resolved upon a pivot and the depressions and elevations conveyed to the ear by a microphone, there was a repitition of the conversation there recorded as distinct as when it was delivered. The undulate surface representing sound waves was produced by photography. Professor Bell says that if anyone will go to a water-pipe and turn on the faucet, so that the water will fall in a stream to the ground, water can be made to report the conversation taking placein its presence, and a stream register every sound within hearing of it. Professor Bell considers this diacovery quite aa important as that of the telephone, and his cousin, Chichester Bell, has gone te Europe for the purpose of bringing it before scientific men in England and on the Continent. Patents have already been obtained in all the principal countries of both continents. The great object of the inventors was to record by photography or otherwise the vibrations in the jet of water which correspond to sound waves ; ths result of words spoken in the vicinity ; to keep the voice on record, sealed up as it were, for any length of time, and then, when called upon, to let the record speak. This, Mr Bell says, has been accomplished! The water or liquid, of whatever kind it may be, ia coloured with bichromate of potash. If it were perfectly clear it would not answer, because the light used in photographing would pass through without resistance and no record would be. made on the tablet. The water is coloured for photographing, and the jet is made to fall obliquely on a glass plate. The water spreads itself out on the glaes plate and runs off. It is water so spread out that is to be photographed as it passes. Words spoken cause the jet of water to vibrate, and the vibrations inthejetcause corresponding vibrations in the film of water as it breaks and spreads on the glass plate and ruos off. A ray of light ie passed through that film and through the glass plate to a sensitive tablet behind. The sensitive tablet receiving the impression of every vibration while the speaking continues the jet keeps burning, the film keeoa moving, and the light passing through the film to the tablet makes a record of the speech far more accurate than any verbatim report. These scientists do not consider their invention perfect, but they are at work improv-