heroes of the telegraph-第46部分

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d　convey　it　to　the　carbon　button；　on　which　Edison　had　laid　considerable　stress；　was　　non…essential；　for　the　microphone；　pure　and　simple；　was　operated　by　the　direct　impact　of　the　sonorous　waves；　and　required　no　tympanum。　　Moreover；　the　　microphone；　as　its　name　implies；　could　magnify　a　feeble　sound；　and　render　audible　the　vibrations　which　would　otherwise　escape　the　ear。　　The　discovery　of　these　remarkable　and　subtle　properties　of　a　delicate　contact　had　indeed　confronted　Edison；　he　had　held　them　in　his　grasp；　they　had　stared　him　in　the　face；　but　not…withstanding　all　his　matchless　ingenuity　and　acumen；　he；　blinded　perhaps　by　a　false　hypothesis；　entirely　failed　to　discern　them。　　The　significant　proof　of　it　lies　in　the　fact　that　after　the　researches　of　Professor　Hughes　were　published　the　carbon　transmitter　was　promptly　modified；　and　finally　abandoned　for　practical　work　as　a　telephone；　in　favour　of　a　variety　of　new　transmitters；　such　as　the　Blake；　now　employed　in　the　United　Kingdom；　in　all　of　which　the　essential　part　is　a　microphone　of　hard　carbon　and　metal。　　The　button　of　soot　has　vanished　into　the　limbo　of　superseded　inventions。

Science　appears　to　show　that　every　physical　process　is　reciprocal；　and　may　be　reversed。　　With　this　　principle　in　our　minds；　we　need　not　be　surprised　that　the　microphone　should　not　only　act　as　a　TRANSMITTER　of　sounds；　but　that　it　should　also　act　as　a　RECEIVER。　　Mr。　James　Blyth；　of　Edinburgh；　was　the　first　to　announce　that　he　had　heard　sounds　and　even　speech　given　out　by　a　microphone　itself　when　substituted　for　the　telephone。　　His　transmitting　microphone　and　his　receiving　one　were　simply　jelly…cans　filled　with　cinders　from　the　grate。　　It　then　transpired　that　Professor　Hughes　had　previously　obtained　the　same　remarkable　effects　from　his　ordinary　'pencil'　microphones。　　The　sounds　were　extremely　feeble；　however；　but　the　transmitting　microphones　proved　the　best　articulating　ones。　　Professor　Hughes　at　length　constructed　an　adjustable　　hammer…and…anvil　microphone　of　gas…carbon；　fixed　to　the　top　of　a　resonating　drum；　which　articulated　fairly　well；　although　not　so　perfectly　as　a　Bell　telephone。　　Perhaps　a　means　of　improving　both　the　volume　and　distinctness　　of　the　articulation　will　yet　be　forthcoming　and　we　may　be　able　to　speak　solely　by　the　microphone；　if　it　is　found　desirable。　　The　marvellous　fact　that　a　little　piece　of　charcoal　can；　as　it　were；　both　listen　and　speak；　that　a　person　may　talk　to　it　so　that　his　friend　can　hear　him　at　a　similar　piece　a　hundred　miles　away；　is　a　miracle　of　nineteenth　century　science　which　far　transcends　the　oracles　of　antiquity。

The　articulating　telephone　was　the　forerunner　of　the　phonograph　and　microphone；　and　led　to　their　discovery。　　They　in　turn　will　doubtless　lead　to　other　new　inventions；　which　it　is　now　impossible　to　foresee。　We　ask　in　vain　for　an　answer　to　the　question　which　is　upon　the　lips　of　every　one…What　next？　The　　microphone　has　proved　itself　highly　useful　in　strengthening　the　sounds　given　out　by　the　telephone；　and　it　is　probable　that　we　shall　soon　see　those　three　inventions　working　unitedly；　for　the　microphone　might　make　the　telephone　sounds　so　powerful　as　to　enable　them　to　be　printed　by　phonograph　as　they　are　received；　and　thus　a　durable　record　of　telephonic　messages　would　be　obtained。　　We　can　now　transmit　sound　by　wire；　but　it　may　yet　be　possible　to　transmit　light；　and　see　by　telegraph。　　We　are　apparently　on　the　eve　of　other　wonderful　inventions；　and　there　are　symptoms　that　before　many　years　a　great　fundamental　discovery　will　be　made；　which　will　elucidate　the　connection　of　all　the　physical　forces；　and　will　illumine　the　very　frame…work　of　Nature。

In　1879；　Professor　Hughes　endowed　the　scientific　world　with　another　beautiful　apparatus；　his　'induction　balance。'　　Briefly　described；　it　is　an　arrangement　of　coils　whereby　the　currents　inducted　by　a　primary　circuit　in　the　secondary　are　opposed　to　each　other　until　they　balance；　so　that　a　telephone　connected　in　the　secondary　circuit　is　quite　silent。　Any　disturbance　of　this　delicate　balance；　however；　say　by　the　movement　of　a　coil　or　a　metallic　body　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　apparatus；　will　be　at　once　reported　by　the　induction　currents　in　the　telephone。　　Being　sensitive　to　the　presence　of　minute　masses　of　metal；　the　apparatus　was　applied　by　Professor　Graham　Bell　to　indicate　the　whereabouts　of　the　missing　bullet　in　the　frame　of　President　Garfield；　as　already　mentioned；　and　also　by　Captain　McEvoy　to　detect　the　position　of　submerged　torpedoes　or　lost　anchors。　　Professor　Roberts…Austen；　the　Chemist　to　the　Mint；　has　also　employed　it　with　success　in　analysing　the　purity　and　temper　of　coins；　for；　strange　to　say；　the　induction　is　affected　as　well　by　the　molecular　quality　as　the　quantity　of　the　disturbing　metal。　Professor　Hughes　himself　has　modified　it　for　the　purpose　of　sonometry；　and　the　measurement　of　the　hearing　powers。

To　the　same　year；　1879；　belong　his　laborious　investigations　on　current　induction；　and　some　ingenious　plans　for　eliminating　its　effects　on　telegraph　and　telephone　circuits。

Soon　after　his　discovery　of　the　microphone　he　was　invited　to　become　a　Fellow　of　the　Royal　Society；　and　a　few　years　later；　in　1885　he　received　the　Royal　Medal　of　the　Society　for　his　experiments；　and　especially　those　of　the　microphone。　　In　1881　he　represented　the　United　Kingdom　as　a　Commissioner　at　the　Paris　International　Exhibition　of　Electricity；　and　was　elected　President　of　one　of　the　sections　of　the　International　Congress　of　Electricians。　　In　1886　he　filled　the　office　of　President　of　the　Society　of　Telegraph　Engineers　and　of　Electricians。

The　Hughes　type…printer　was　a　great　mechanical　invention；　one　of　the　greatest　in　telegraphic　science；　for　every　organ　of　it　was　new；　and　had　to　be　fashioned　out　of　chaos；　an　invention　which　stamped　its　author's　name　indelibly　into　the　history　of　telegraphy；　and　procured　for　him　a　special　fame；　while　the　　microphone　is　a　discovery　which　places　it　on　the　roll　of　investigators；　and　at　the　same　time　brings　it　to　the　knowledge　of　the　people。　　Two　such　achievements　might　well　satisfy　any　scientific　ambition。　　Professor　Hughes　has　enjoyed　a　most　successful　career。　　Probably　no　inventor　ever　before　received　so　many　honours；　or　bore　them　with　greater　modesty。



APPENDIX。　…


I。　CHARLES　FERDINAND　GAUSS。

CHARLES　FERDINAND　GAUSS　was　born　at　Braunschweig　on　April　30；　1777。　His　father；　George　Dietrich；　was　a　mason；　who　employed　himself　otherwise　in　the　hard　winter　months；　and　finally　became　cashier　to　a　TODTENCASSE；　or　burial　fund。　　His　mother　Dorothy　was　the　daughter　of　Christian　Benze　of　the　village　of　Velpke；　near　Braunschweig；　and　a　woman　of　talent；　industry；　and　wit；　which　her　son　appears　to　have　inherited。　　The　father　died　in　1808　after　his　son　had　become　distinguished。　　The　mother　lived　to　the　age　of　ninety…seven；　but　became　totally　blind。　　She　preserved　her　low　Saxon　dialect；　her　blue　linen　dress　and　simple　country　manners；　to　the　last；　while　living　beside　her　son　at　the　Observatory　of　Gottingen。　Frederic；　her　younger　brother；　was　a　damask　weaver；　but　a　man　with　a　natural　turn　for　mathematics　and　mechanics。

When　Gauss　was　a　boy；　his　parents　lived　in　a　small　house　in　the　Wendengrahen；　on　a　canal　which　joined　the　Ocker；　a　stream　flowing　through　Braunschweig。　　The　canal　is　now　covered；　and　is　the　site　of　the　Wilhelmstrasse；　but　a　tablet　marks　the　house。　　When　a　child；　Gauss　used　to　play　on　the　bank　of　the　canal；　and　falling　in　one　day　he　was　nearly　drowned。　　He　learned　to　read　by　asking　the　letters　from　his　friends；　and　also　by　studying　an　old　calendar　which　hung　on　a　wall　of　his　father's　house；　and　when　four　years　old　he　knew　all　the　numbers　on　it；　in　spite　of　a　shortness　of　sight　which　afflicted　him　to　the　end。　　On　Saturday　nights　his　father　paid　his　workmen　their　wages；　and　once　the　boy；　who　had　been　listening　to　his　calculations；　jumped　up　and　told　him　that　he　was　wrong。　　Revision　showed　that　his　son　was　right。

At　the　age　of　seven；　Gauss　went　to　the　Catherine　Parish　School　at　Braunschweig；　and　remained　at　it　for　several　years。　　The　master's　name　was　Buttner；　and　from　a　raised　seat　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　he　kept　order　by　means　of　a　whip　suspended　at　his　side。　　A　bigger　boy；　Bartels　by　name；　used　to　cut　quill　pens；　and　assist　the　smaller　boys　in　their　lessons。　　He　became　a　friend　of　Gauss；　and　would　procure　mathematical　books；　which　they　read　together。　　Bartels　subsequently　rose　to　be　a　professor　in　the　University　of　Dorpat；　where　he　died。　　At　the　parish　school　the　boys　of　fourteen　to　fifteen　years　were　being　examined　in　arithmetic　one　day；　when　Gauss　stepped　forward　and；　to　the　astonishment　of　Buttner；　requested　to　be　examined　at　the　same　time。　　Buttner；　thinking　to　punish　him　for　his　audacity；　put　a　'poser'　to　him；　and　awaited　the　result。　　Gauss　solved　the　problem　on　his　slate；　and　laid　it　face　downward　on　the　table；　crying　'Here　it　is；'　according　to　the　custom。　　At　the　end　of　an　hour；　during　which　the　master　paced　up　and　down　with　an　air　of　dignity；　the　slates　were　turned　over；　and　the　answer　of　Gauss　was　found　to　be　correct　while　many　of　the　rest　were　erroneous。　Buttner　praised　him；　and　ordered　a　special　book　on　arithmetic　for　him　all　the　way　from　Hamburg。

》From　the　parish　school　Gauss　went　to