THE TELEPHONE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3107, 1 February 1879, Page 1

THE TELEPHONE.

Some interesting and valuabl* experiment* ■on electric telephony were con* ducted lately between Norwich and London, orer a. wire 115 miles long, and under the most adrerse circumstances of bad weather and powerful induction from neighbouring wires. These experiments had for their object the confirmation of some extraordinary statements that had appeared in the American journals respecting the ability of the carbon telephone, one of Mr Edison's numerous inventions, and, perhaps, one of the most important, to work over great distances and under conditions fatal to other systems—conditions "which," up^ to the present time, hare been the chief obstacles ia the practical use of electric-telephony. Messrs J. and J. Colman, possessing one of the loosest prirate wires in use for commercial purposes in this country, placed it at the disposal of Mr Edison's representatife. This wire stretches from Messrs Colmau's works, at Norwich, to their office in Cannon street, a distance of a little orer 115 miles. The wire runs on the same poles at the numerous other wires of the Great Eastern Bail way, and is carried orerhead from the terminus in London to Cannon street. At 4 o'clock the experiment began, and the incessant crackling and bubbling sounds in the receivers revealed the fact that the adjoining telegraphic wires were at their busiest, and that induction could hardly be worse. Nevertheless, the first exclamation conveyed into the hastily adjusted carbon telephone) at Norwich was heard perfectly in the counting-house at Cannon street. Conversation then ensued between the two places; some words were at first lost, but after a fewsimple adjustments conversation was carried on without difficulty, the American accent of Mr Adams, Mr Edison's professional assistant, who had charge of the Norwich 1 end, being distinctly recognisable in London. Remarks passed on the weather, shewed that a storm of sleet was going on at both ends, and the insulation, therefore, almost > at its worst. Ow or two important facts were noticeable in the experiments, namely, that the adjustments once made, no further change Was found neoessary, and*'that conversation was best heard when carried on even, a little below the ordinary tone of the voice. Later on, towards 9 o clock in theevetting, induction disturbances grew less, but were still considerable; the voices from Norwich were louder and the individuality of the speakers more marked. Semarkable as these experiments were, they appear to be outstripped by what has been achieved in America through the same instruments. According to a recent work by Mr Frescott, the chief electrician of the Western Union Telegraph Company of America, the car* bon telephone has been successfully used ."when included in a Morse circuit"; and further "that several stations could exchange business telephonically upon a circuit that was being worked 'quadruple!,' without disturbing the latter." The game authority states that the carbon telephone has .been tried with success over a wire 720. miles in length.

Mr Edison, not content with, the achievements just indicated, has lately made a new and improved receiver to nis instrument, of which, he says, in a recent letter to Colonel Gouraud, that by its means, " B|rtchcler " (one of Mr Edison's assistants) 1' heard a whisper last night 15 feet away from the receiver, and ordinary conversation comes oat almost as loud' as,. originally spoken." If this receiver prove as practicable as the carbon transmitter, a new era has opened in electric telephony, and soon we may hope to have the speeches in the House of Com mons heard at all the dubs in the metroj^W'; ■