heroes of the telegraph-第44部分

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　again。　　In　the　midst　of　his　confusion；　it　seemed　like　satire　to　him　to　hear　the　commissioners　say；　as　they　smiled　all　round；　and　bowed　themselves　　gracefully　off；　'TRES…　BIEN；　MONSIEUR　HUGHESTRES…BIEN；　JE　VOUS　FELICITE。'　But　the　matter　was　explained　next　morning；　when　Professor　Hughes　learned　that　the　transmitting　clerk　at　Lyons　had　been　purposely　instructed　to　earth　the　line　at　the　time　in　question；　to　test　whether　there　was　no　deception　in　the　trial；　a　proceeding　which　would　have　seemed　strange；　had　not　the　occurrence　of　a　sham　trial　some　months　previous　rendered　it　a　prudent　course。　　The　result　of　this　trial　was　that　the　French　Government　agreed　to　give　the　printer　a　year　of　practical　work　on　the　French　lines；　and　if　found　satisfactory；　it　was　to　be　finally　adopted。　　Daily　reports　were　furnished　of　its　behaviour　during　that　time；　and　at　the　expiration　of　the　term　it　was　adopted；　and　Professor　Hughes　was　constituted　by　Napoleon　III。　a　Chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　Honour。

The　patronage　of　France　paved　the　way　of　the　type…printer　into　almost　all　other　European　countries；　and　the　French　agreement　as　to　its　use　became　the　model　of　those　made　by　the　other　nations。　　On　settling　with　France　in　1862；　Professor　Hughes　went　to　Italy。　　Here　a　commission　was　likewise　appointed；　and　a　period　of　probationonly　six　monthswas　settled；　before　the　instrument　was　taken　over。　　From　Italy；　Professor　Hughes　received　the　Order　of　St。　Maurice　and　St。　Lazare。　　In　1863；　the　United　Kingdom　Telegraph　Co。；　England；　introduced　the　type…printer　　in　their　system。　　In　1865；　Professor　Hughes　proceeded　to　Russia；　and　in　that　country　his　invention　was　adopted　after　six　months'　trial　on　the　St。　Petersburg　to　Moscow　circuit。　　At　St。　Petersburg　he　had　the　honour　of　being　a　guest　of　the　Emperor　in　the　summer　palace；　Czarskoizelo；　the　Versailles　of　Russia；　where　he　was　requested　to　explain　his　invention；　and　also　to　give　a　lecture　on　electricity　to　the　Czar　and　his　court。　　He　was　there　created　a　Commander　of　the　Order　of　St。　Anne。

In　1865；　Professor　Hughes　also　went　to　Berlin；　and　introduced　his　apparatus　on　the　Prussian　lines。　　In　1867；　he　went　on　a　similar　mission　to　Austria；　where　he　received　the　Order　of　the　Iron　Crown；　and　to　Turkey；　where　the　reigning　Sultan　bestowed　on　him　the　Grand　Cross　of　the　Medjidie。　　In　this　year；　too　he　was　awarded　at　the　Paris　Exhibition；　a　grand　HORS　LIGNE　gold　medal；　one　out　of　ten　supreme　honours　designed　to　mark　the　very　highest　achievements。　　On　the　same　occasion　another　of　these　special　medals　was　bestowed　on　Cyrus　Field　and　the　Anglo…American　Telegraph　Company。　　In　1868；　he　introduced　it　into　Holland；　and　in　1869；　into　Bavaria　and　Wurtemburg；　where　he　obtained　the　Noble　Order　of　St。　Michael。　　In　1870；　he　also　installed　it　in　Switzerland　and　Belgium。

Coming　back　to　England；　the　Submarine　Telegraph　Company　adopted　the　type…printer　in　1872；　when　they　had　only　two　instruments　at　work。　　In　1878　they　had　twenty　of　them　in　constant　use；　of　which　number　nine　were　working　direct　between　London　and　Paris；　one　between　London　and　Berlin；　one　between　London　and　Cologne；　one　between　London　and　Antwerp；　and　one　between　London　and　Brussels。　　All　the　continental　news　for　the　TIMES　and　the　DAILY　TELEGRAPH　is　received　by　the　Hughes'　type…printer；　and　is　set　in　type　by　a　type…setting　machine　as　it　arrives。　　Further；　by　the　International　Telegraph　Congress　it　was　settled　that　for　all　international　telegrams　only　the　Hughes'　instrument　and　the　Morse　were　to　be　employed。　　Since　the　Post　Office　acquired　the　cables　to　the　Continent　in　1889；　a　room　in　St。　Martin's…le…Grand　has　been　provided　for　the　printers　working　to　Paris；　Berlin；　and　Rome。

In　1875；　Professor　Hughes　introduced　the　type…printer　　into　Spain；　where　he　was　made　a　Commander　of　the　Royal　and　Distinguished　Order　of　Carlos　III。　In　every　country　to　which　it　was　taken；　the　merits　of　the　instrument　were　recognised；　and　Professor　Hughes　has　none　but　pleasant　souvenirs　of　his　visits　abroad。

During　all　these　years　the　inventor　was　not　idle。　He　was　constantly　improving　his　invention；　and　in　addition　to　that；　he　had　to　act　as　an　instructor　　where…ever　he　went；　and　give　courses　of　lectures　explaining　the　principles　and　practice　of　his　apparatus　to　the　various　employees　into　whose　hands　it　was　to　be　consigned。

The　years　1876…8　will　be　distinguished　in　the　history　of　our　time　for　a　triad　of　great　inventions　which；　so　to　speak；　were　hanging　together。　　We　have　already　seen　how　the　telephone　and　phonograph　have　originated；　and　to　these　two　marvellous　　contrivances　we　have　now　to　add　a　third；　the　microphone；　which　is　even　more　marvellous；　because；　although　in　form　it　is　the　simplest　of　them　all；　in　its　action　it　is　still　a　mystery。　　The　telephone　enables　us　to　speak　to　distances　far　beyond　the　reach　of　eye　or　ear；　'to　waft　a　sigh　from　Indus　to　the　Pole；　'the　phonograph　enables　us　to　seal　the　living　speech　on　brazen　tablets；　and　store　it　up　for　any　length　of　time；　while　it　is　the　peculiar　function　of　the　microphone　to　let　us　hear　those　minute　sounds　which　are　below　the　range　of　our　unassisted　powers　of　hearing。　　By　these　three　instruments　we　have　thus　received　a　remarkable　extension　of　the　capacity　of　the　human　ear；　and　a　growth　of　dominion　over　the　sounds　of　Nature。　　We　have　now　a　command　over　sound　such　as　we　have　over　light。　　For　the　telephone　is　to　the　ear　what　the　telescope　is　to　the　eye；　the　phonograph　is　for　sound　what　the　photograph　is　for　light；　and　the　microphone　finds　its　analogue　in　the　microscope。　　As　the　microscope　reveals　to　our　wondering　sight　the　rich　meshes　of　creation；　so　the　microphone　can　interpret　to　our　ears　the　jarr　of　molecular　vibrations　for　ever　going　on　around　us；　perchance　the　clash　of　atoms　as　they　shape　themselves　into　crystals；　the　murmurous　ripple　of　the　sap　in　trees；　which　Humboldt　fancied　to　make　a　continuous　music　in　the　ears　of　the　tiniest　insects；　the　fall　of　pollen　dust　on　flowers　and　grasses；　the　stealthy　creeping　of　a　spider　upon　his　silken　web；　and　even　the　piping　of　a　pair　of　love…sick　butterflies；　or　the　trumpeting　of　a　bellicose　gnat；　like　the　'horns　of　elf…land　faintly　blowing。'

The　success　of　the　Hughes　type…printer　may　be　said　to　have　covered　its　author　with　titles　and　scientific　honours；　and　placed　him　above　the　necessity　of　regular　employment。　　He　left　America；　and　travelled　from　place　to　place。　　For　many　years　past；　however；　he　has　resided　privately　in　London；　an　eminent　example　of　that　modesty　and　simplicity　which　is　generally　said　to　accompany　true　genius。

Mechanical　invention　is　influenced　to　a　very　high　degree　by　external　circumstances。　　It　may　sound　sensational；　but　it　is　nevertheless　true；　that　we　owe　the　microphone　to　an　attack　of　bronchitis。　　During　the　thick　foggy　weather　of　November　1877；　Professor　Hughes　was　confined　to　his　home　by　a　severe　cold；　and　in　order　to　divert　his　thoughts　he　began　to　amuse　himself　with　a　speaking　telephone。　　Then　it　occurred　to　him　that　there　might　be　some　means　found　of　making　the　wire　of　the　telephone　circuit　speak　of　itself　without　the　need　of　telephones　at　all；　or　at　least　without　the　need　of　one　telephone；　namely；　that　used　in　transmitting　the　sounds。　　The　distinguished　physicist　Sir　William　Thomson；　had　lately　discovered　the　peculiar　fact　that　when　a　current　of　electricity　is　passed　through　a　wire；　the　current　augments　when　the　wire　is　extended；　and　diminishes　when　the　wire　is　compressed；　because　in　the　former　case　the　resistance　of　the　material　of　the　wire　to　the　passage　of　the　current　is　lessened；　and　in　the　latter　case　it　becomes　greater。

Now　it　occurred　to　Professor　Hughes　that；　if　this　were　so；　it　might　be　possible　to　cause　the　air…vibrations　of　sound　to　so　act　upon　a　wire　conveying　a　current　as　to　stretch　and　contract　it　in　sympathy　with　themselves；　so　that　the　sound…waves　would　create　corresponding　electric　waves　in　the　current；　and　these　electric　waves；　passed　through　a　telephone　connected　to　the　wire；　would　cause　the　telephone　to　give　forth　the　original　sounds。　　He　first　set　about　trying　the　effect　of　vibrating　a　wire　in　which　a　current　flowed；　to　see　if　the　stretching　and　compressing　thereby　produced　would　affect　the　current　so　as　to　cause　sounds　in　a　telephone　connected　up　in　circuit　with　the　wirebut　without　effect。　　He　could　hear　no　sound　whatever　in　the　telephone。　　Then　he　stretched　the　wire　till　it　broke　altogether；　and　as　the　metal　began　to　rupture　he　heard　a　distinct　grating　in　the　telephone；　followed　by　a　sharp　'click；'　when　the　wire　sundered；　which　indicated　a　'rush'　of　electricity　through　the　telephone。　　This　pointed　out　to　him　that　the　wire　might　be　sensitive　to　sound　when　in　a　state　of　fracture。　　Acting　on　the　hint；　he　placed　the　two　broken　ends　of　the　wire　together　again；　and　kept　them　so　by　the　　application　of　a　definite　pressure。　　To　his　joy　he　found　that　he　had　discovered　what　he　had　been　in　search　of。　　The　imperfect　contact　between　the　broken　ends　of　the　wire　proved　itself　to　be　a　means　of　transmitting　sounds；　and　in　addition　it　was　found　to　possess　a　faculty　which　he　had　not　anticipatedit　proved　to　be　sensitive　to　very　minute　sounds；　and　was　in　fact　a　rude　microphone。　Continuing　his　researches；　he　soon　found　that　he　had　discovered　a　prin…　ciple　of　wide　application；　and　that