heroes of the telegraph-第41部分

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to　render　back　a　phonographic　message。

The　recording　tympanum；　which　is　about　the　size　of　a　crown…piece；　is　fitted　with　a　mouthpiece；　and　when　it　is　desired　to　record　a　sentence　the　spindle　is　started；　and　you　speak　into　the　mouthpiece。　　The　tympanum　vibrates　under　your　voice；　and　the　stylus；　partaking　of　its　motion；　digs　into　the　yielding　surface　of　the　wax　which　moves　beneath；　and　leaves　a　tiny　furrow　to　mark　its　passage。　　This　is　the　sonorous　record　which；　on　being　passed　under　the　stylus　of　the　reproducing　tympanum；　will　cause　it　to　give　out　a　faithful　copy　of　the　original　speech。　　A　flexible　india…　rubber　tube；　branching　into　two　ear…pieces；　conveys　the　sound　emitted　by　the　reproducing　diaphragm　to　the　ears。　This　trumpet　is　used　for　privacy　and　loudness；　but　it　may　be　replaced　by　a　conical　funnel　inserted　by　its　small　end　over　the　diaphragm；　which　thereby　utters　its　message　aloud。　It　is　on　this　plan　that　Edison　has　now　constructed　a　phonograph　which　delivers　its　reproduction　to　a　roomful　of　people。　　Keys　and　pedals　are　provided　with　which　to　stop　the　apparatus　either　in　recording　or　receiving；　and　in　the　latter　case　to　hark　back　and　repeat　a　word　or　sentence　if　required。　　This　is　a　convenient　arrangement　in　using　the　phonograph　for　correspondence　or　dictation。　　Each　instrument；　as　we　have　seen；　can　be　employed　for　receiving　as　well　as　recording；　and　as　all　are　made　to　one　pattern；　a　phonogram　coming　from　any　one；　in　any　art　of　the　world；　can　be　reproduced　in　any　other　instrument。　　A　little　box　with　double　walls　has　been　introduced　for　transmitting　the　phonograms　by　post。　A　knife　or　cutter　is　attached　to　the　instrument　for　the　purpose　of　paring　off　an　old　message；　and　preparing　a　fresh　surface　of　the　wax　for　the　reception　of　a　new　one。　　This　can　be　done　in　advance　while　the　new　record　is　being　made；　so　that　no　time　is　lost　in　the　operation。　　A　small　voltaic　battery；　placed　under　the　machine；　serves　to　work　the　electric　motor；　and　has　to　be　replenished　from　time　to　time。　　A　process　has　also　been　devised　for　making　copies　of　the　phonograms　in　metal　by　electro…　deposition；　so　as　to　produce　　permanent　records。　　But　even　the　wax　phonogram　may　be　used　over　and　over　again；　hundreds　of　times；　without　diminishing　the　fidelity　of　the　reproduction。

The　entire　phonograph　is　shown　in　our　figure。　　＇The　figure　is　omitted　from　this　e…text＇　　It　consists　of　a　box；　B；　containing　the　silent　electro…motor　which　drives　the　machine；　and　supporting　the　works　for　printing　and　reproducing　the　sounds。　Apart　from　the　motive　power；　which　might；　as　in　the　graphophone；　be　supplied　by　foot；　the　apparatus　is　purely　mechanical；　the　parts　acting　with　smoothness　and　precision。　These　are；　chiefly；　the　barrel　or　cylinder；　C；　on　which　the　hollow　wax　is　placed；　the　spindle；　S；　which　revolves　the　cylinder　and　wax；　and　the　two　tympana；　T；　T'；　which　receive　the　sounds　and　impress　them　on　the　soft　surface　of　the　wax。　　A　governor；　G；　regulates　the　movement　of　the　spindle；　and　there　are　other　ingenious　devices　for　starting　and　stopping　the　apparatus。　　The　tympanum　T　is　that　which　is　used　for　recording　the　sounds；　and　M　is　a　mouthpiece；　which　is　fixed　to　it　for　speaking　purposes。　The　other　tympanum；　T'；　reproduces　the　sounds；　and　E　E　is　a　branched　ear…piece；　conveying　them　to　the　two　ears　of　the　listener。　　The　separate　wax　tube；　P；　is　a　phonogram　with　the　spiral　trace　of　the　sounds　already　printed　on　its　surface；　and　ready　for　posting。

The　box　below　the　table　contains　the　voltaic　battery　which　actuates　the　electro…motor。　　A　machine　which　aims　at　recording　and　reproducing　actual　speech　or　music　is；　of　course；　capable　of　infinite　refinement；　and　Edison　is　still　at　work　improving　the　instrument；　but　even　now　it　is　substantially　perfected。

Phonographs　have　arrived　in　London；　and　through　the　kindness　of　Mr。　Edison　and　his　English　representative；　　Colonel　G。　E。　Gouraud；　we　have　had　an　　opportunity　of　testing　one。　　A　number　of　phonograms；　taken　in　Edison's　laboratory；　were　sent　over　with　the　instruments；　and　several　of　them　were　caused　to　deliver　in　our　hearing　the　sounds　which　were

　　　　　　'sealed　in　crystal　silence　there。'

The　first　was　a　piece　which　had　been　played　on　the　piano；　quick　time；　and　the　fidelity　and　loudness　with　which　it　was　delivered　by　the　hearing　tube　was　fairly　astonishing；　especially　when　one　considered　the　frail　and　hair…like　trace　upon　the　wax　which　had　excited　it。　There　seemed　to　be　something　magical　in　the　effect；　which　issued；　as　it　were；　from　the　machine　itself。　Then　followed　a　cornet　solo；　concert　piece　of　cornet；　violin；　and　piano；　and　a　very　beautiful　duet　of　cornet　and　piano。　　The　tones　and　cadences　were　admirably　rendered；　and　the　ear　could　also　faintly　distinguish　the　noises　of　the　laboratory。　　Speaking　was　represented　by　a　phonogram　containing　a　dialogue　between　Mr。　Edison　and　Colonel　Gouraud　which　had　been　imprinted　some　three　weeks　before　in　America。　　With　this　we　could　hear　the　inventor　addressing　his　old　friend；　and　telling　him　to　correspond　entirely　with　the　phonograph。　Colonel　Gouraud　answers　that　he　will　be　delighted　to　do　so；　and　be　spared　the　trouble　of　writing；　while　Edison　rejoins　that　he　also　will　be　glad　to　escape　the　pains　of　reading　the　gallant　colonel's　letters。　The　sally　is　greeted　with　a　laugh；　which　is　also　faithfully　rendered。

One　day　a　workman　in　Edison's　laboratory　caught　up　a　crying　child　and　held　it　over　the　phonograph。　Here　is　the　phonogram　it　made；　and　here　in　England　we　can　listen　to　its　wailing；　for　the　phonograph　reproduces　every　kind　of　sound；　high　or　low；　whistling；　coughing；　sneezing；　or　groaning。　　It　gives　the　accent；　the　expression；　and　the　modulation；　so　that　one　has　to　be　careful　how　one　speaks；　and　probably　its　use　will　help　us　to　improve　our　utterance。

By　speaking　into　the　phonograph　and　reproducing　the　words；　we　are　enabled　for　the　first　time　to　hear　ourselves　speak　as　others　hear　us；　for　the　vibrations　of　the　head　are　understood　to　mask　the　voice　a　little　to　our　own　ears。　　Moreover；　by　altering　the　speed　of　the　barrel　the　voice　can　be　altered；　music　can　be　executed　in　slow　or　quick　time；　however　it　is　played；　inaudible　notes　can　be　raised　or　lowered；　as　the　case　may　be；　to　audibility。　　The　phonograph　will　register　notes　as　low　as　ten　vibrations　a　second；　whereas　it　is　well　known　the　lowest　note　audible　to　the　human　ear　is　sixteen　vibrations　a　second。　　The　instrument　is　equally　capable　of　service　and　entertainment。　　It　can　be　used　as　a　stenograph；　or　shorthand…writer。　　A　business　man；　for　instance；　can　dictate　his　letters　or　instructions　into　it；　and　they　can　be　copied　out　by　his　secretary。　Callers　can　leave　a　verbal　message　in　the　phonograph　instead　of　a　note。　　An　editor　or　journalist　can　dictate　articles；　which　may　be　written　out　or　composed　by　the　printer；　word　by　word；　as　they　are　spoken　by　the　reproducer　in　his　ears。

Correspondence　can　be　carried　on　by　phonograms；　distant　friends　and　lovers　being　able　thus　to　hear　each　other's　accents　as　though　they　were　together；　a　result　more　conducive　to　harmony　and　good　feeling　than　letter…writing。　　In　matters　of　business　and　diplomacy　the　phonogram　will　teach　its　users　to　be　brief；　accurate；　and　honest　in　their　speech；　for　the　phonograph　is　a　mechanical　memory　more　faithful　than　the　living　one。　　Its　evidence　may　even　be　taken　in　a　court　of　law　in　place　of　documents；　and　it　is　conceivable　that　some　important　action　might　be　settled　by　the　voice　of　this　DEUS　EX　MACHINA。　　Will　it　therefore　add　a　new　terror　to　modern　life？　　Shall　a　visitor　have　to　be　careful　what　he　says　in　a　neighbour's　house；　in　case　his　words　are　stored　up　in　some　concealed　phonograph；　just　as　his　appearance　may　be　registered　by　a　detective　camera？　　In　ordinary　lifeno；　for　the　phonograph　has　its　limitations；　like　every　other　machine；　and　it　is　not　sufficiently　sensitive　to　record　a　conversation　unless　it　is　spoken　close　at　hand。　But　there　is　here　a　chance　for　the　sensational　novelist　to　hang　a　tale　upon。

The　'interviewer'　may　make　use　of　it　to　supply　him　with　'copy；'　but　this　remains　to　be　seen。　　There　are　practical　difficulties　in　the　way　which　need　not　be　told　over。　　Perhaps　in　railway　trains；　steamers；　and　other　unsteady　vehicles；　it　will　be…used　for　communications。　　The　telephone　may　yet　be　adapted　to　work　in　conjunction　with　it；　so　that　a　phonogram　can　be　telephoned；　or　a　telephone　message　recorded　in　the　phonograph。　Such　a　'telephonograph'　is；　however；　a　thing　of　the　future。　　Wills　and　other　private　deeds　may　of　course　be　executed　by　phonograph。　　Moreover；　the　loud…speaking　instrument　which　Edison　is　engaged　upon　will　probably　be　applied　to　advertising　and　communicating　purposes。　　The　hours　of　the　day；　for　example；　can　be　called　out　by　a　clock；　the　starting　of　a　train　announced；　and　the　merits　of　a　particular　commodity　descanted　on。　　All　these　uses　are　possible；　but　it　is　in　a　literary　sense　that　the　phonograph　is　more　interesting。　　Books　can　now　be　spoken　by　their　authors；　or　a　good　elocutionist；　and　published　in　phonograms；　which　will　appeal　to　the　ear　of　the　'reader'　instead　of　to　his　eye。　　'On；　four　cylinders　8　inches　long；　with　a　diameter　of　5；'　says　Edison；　'I　can　put　the　whole　of　NICHOLAS　NICKLEBY。'　To　the　invalid；　especially；　this　use　would　come　as　a　boon；　and　if　th